As South Africa's new coach faces his greatest challenge yet
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With my finger firmly on the pulse, I emailed John Smit this morning and mentioned that his face was appearing all around me. On TV, in the newspaper, on billboards - all over the show! I just KNEW something was going on so I asked him if he was involved in another "tournament" of sorts. I can quite comfortably and exclusively tell you that the Spingboks are playing against Australia and New Zealand in the 2008 Tri Nations tournament which begins tomorrow! Awesome!

You'll probably see a lot of the media picking up on this as the competition gains momentum.
 

It's all happening!

Our 2oceansvibe sports writer of the moment, Batmanuel, did a little preview for us!

Australia

Under new coach Robbie Deans, you can bet your dingo's backside that the Wallabies are going to win a Tri-Nations series. It may not happen this year, but coach Deans will have these boomerang boys thinking like the Crusaders faster than Wendell Sailor can sniff a line of chalk-dust.

Aside from the mercurial Matt Giteau - and veterans like Stirlo Mortlock, Georgie Smith, Samwise Waugh and Nathan Sharpey - Deans will reinforce his squad by continuing to unearth young talent from the widely disinterested sporting public of Australia.

Players like scrumhalf Luke Burgess and centre Ryan Cross are real beauties and they constitute the vanguard of a new era in Wallaroo rugger.

In the interim, the coach must use crayons and paper to teach his boys how to scrum, or get someone at the IRB to outlaw the set piece altogether.

This year, Deans will be pleased enough if the Goldies hang tough with their cousins and win at least two of their three home games against the All Blacks (2) and Springboks, but keep an eye these blokes for the future.

Most Valuable Player: Matt Giteau

Wildcard Player: Luke Burgess

Weakest Link: Stephen Moore
 
   

New Zealand

The Tri-Nations series started in 1996, and in 12 attempts the All Blacks have won the tournament eight times. New Zealand's depth in rugby talent is matched by it's intimate understanding of the game, it's belief in innovation, and it's commitment to developing coaches and players in a progressive rugby environment.

The All Blacks are on a 29-game winning streak at home, but as they prepare to host the world champion Springboks in the series-opener in Wellington on Saturday, they may have a few physical hangovers to add to their psychological Rugby World Cup babalaas.

Scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan - a player that coach Graham Henry somehow preferred to the veritable playmaker, Piri Weepu - and overachieving number eight Jerome Kaino have both been out on the razzer of recent, and are now facing possible legal prosecution. Ssherioushly. hic*!

The absence of iconic openside flanker and team captain Richie McCaw has left ball-carrying Rodney So' oialo to handle both duties. And the fact that a large portion of Wellington's rugby fans are just waiting for the chance to tie Henry to the back of a truck and take him for a spin round town, means that the All Blacks are a distracted lot, ripe for the picking.

Most Valuable Player: Dan Carter

Wildcard Player: Sione Lauaki

Weakest Link: Adam Thomson
 
 

South Africa

The Springboks are world champions and, on paper, they've kept the core of their championship squad together. They also boast the game's best lineout thanks to Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha and Juan Smith.

But there's a mysterious uneasiness felt by everyone close to the camp.

It's perhaps attributable to a scrum that got manhandled by Wales in the first test, and then crumbled against Carlos Nieto in the Newlands test against Italy.

Though it more likely stems from Peter de Villiers' assistants - Dick Muir and Gary Gold - who are somewhat reluctant to follow the head coach in a headlong plunge into the unchartered waters of adopting a student-rugby approach at an international level.

Throwing the ball around doesn't sit well with most South African coaches because they're used to introducing themselves to their team a week before the season kicks off - ask Chester about the Emerging Boks - and then having to rush through a few basics before they send them onto the field.

There's generally little time to implement anything more than a basic defensive system and a structured kicking game, and that's what most of SA's top players have become professionals at doing.

However, if De Villiers somehow inspires his players to rediscover the instinctive flair that won them recognition as young professionals - think of John Smit, Juan Smith, Matfield, Big Joe, Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn and Adi Jacobs at their creative best - the Boks will make pretenders of every contender that challenges them for their champions tag until 2011, including the All Blacks.

Most Valuable Player: Schalk Burger

Wildcard Player: Adrian Jacobs

Weakest Link: Luke Watson

- Batmanuel
(2oceansvibe sports write of the moment)

  

Nice.

Seth Rotherham
Editor
2oceansvibe.com
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