KEY POINTS:
Springboks captain John Smit reckons reserve fullback Percy Montgomery is the perfect man to deliver his team talk ahead of tomorrow's opening Tri-Nations rugby test against the All Blacks.
Temperatures may be cold in Wellington this week but the tourists are reaching boiling point about their dreadful record on New Zealand soil, having won once since returning from isolation 14 years ago.
They have established a dominant record nearly everywhere else in recent seasons, including at last year's World Cup, but the Springboks' experienced players in particular have decided enough is enough away to the All Blacks.
Montgomery was fullback in the much treasured 13-3 win at Wellington in 1998, the 50th meeting of rugby's greatest rivals. He kicked eight points in the 16th test of a 96-cap career.
Smit joked he had no qualms about passing the group motivation role on to Montgomery this week.
"He's going to do all the team talks. He's about the only guy who's got any experience of it (winning in NZ)," Smit said.
"It's a burning desire, purely because it's been so long and the majority of us have come a long way together over the last 4-5 years and never been able to pluck one over here.
"It certainly does put a bit of fire in the belly, it's a box that hasn't been ticked."
No 8 Joe van Niekerk's record against the All Blacks is typical. He has won his last two tests at home to New Zealand but lost four from four on the road.
The tough loosie played in the two-point loss at Christchurch in 2004 and four-point defeat a year later in Dunedin. The All Blacks needed last-minute tries to winger Doug Howlett and hooker Keven Mealamu respectively to snatch victory in both.
"In 2005 we came really close, that's got to be a laceration in every guys' minds," he said.
"For some reason it's much harder here in their back yard but those two close games have put us in good stead for this moment now."
The most recent two clashes in New Zealand have been drab affairs but won comfortably enough by the All Blacks.
Prop CJ van der Linde is the sole survivor from the South African 22 who contested the previous meeting, last year in Christchurch.
Then-coach Jake White was resting 20 players ahead of the World Cup and fielded a virtual B team, losing 6-33.
There are just four starters back for the All Blacks - fullback Mils Muliaina, loose forward Rodney So'oialo, prop Tony Woodcock and first five-eighth Daniel Carter, who scored 23 points.
Van Niekerk was the most surprising selection of a fairly settled Springboks team announced by coach Peter de Villiers yesterday.
Despite his 47 tests worth of experience and a consistently strong Super 14 season with the struggling Lions, it was widely thought van Niekerk had been surpassed by brilliant attackers Pierre Spies and Ryan Kankowski.
Yet neither of those players have made the 22, with Luke Watson picked as loose forward cover.
Former age group star van Niekerk's career stalled with a back injury last year and he admitted the South African public would be surprised by his promotion after making just one test appearance this season, off the bench against Italy two weeks ago.
"From where I came, perhaps I wasn't the front-runner for the position," he said.
"In terms of where the Lions ended up, I really had quite a good Super 14. I'm feeling really confident about my game."
All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith could identify few weaknesses among the hardened visitors, or at least that he would admit to.
"If you look at them on paper, they've had fewer changes (since the World Cup) and they're pretty strong aren't they?" he said.
"We've had a lot of changes and we're a bit greener but attitude makes up for a lot of things and we're really happy with the attitude of these boys that we've brought in."
The gulf in experience between the forward packs will widen further if All Blacks lock Ali Williams is ruled out by his sprained ankle.
Williams has made gradual progress this week but he fell to the ground clutching it yesterday before resuming his first full training session of the week.
It increased speculation that team medical staff will advise he not play and have his place taken by two-test rookie Anthony Boric.
- NZPA
