Spies and Ndungane thrilled by Bok call-ups

South Africa Under-21 star Pierre Spies and his Bulls team-mate Akona Ndungane were the two new caps announced in Springbok coach Jake White's starting line-up last night to take on Australia in a Tri-Nations match at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

Spies, 20, the Baby Bok who made his Super 14 debut this season, scoring two tries for the Pretoria side as a flank, will play in the relatively unaccustomed position of No 8 while Ndungane, 25, got White's vote on the wing ahead of Breyton Paulse.

Both looked stunned as they faced the media on Wednesday ahead of the biggest game of their lives. Spies said his father, the late Bulls wing Pierre Spies, who died in 2004 from a heart-attack, would be thrilled by his achievement and Ndungane said as a black player who grew up in the Eastern Cape, he was particularly proud to wear the Bok emblem.

"I couldn't believe it when I got the news," said Ndungane, who made the touring squad after lengthy deliberation between the selectors over him and his twin brother Odwa, who plays wing for the Sharks.

'I couldn't believe it when I got the news'

"It's something I've worked very hard for, finally getting the chance to play for my country. My whole family is very excited about it. As a black player who grew up in the Eastern Cape, considering our past and where we came from, this means a lot to me.


"Hopefully I can play well enough to stay in the team and it won't just be a one-off Test.

"At first I was a soccer player, but my father played rugby so we grew up with a rugby culture," he said.

Ndungane said twins did have a telepathic feeling for one another, even when they were miles apart, and Odwa was as excited about his Test debut as he was.

"We do have that situation and he is very happy for me. He's been phoning the whole time and just telling me to go out and enjoy it. Hopefully his chance will come too one day and fairly quick. Just imagine, him on the one wing and me one the other, wouldn't that be something?"

'You dream about this day and suddenly it comes'

The electric Spies, who has reportedly run the 100m in 10.6sec, said it "felt great" becoming a Springbok at such a young age.

"You dream about this day and suddenly it comes. In some ways I feel nervous, but I did play against many of these guys in the Super 14, so in many ways it is just another game, like any other."

Indeed, Spies played 14 times for the Bulls in this year's Super 14, mostly as a substitute. When he did score his first try, racing in from 60m out, he raised his hands to the heavens.

"My father was never a Springbok, but any father would want his son to play for South Africa. He would have loved it and that (looking up to the heavens) was for him and for the Lord," he said.

Back home in Pretoria he said the family were thrilled and would be gathering with friends at their home this weekend to watch on TV.

Spies, who many felt was played out of position at No 6 for South Africa in the International Rugby Board Under-21 final against France last month, said "any loose-play is fine with me".

"I have played No 8 before, so it's not entirely new to me."

He will be up against Rocky Elsom, who finished Saturday's opening Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand with the best tackle count of the game despite being sin-binned.

"He is a very good competitor, as is George Smith, and I'm looking forward to playing against them. But I don't want to talk about it, I would rather do my talking on the field."

As for his billing as the next Skinstad, Spies said: "It's nice to be compared to him, but every player has his own style of game. I am blessed with a lot of speed, but so is Joe (van Niekerk). I'll go and play my own game and just take it from there."

Spies and Ndungane have both been thrown in at the deep end against one of the toughest teams in the world - unlike captain John Smit, playing his 55th Test after making his debut against Canada six years ago.

"Your first Test can go by like a blur. It's a great challenge for them and they are going to feel nervous. But the biggest thing is to try and help them relax and enjoy the game," said Smit of the advice he would be giving both rookies.

Asked if he would have preferred to have been eased into Test rugby against lesser opposition, such as Fiji, Canada or Italy, Spies said he wouldn't have had it any other way.

"There's a time and a place for everything and this is fine. It's an awesome challenge and I'm looking forward to it."

And if he could write the script for Saturday, it would be penned as follows: "First and foremost I would like us to win, secondly I want to enjoy the game and I would love to score a try."

Springboks:

15 Percy Montgomery (Sharks), 14 Akona Ndungane (Blue Bulls), 13 Jaque Fourie (Golden Lions), 12 Wynand Olivier (Blue Bulls), 11 Bryan Habana (Blue Bulls), 10 Jaco vd Westhuyzen (unattached), 9 Ricky Januarie (Golden Lions), 8 Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls), 7 Juan Smith (Free State), 6 Joe van Niekerk (W Province), 5 Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls), 4 Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls), 3 CJ van der Linde (Free State), 2 John Smit (Sharks), 1 Os du Randt (Free State).

- INDEPENDENT (SOUTH AFRICA)