White was far from elated at the Boks second win in a week as much hard work lies ahead if they are to build on their recent form in the next 12 months leading up to the Rugby World Cup.

There were no big smiles, but rather the stern look of introspection that comes with the realisation that they are far from good enough – at this stage – to threaten at the World Cup in France next year.

“It’s been a difficult time and again as I’ve said before we are thankful to everybody for putting in the effort. The captain has been under pressure so again, you know there is a lot to be learnt out of what we have achieved in the last two weeks,” White told reporters.

White and captain John Smit, who both attended the post match press conference, looked like they were in serious need of a break. It has been a Tri-Nations campaign that has taken much out of the players and management.

“Anyone who has ever been involved with this team will tell you that it is difficult once you get into a downward spiral. If you look at history what usually happens is players fall apart and the whole thing goes pearshaped so again just the way the management and everyone has stuck to their task deserves to be complimented.”

“At the end of three weeks of playing New Zealand, New Zealand, Australia and then to score 21 points in the second half of the last game, again just shows the step up we have made in the last two weeks.”

Smit has led from the front in the home leg and has been able to take a lot away from the experience in the Tri-Nations this year.

“It has certainly been educational,” he said. “We started the Tri-Nations in a terrible way and when we were overseas I would lie in bed sometimes and think: ‘this could all go terribly wrong’”.

“But in the next year when we are facing challenges, we will have a lot of perspective and will be able to think back to how well we did to get out of the five-game slump.”

By Andrew Hollely, at Ellis Park Stadium

Apart from a single dropped high ball that led to a penalty and three points after flank AJ Venter deliberately played the ball from an off-side position, Pietersen did everything that was expected of him.

But as is expected of a player making his Bok debut, he didn’t get much rest last night. “I didn’t sleep much last night,” Pietersen said. “This morning I was still up. I went to the toilet a lot. But it in the end it was a great thrill to have played my first Test.”

The senior players helped calm his nerves and he showed a maturity way beyond his 20 years. At one stage he also showed his pace, winning the race to the ball that had been hacked ahead by the visitors. He was first there and then managed to earn a scrum for his efforts.

“The older guys made it much easier. It was really like playing a game for the Sharks and was actually much easier than I expected. I was really comfortable and felt really good.”

As the Wallabies had warned, Pietersen and Wynand Olivier were peppered with high balls all afternoon, but both came through that test with reputations intact.

“I knew it was going to come and I was lucky I just missed one otherwise it was good,” he said. “I did my homework on that. There was not a lot of attacking opportunities, but I took the opportunities I did have with both hands.”

“I still have a lot to work on and hopefully I will get another chance.”

By Andrew Hollely, at Ellis Park Stadium

The Wallabies were level 3-3 at the break, but were then outscored in the second 40 minutes as the Boks turned up the heat and ran out comfortable 24-16 winners. Second half tries by Fourie du Preez and super-sub Breyton Paulse helped give the Boks a deserved win.

The Wallabies only managed a solitary try by flyhalf Stephen Larkham. The Wallabies though never gave up, but in reality were always playing catch-up. “I guess we are really disappointed with the result,” Connolly said afterwards. “Our execution let us down. We had a few borderline calls, but we trained very well this week and gave ourselves the best chance possible.”

Connolly did find some positives from the game. “Positives are our lineout competed well and there was no lack of effort, but we just didn’t gel. We are, however, delighted with our progress in the Tri-Nations. We can take quite a bit from the competition.”

Connolly felt the Boks competed much better than the two previous encounters this year, especially in defence. “We probably played a bit flat and they put us under pressure. We gave away too much ball at the back of the lineout, but we have no excuses and it just shows that South Africa are difficult to beat here especially at altitude.”

Wallaby captain George Gregan though felt it was on attack that the Boks were much improved: “They had a bit more direction in their attack and found good field position with some excellent tactical kicking. They started the second half very well and that counted in the end.”

By Andrew Hollely, at Ellis Park Stadium

After the teams were locked at 3-3 at the break, the match opened up nicely in the second 40 minutes, with du Preez particularly prominent.

As the Bok pack dominated, du Preez revelled in the space provided and got his backs away brilliantly. He also scored a crucial 56th minute try that gave the Boks some much-needed breathing space.

“I think after half-time the altitude got to them and we came out firing,” he said. “Jake told us we needed to take our chances and try a few things, but I would not have been able to do that if I had not had the forwards giving me good, clean ball.”

“They definitely laid the platform and scrummed and drove well, so all credit to them.”

The Springboks beat the Wallabies 24-16 in a hard-fought encounter that brought the curtain down on the first extended Tri-Nations. “It was a nice way to end, but actually it’s been a Tri-Nations to forget, but I’m pleased how the guys showed character in the last two games.”

