J.J. Harmse

Dublin – The Springboks could give themselves a deserved pat on the back for their victory over Italy on Saturday, but the applause was reserved for the Irish pilot that managed to land them safely in stormy winds.

The remarkable landing was the only favour granted to the Boks on their arrival ahead of Saturday’s test against Ireland in Croke Park.

The local newspapers have already started their campaign against the team and have gone as far as labeling the Boks as bullies, with Bryan Habana the biggest of them all. That, at least, is the view of Irish Independent columnist George Hook.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers laughed it off, but was more serious about his choices for the last match on tour.

The Boks realise that only a convincing victory can bring the gloss back to the tour. De Villiers has a few important decisions to make.

The first is where to pick John Smit. There is no doubt that the Bok scrum is at its strongest with Smit at hooker.

When Smit had BJ Botha and Beast Mtawarira either side of him on Saturday, they were stronger than the home side. They dominated the Italian scrum, in spite of Botha having no more than a captain’s run to get reacquainted with his former Sharks team-mate.
“It was like riding a bicycle,” a satisfied Botha said afterwards. “We got on the same wavelength quickly and gave them a few good scrums.”

De Villiers has taken note. “I have a problem, but fortunately it is a pleasant one,” he told Sport24.

“Do I pick John or Bismarck at hooker? And if I pick John, should CJ or BJ be the tighthead? What a nice problem.”

Du Plessis missed the game against Italy because of a rib injury.

The Boks’ average scrummaging has been blamed on Smit at tighthead for a while. Should he run out at hooker on Saturday, with the Boks’ two tightheads from the 2007 World Cup triumph available, it will strengthen the suspicion that De Villiers also thinks along those lines.

He will also have to make a call between Ryan Kankowski and Danie Rossouw at No 8 following the latter’s impressive performance there against the Azzurri.

Saturday’s match will be the 12th this year for the Boks and the number of games always has an influence on a tour in the Northern Hemisphere at the end of the year. However, last year the Boks finished their tour superbly with a thumping of England after two unimpressive victories.

This time a more settled Irish team awaits the Boks than the English side Martin Johnson picked last year. There is also the added motivation of the Tri-Nations champions taking on the Six Nations champions.

The countries also delivered the Heineken Cup winners (Leinster) and Super14 champions (Bulls).

South Africa and Ireland are also battling it out for the International Rugby Board’s title of team of the year.