Richard Loe: Development key question in Tri Nations

John Smit of the Springboks hasn't been firing. Photo / Getty Images

Even though the Australians, as they showed last night, are never easy, the real interest in this year's Tri Nations is all about development.

How far will the All Blacks develop this year? How far will the Wallabies come under Robbie Deans? But the big question is: How will the Boks develop now?

They play again in three weeks; a key period for South African rugby. In the space of the past three weeks, they have gone from being the acknowledged No 1 side in the world to a team that, as we discussed last week, has missed the boat.

How they get back on board is the big question. Who the captain of the vessel will be is another. I think we can dismiss the possibility of World Cup-winning coach Jake White getting his old job back.

For that to happen, the SARU hierarchy would have to change their tune and White would have to change his name.

There is too much politics surrounding the situation - transition and all that - for things to change, I believe.

Even if they don't get rid of coach Peter de Villiers, the Boks still have a huge job ahead of them.

Honestly, these guys remind me so much of the 1991 All Blacks at that World Cup.

We were a good team, full of great players. But the psychology of a team like that is a very difficult thing.

Our heads weren't right. We were over-confident; cocksure even. We thought being there was enough to win - and I don't think, looking back now, that we had done enough hard work.

We also had John Hart and Grizz Wyllie as joint coaches and they didn't gel. The old saying about not lighting barbecues with petrol held true.

One of the things Graham Henry has done well this year is building depth - and getting the young up-and-comers to put pressure on the old guard. That's why the fire's burst through in the play of people like Mils Muliaina and Tony Woodcock.

That's not happening with the Boks. The old stagers like John Smit and Victor Matfield aren't performing and haven't had that same fire. Some are saying they are over the hill but I think they need to have that heat applied - and then make a judgement.

It's the same at halfback. You can't tell me Ricky Januarie is third or even fourth-best halfback in South Africa.

I know Fourie du Preez is injured, as is Bismarck du Plessis at hooker - but the Boks need to pick some youngsters now and give them a crack. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Then they can see whether players like Matfield and Smit can come back strong.

Players like Bryan Habana and Morne Steyn have also looked quiet and out of form this season. Both benefited from the old style of game - kick for territory, kick for penalties and pick off the intercepts as the opponents chased the game.

You'd keep Habana, he's still a class player, but Steyn is under threat. He has not benefited from the problems they have had at halfback and they might need someone to steer the game better from No 10.

There was an amazing stat from the Wallabies-Boks game last weekend. First five-eighths Quade Cooper kicked the ball only once in an entire international. Once! That shows you how the game has changed; what the Boks have to do; and how far away from it they are.

The Wallabies have made more strides than the Boks with the new game and they are building depth too, although they still have work to do in the front row and tight five. It might be young depth, not particularly experienced, but experience comes if you're good enough.

If you're not good enough, all the experience in the world won't help.

Look at the likes of James O'Connor. He still looks a babyface but he has obvious skills and he keeps getting better - and he's got a year to go to get better still.

There was some silly talk about Deans coming under pressure but, for my money, he's getting together a reasonable squad of players and they are making good progress towards a credible World Cup campaign.

He's also been lighting fires under people - look how Nathan Sharpe and Dean Mumm have responded - and he has sorted out those who thought they had some sort of right to be there.

He has developed good new players, like flanker David Pocock who looked almost as much like Richie McCaw at the breakdown as McCaw does.

The Aussies nearly always either play the All Blacks well or learn from the experience so it will be interesting to see how they come out again next weekend.