Resurgent Springboks will test All Blacks' precision

The All Black front row of Carl Hayman, Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock can expect a Bok bludgeoning. Picture / Fotopress

Before the Mandela Series began, All Black coach Graham Henry considered the Springboks would be too good for the Wallabies even in Sydney.

His judgment was not even close as the Wallabies sauntered to a 30-12 victory against a limp South African side.

Henry's inkling, though, came into better focus when the Boks won the return match in Johannesburg and then followed up with another win against the Wallabies to start the Tri-Nations.

The Rainbow Nation is on a rugby roll with an unbeaten stretch of nine wins and a draw at home since Jake White replaced Rudolf Straeuli as coach. The 52,000 who will cram into Newlands tomorrow are anticipating the All Blacks will be another victim as South Africa defends its Tri-Nations title.

Perhaps that would be so if it were the All Blacks of last year, who got worse as the Tri-Nations wore on. This season, they have looked a different side.

But then, so have the Boks, at least at home. They have made better use of the speeding Bryan Habana, redefined their midfield, paired up the dangerous Andre Pretorius and Ricky Januarie and retooled their loosies.

Throw in the strong scrum and the pressure they exert in the lineouts and the Springboks make a formidable foe. They will play with the sort of demonic fervour only they seem to be able to produce.

They will try to bludgeon the All Black pack; they will kick for the corners and rely on their lineout prowess. They will use their rush defence to rattle the All Blacks.

It was a recipe the Wallabies were unable to counter, but they had their chances.

They exposed the Springboks' ball retention, they won enough precious turnover ball, but did not have the conviction to go wide or the presence to make that possession count.

On the evidence of this season, the All Blacks will. They have the vision of Daniel Carter to attack the inside channels, send it wide or operate a short attacking game with Aaron Mauger.

They may be rusty after a month away from test rugby but the Springboks may start to feel the pinch in their third straight international.

You also wonder in the white-hot atmosphere which will incite the crowd and test the nerve of the match officials whether the Springboks will revert to type. When the pressure and hype intensifies, will they turn the ball back towards their forwards to try to out-muscle the All Blacks?

The Springboks held an advantage in the scrums against the Wallabies but will not gain that edge against New Zealand's tight five.

The lineouts may be different. But uncertainty remains about the Springboks' ability to recycle quality ball in contact. They have not shown the composure, accuracy or precision the All Blacks did in that part of the game against the Lions.

Schalk Burger should even up that statistic against Richie McCaw but you would still favour the New Zealand ace and cohorts Rodney So'oialo and Jerry Collins.

Halfback Byron Kelleher must mix up his running, passing and kicking options to ease the pressure on Carter while Tana Umaga might be just the man to tickle up Jean de Villiers and Jacque Fourie.

Conditions may be soft at Newlands but that should not deter the All Blacks. Even in the abysmal first-test conditions against the Lions in Christchurch, they tried to outflank the visitors with the speed of their back four.

That will continue tomorrow. It will be a question of whether they can regain the self-assurance they had against the Lions. The All Blacks have remodelled their strategies since late last year. They will persist with their attacking plans and ask whether the Springboks have any counter.