Dirty-play critics give Boks a lift

The Springboks will be thankful to Wallabies coach Eddie Jones if they beat the All Blacks at Carisbrook on Saturday.

Australian claims of dirty play by the Springboks had not affected team morale, Springbok captain Corne Krige said.

"No, not at all. I think it's fired our team up."

Krige said fans in South Africa were the strongest critics of the Springboks, and they were not happy with the big losses to the All Blacks and Wallabies.

South Africa lost their last two Tri-Nations games - 52-16 to the All Blacks in Pretoria and 29-9 to Australia at Brisbane.

"We know we are a better team," Krige said. "We know we can play better rugby. We will make sure we do everything right this weekend.

"The Australians were on our minds yesterday. We have forgotten about them now and have a new job."

South African rugby had lost the aura of invincibility it once held in the world, but Krige believed the All Blacks would still respect them.

"Ask the New Zealand forwards," he said. "They would say it was a tough test match at Loftus.

"Maybe we haven't lost our invincibility totally. We will be trying to prove this on Saturday."

Krige has played four Super 12 games and one test at Carisbrook.

The 1999 test - won by the All Blacks 28-0 - was not a happy time for Krige, who injured his knee ligaments after 10 minutes and had to miss the World Cup.

Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli has happier memories of Carisbrook.

He played his first test for the Springboks there in 1994 and scored a try, although the All Blacks won 22-14.

"Dunedin is a rugby town," he said. "I love it here. That's why we came early."

The World Cup is the big picture for Straeuli who was refusing to get downcast about recent results.

"I gave our guys 24 hours to sulk after Brisbane before we became upbeat again."

The big Tri-Nations wins against South Africa and Australia have put the All Blacks up with England as favourites to win the World Cup.

But Straeuli did not think the All Blacks had shown their cards too early.

"No. If I had those cards, I would have shown them, too," he said.

He described the loss of suspended forwards Bakkies Botha and Rob Kempson as "a setback," but also said it would give some young players a chance.

South Africa will name their test team today, but Straeuli did not give any selection clues.

"It depends on how we want to play the game. It's the last opportunity before the World Cup to look at one or two other players."

* South Africa rugby boss Rian Oberholzer has lodged a complaint with the Australians.

Oberholzer said he disputed claims by Jones and Wallabies captain George Gregan that some Springboks had eye-gouged, bit and spat on players, and had sent a letter to the union's managing director, John O'Neill, objecting to the allegations.

He said the "spate of personal attacks and allegations" could strain relations between the two countries, and asked for assurances from O'Neill that the teams refrain from criticising each other in public.

* New Zealand referee Paddy O'Brien has leapt to the defence of South Africa, rejecting suggestions they are a "dirty" team.

O'Brien, New Zealand's most experienced test referee with 28 internationals, said the test was "no different" to any other in its physical nature.

He said he saw none of the incidents alleged by Jones.

"I just get wary of the beat-up that they're a dirty team because that's not my view of it.

"They are just another team in international rugby.

"They had two incidents in this game, which were dealt with by the judiciary, but as a team I don't consider them to be dirty."

O'Brien said the only on-field complaint he received came from the Wallabies about Brendon Cannon, who claimed to have been eye-gouged.

"It was tight and physical but I never thought the game was getting ugly or anything like that."

- NZPA