(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Not for the first time this season, the All Blacks enter a test match under pressure. They face a World Champion Springbok team that has local media and fans gushing rapture over a Bokke that appears to be destined for greatness.
In fact, if the South Africans win, it will be the first time since 1998 that they have beaten their old foes twice in a calendar year. It will also be the only time the All Blacks have lost more than two test matches in a year under Graham Henry.
With Bulls first five Morné Steyn brought into the starting team, it is the strongest South African side that could be selected. With no disrespect to Schalk Burger, the team looks far more complete with the find of 2009 in the side, Heinrich Brussow.
But there are still caveats that the Springboks—World Champions and the IRB’s number one ranked side—must conquer before their metamorphosis into not only the best team on the planet, but to give credence to their fiercely proud supporters opinion.
First, they need to win the Tri Nations.
To do this, they will need to conquer a glaring weakness to the South Africans resume in the professional era, to win away from home.
Since 1996, the Springboks have won only four matches of 28 travelling to New Zealand or Australia. They are still to leave the comforts of home this year, and away wins in the Tri Nations can be championship sealers.
Secondly, they simply must, in the deep shadows of the stands of their fortress of Kings Park, beat this All Black team. For if the Springboks are as good as we are being led to believe, and equally if the All Blacks are as poor, then this should be a fait accompli.
New Zealand in many respects is a team that seems to not have switched the launch button so far this season, looking strangely out of sorts.
Some statistics would have us believe that this is a woeful All Black team, scoring the least amount of tries in their opening five matches of any opening run in the professional era. Never mind the fact that they hosted probably the strongest Northern Hemisphere team (Les Bleus) seen in the South since Martin Johnsons England toured.
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