Pretorius has goods, says coach

By WYNNE GRAY in WELLINGTON

When Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli watched young five-eighths Andre Pretorius tangle with the Crusaders in the Super 12, he saw his test pivot.

Straeuli had seen his value in sevens with his speed and ball handling, and he had confirmed his progression in Super 12 and national trials. Without the injured Butch James or Braam van Straaten for five-eighths, Pretorius demanded selection.

"He played in a Super 12 side which was struggling, but he showed out in that side," Straeuli said in Wellington yesterday.

When the Cats hosted the Crusaders in Johannesburg, they lost narrowly, 37-30, but Pretorius scored two tries, converted three and kicked two penalties in a fine individual performance.

He has since played impressively in four tests, against Wales (2), Argentina and Samoa, and tomorrow runs out in the Springboks' start to the Tri-Nations series against the All Blacks in Wellington.

Pretorius brings the sharpness that has been missing in that crucial five-eighths position for the Springboks in the past few seasons, but Straeuli maintained he was not a sevens player in disguise.

"He is solid and safe in his tackles, too, and he can play either style," he said.

Pretorius' goalkicking success rate was 85 per cent in the last international.

Players such as Pretorius and his halfback partner, Johannes Conradie, were chosen from the Super 12, but there were others such as Joe van Niekerk, Werner Greef, Hendro Scholtz or experienced hooker James Dalton who did not play much in that competition this season.

Straeuli said he had not limited himself to the Super 12 to find his talent.

He had watched the Vodacom Cup, Currie Cup and sevens, and then held trials after he was appointed to the national job midway through the Super 12.

"If you look at some of the players, they have not been used because of wrong reasons, so that is why we had trials," he said.

"We have to cast our net wider in South Africa, but obviously the All Blacks feel comfortable with the Crusaders."

Straeuli meets his old playing and coaching foe John Mitchell tomorrow, with neither yet having felt defeat in tests.

Straeuli and his skipper, Corne Krige, exude some confidence about upsetting the All Blacks.

They have noted all the talk that has portrayed the Tri-Nations series as a two-team competition.

"Over in Australia we heard Owen Finegan say that when the All Blacks travelled to Sydney it would be to play for the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations trophy," Straeuli said.

"But you should know us by now and how determined we are."

The Boks have an unchanged backline but three changes in their pack from the group who last went out, against Samoa.

Dalton, Willie Meyer and Jannes Labuschagne return to the tight five in a combination which has been successful in the past.

There is no specialist reserve hooker, but Straeuli said they had used that tactic before, and he hinted that he may still rearrange his bench when he looks at the conditions tomorrow.

The coach was unconcerned about his side's late arrival in New Zealand (they turned up early yesterday).

It had always been planned and he still felt it was the best way to deal with successive games either side of the Tasman.

Straeuli said that while the Springboks would have little time to absorb rugby fever in Wellington before the test, he had prepared them for the intensity of the occasion.

It was the sort of challenge that top players certainly thrived on.

And for Straeuli and the Springboks, playing the All Blacks was still the ultimate rugby contest.

Springboks: Werner Greeff, Stefan Terblanche, Marius Joubert, de Wet Barry, Dean Hall, Andre Pretorius, Johannes Conradie, Bob Skinstad, Joe van Niekerk, Corne Krige (capt), Victor Matfied, Jannes Labuschagne, Willie Meyer, James Dalton, Lawrence Sephaka. Reserves: Ollie le Roux, Faan Rautenbach, AJ Venter, Hendro Scholtz, Neil de Kock, Adi Jacobs, Breyton Paulse.