All Blacks: Smith wary of test-hardened Boks

All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith says the Springboks will be a step up from Australia. Photo / Getty Images

CENTURION - A settled and battle-hardened Springboks side will provide a steeper challenge than Australia in this weekend's Tri-Nations rugby test according to the All Blacks.

South African coach Peter De Villiers kept surprises to a minimum in naming a side for the Bloemfontein test that boasts a whopping 617 test caps, including 344 in a pack made more powerful by the return from suspension of lock Bakkies Botha.

There are six changes from the experimental starting team who the third test to the British and Irish Lions at Johannesburg 3-1/2 weeks ago but, more importantly, just two new faces have been injected to the side who won the second test at Pretoria to secure the series.

Flanker Heinrich Brussouw replaces the suspended Schalk Burger and centre Jaque Fourie replaces the injured Adrian Jacobs.

All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said the Springboks had enjoyed a perfect lead-in to the Tri-Nations through the trench warfare provided by the Lions.

"The Boks are coming out of a winning Lions series, they're big physically, they've got an aggressive mindset so this is going to be another step up again," said Smith, whose team ground out a 22-16 defeat of Australia to open the Tri-Nations last weekend.

Five of the seven backs who started in South Africa's victorious World Cup final defeat of England two years ago remain. Likewise, there are nine starting survivors from last year's debilitating 19-0 loss to the All Blacks at Cape Town.

Smith will be most interested in the selection of Ruan Pienaar at first five-eighth ahead of the more conservative Morne Steyn.

"Perhaps that selection will tell us what sort of game they're going to play," Smith said before the team announcement.

Pienaar is a more erratic goalkicker but a superior distributor to Steyn and capable of parting defensive lines.

The other area of focus is the Springboks midfield, where Jacobs' groin injury sees the old firm of Fourie and Jean de Villiers reunited.

They had two seasons together from 2005 but have been separated since de Villiers suffered an injury early in the World Cup.

The pair provide a mix of class and physicality similar to the Ma'a Nonu-Conrad Smith axis for the All Blacks.

Nonu was indignant when one journalist said he and de Villiers, who will play for Munster after the Tri-Nations, were the world's premier No 12s.

"I wouldn't say I'm the world's finest. I think he is at the moment," Nonu said.

"They've got a strong backline that like to rush, I'm sure the South Africans won't want anyone breaking their line."

Peter De Villiers believed Fourie would settle quickly into the role.

"When we sat down and looked at all our centres we looked at all the guys who are similar to each other because we didn't want to change too much," he said.

"(Jacobs and Fourie) bring different flavours to the team. Jean and Jaque worked well together as a team two years ago."

The All Blacks had a day off today, with their side to be revealed tomorrow morning (NZ time) following what will be the first tough training run of the week.

Meanwhile, it appears New Zealand isn't the only country struggling to pull crowds to test matches.

Less than half of the 48,000 seats at Vodacom Park have been sold and the Orange Free State rugby union has consequently reduced ticket prices by 50 per cent to 300 rand ($60).

"We'd prefer to play in front of a full stadium, that's always lekker (good)," Peter De Villiers said.

"But we can't see a rugby test in isolation from what is happening economically in the country, and people can't afford certain things any more."

Last month's Lions tour was marred by small crowds, not helped by the South African union's steep ticket prices.

- NZPA