In an ominous sign for the winless Wallabies, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has promised the Springboks will go for the jugular on Saturday night.
De Villiers says he won’t make the same mistake twice by experimenting with his red-hot Springboks who have all but officially secured the Tri-Nations.
The Suncorp Stadium clash stands as unbeaten South Africa’s second match of a hectic three-week trek Down Under to end the tournament.
But instead of using it to rest some stars and give greater game-time to back-ups, De Villiers will step up plans to mark his team as the game’s modern-day revolutionaries.
The world champions’ only loss this year was suffered at the hands of the British and Irish Lions in the dead-rubber third Test when De Villiers experimented with his team.
“You know, you only make a mistake once in your life, I made that mistake with the Lions,” he said in Brisbane.
“It chose to work in out favour because I know where I stand with combinations and individual abilities.
“(But) for me to do the same thing now, when will I learn?
“So it’s not about winning the Tri-Nations, it’s taking it game by game and trying to stay No.1 in the world.
“We want to be the leading rugby nation, we want to set the trends, put down our markers, we want the world to follow us and we don’t want to make our emblem cheap.”
De Villiers will be forced into at least two changes with winger JP Pietersen (hamstring) and reserve lock Andries Bekker (shoulder) sent home after being injured in the 32-25 win over Australia in Perth.
Pack enforcer Bakkies Botha is also in doubt with abdomen and knee problems, leaving the Springboks with a second-row dilemma as Danie Rossouw is working his way back from a hamstring strain.
De Villiers is reluctant to call for replacements out of the South African Vodacom Cup and will give Botha as much time as possible to prove his fitness.
Botha and wing superstar Bryan Habana (groin) both sat out training at Brisbane Boys College on Monday morning but Habana has been ruled fit to play as his team search for their first win in Brisbane since 1971.
The South Africans have fired off a please-explain letter to IRB referees boss Paddy O’Brien after being puzzled by a spate of scrum penalties awarded to the Wallabies in Perth by Bryce Lawrence.
The Springboks are used to being favoured by whistle-blowers against the Australian scrum but Wallabies loose-head Benn Robinson continues to lower the colours of Springbok skipper John Smit.
“I can’t understand the penalties and where they came from,” De Villiers said.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Yeah, makes you think the Boks are a bunch of tossers.
Cats
Guest
I can tell you why... because it was a Kiwi ref hoping that the Ozzies would take advantage of the penalties against the Saffies so that they could slow the rampant boks down - they couldnt do it! SA rugby have requested reasons for the penaly counts, especially in the scrums - guess what - we havent heard a word yet on that one..... makes you think doesnt it!
AndyS
Guest
I don't know about all of them, but listening to the ref he did make the observation on one occassion that it was the other side and "when he stood up, he was looking straight at me [the ref]". So I guess boring in would be at least one of the issues. The ref also got numerous calls from the assistant ref about number 6 moving up, but I am not sure he ever actually penalised it. Similar with at least four occassions where the assistant ref noted platers going offside in defensive close to the tryline, each of which merely drew a caution that the defenders were "getting marginal". I assume he felt they weren't actually hindering play, which is fair enough. But with a penalty conceded almost every time the Wallabies went near the line, I wouldn't be bitching about the ref too much. It is not a criticism - I actually thought it an astute playing of the ref. He clearly wasn't going to go to the pocket, SA had little to fear from a Wallaby line-out and Giteau was about 50/50 to hit the penalty if he tried. Good play.
eric
Guest
Ask Al Baxter, he should know all there is to know about being penalised. I'm as perplexed as everyone, Smits socks were up, his haircut was OK, he was polite to the ref, jersey tucked in....it's a mystery. Seriously, I think refs make their mind up beforehand about who is at fault. Al Baxter earned that reputation, now it seems John Smit might be assuming the same reputation. Just bring the packs closer together, so they can't collapse.
Ziggy
Guest
I'd also like to know what the penalties were for. Not because I think they were wrong - just that nobody in the rugby world seems to know why. And the ref gave no reason at the time. No journo, no fan, no OZ or Bok player has commented because nobody knows why. Just tell us so we can understand.