Wrong colours, but saying the right things - welcome home

Greg Rawlinson left home to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional rugby player. Ross Land / Getty Images

Local opinion is that transplanted South African Greg Rawlinson will get some good-natured abuse when he appears in the All Black strip on Sunday in Pretoria.

But nothing like the invective aimed at Clyde Rathbone when he "came home" to play for the Wallabies or cricketer Kevin Pietersen when he returned in the England colours.

Both those sportsmen, say the locals, made the mistake of criticising the land of their birth when they returned to South Africa in their new national uniforms.

Rathbone took a shot at the soaring crime rate in Durban, and Pietersen criticised the South African cricket setup.

Rawlinson has carefully avoided any of those pitfalls and yesterday was proud to speak of the love he still had for the nation where he was born 28 years ago.

He moved to New Zealand because he wanted to be a professional rugby player.

His ambition was blocked in Durban so he moved as a career option, for no other reason.

"I love South Africa and I have a lot of family here and things," he said. "I left purely for rugby reasons, things have worked out and I am happy there now and have nothing against anything or anyone here."

There had been no pressure from his teammates to give them any inside knowledge of the South Africans, and most of the All Blacks had played many games in the Super competitions against a variety of sides from the Republic.

He understands a little bit of Afrikaans, but doubts that after his time away he will be much help trying to combat Springbok tactics.

"I have been in New Zealand for four years now, so I have probably gotten used to their ways and things like that so there is probably not too much I can tell them."

All Black lineout training sessions this week had been working, he said.

He was connecting with Anton Oliver's delivery, and the work the squad had done in a camp at Christchurch had shown through last week against the Wallabies at Eden Park.

The input from former All Black lock Robin Brooke had been invaluable in the camp - he made several observations which the All Blacks had picked up on.

"You could see those things we had touched on work at Eden Park," he said.

But the Springboks had a world-class lineout, and all the combinations had to be right to collect the All Blacks' own ball.

Victor Matfield could be a menace, and countering him would be a difficult assignment.

Rawlinson's first game of provincial rugby was at Loftus and he says returning with the All Blacks will be a huge occasion. His uncles, cousins and friends would fly from Durban for the test, his father would be watching a broadcast in Britain and his mother would catch the game in Canada.

HIS mother travelled to Hamilton for her son's first test, against Ireland, and his father watched on television from Britain.

He was hoping he might see his son play live on the All Blacks' end-of-year tour. "With luck that might happen, we'll have to wait and see."

The prospect of copping a few mouthfuls from Springbok supporters doesn't worry him.

"I am used to abuse from the crowd - I have never played here as a favourite," he grinned.

He said he had known for several weeks he would be playing in the test, and had been able to prepare well.

When he played his first test against Ireland in June after the IRB confirmed his All Black eligibility, it had been difficult to curb his feelings.

Two months on, he was better prepared to deal with the rugby.

"I have also gone through it [Sunday's test] in my head a number of times and I think I will be ready for it."

He had done his best to visualise the game, the crowd and the occasion. Most importantly he was concentrating on the game, although he thought the anthems would test his emotional state.

Said assistant coach Steve Hansen: "Greg had a big smile when he was named, and having been through the Wales thing myself, I know it will be a little bit emotional for him.

"But it is a matter of using those emotions to work for him rather than against him.

"He has got a good head on him, and I am sure he will do that."

Coach Graham Henry was sure Rawlinson and the Springboks would give each other the respect they deserved as internationals.

"I'm sure they won't offer him a free passage and he will know that.

"I think it is natural when you are playing your own people that he will find it an extra challenge and they will too."