If nothing else, this competition has seen the emergence of several exciting youngsters, particularly Pierre Spies – who was outstanding again – and JP Pietersen in his debut today.

“It’s been great to have the youngsters come through and with 12 months to the World Cup they showed up well on the field. It’s important to get some rest and we now have a break until November.”

The result continued Australia’s woeful record at Ellis Park, taking their defeats to eight in nine Tests. The last time Australia won at Ellis Park was way back in 1963.

The Australians though did have something to celebrate having won the Mandela Plate after wins in Brisbane and Sydney, effectively winning 2-1. “We knew it was going to be tough,” said Wallaby skipper George Gregan. “After the first half, we needed to control possession and take our chances better. Unfortunately they did that and we didn’t.”

“It is disappointing to come over and lose again as I thought we created enough opportunities to win it. We obviously still have plenty of work ahead.”

By Andrew Hollely, at Ellis Park Stadium

The win was the Lions fifth in-a-row, after previous victories over the Pumas, Blue Bulls, Sharks and Cheetahs in recent weeks.

The Lions scored five tries to earn a bonus point and match the Blue Bulls five-point haul. It means the Lions still trail the Bulls by four points, but have a great chance to pull level or even go ahead when they play Griquas at Ellis Park next weekend.

At the same time, the Bulls travel to Durban to play the Sharks and defeat could prove disastrous to their chances of making the play-offs. The Lions have a far easier run in to the semis compared to their neighbours.

It was not a completely dominant performance and after leading 17-0 at one stage, they saw the Valke claw back to 17-10 at the break. The Lions though stuck to their guns and managed to outlast a determined Valke outfit in the second half.

Two minutes after the break, centre Jaco Pretorius scored a brilliant solo try two, dancing past four tacklers in almost no space at all before scoring.

In the end the Lions did exactly what was required of them registering their sixth win of the competition, while the Valke remain in 7th position on the log with just two wins.

Scorers:
Valke: Tries: Mpho Matsaung, Jacques Nieuwenhuis. Conversions: Louis Strydom 2. Penalty: Strydom.

Lions: Tries: Louis Ludik, Wikus van Heerden, Wayne Julies, Jaco Pretorius, Ricky Januarie. Conversions: Earl Rose 2. Penalty: Rose.

By Andrew Hollely

The Bulls led 28-0 at the break and ran in 10 tries, but left at least another three on the table. Although they were never in danger of losing this one, they made far too many mistakes.

If this match had been played against one of the top teams in the competition the Bulls would have struggled to keep up, although at times they looked really dangerous.

Next week’s match in Durban against the Sharks promises to be interesting, but much work lies ahead if the Bulls are to stay in the hunt for a semi-final spot.

The bottom line is that a performance like tonight’s is not good enough to threaten the likes of the Cheetahs, Sharks and Western Province.

For the Bulls, fullback Stefan Basson was dangerous each time he touched the ball, while loose-forwards Hilton Lobberts and Danie Rossouw were tireless throughout. Centre Dries Scholtz scored a hat-trick and was a constant thorn in the Pumas flesh. Hougaard played well and contributed 14 points from seven conversions.

For the Pumas, flank Corne Steenkamp was the lone beacon, giving everything for the full 80 minutes, but it was not enough as the Pumas were well beaten in most departments.

Due to the nature of the game, coach Pote Human gave all of his match 22 a run, but the Bulls never really clicked all evening.

The Bulls dominated the set pieces from the outset and Rossouw, playing at No 8, was particularly prominent. Lobberts was playing like a man possessed, putting in crunching tackles all over the park and it didn’t take long for the home team to get on the scoreboard.

From a lineout inside the Pumas 22 in the 7th minute, the pack drove towards the line and the visitors had no answer as hooker Adriaan Strauss emerged from the melee of players with ball in hand.

Then six minutes later a superb backline move after a great break by Hougaard saw wing Marius Delport score between the poles. Hougaard kicked both conversions and the Bulls were already into a healthy lead less than a quarter hour into the match.

The Pumas though refused to roll over and fought back, spending much of the next ten minutes camped in Bulls territory. Stoic defence though kept the visitors at bay. The lineouts belonged entirely to the Bulls and the pack was dominant at scrum time. The Pumas managed to hold out without further tries until just before the half hour mark.

But by then the pressure was just getting too much and the Bulls were starting to play with real purpose. The Pumas though were doing their level best to slow the ball down, and it worked a few times. On the odd occasion they were able to attack, the Pumas runners were scythed down in hard tackles. The destroyer-in-chief in this facet was Lobberts who was brutal, but fair.

A double by Scholtz – the second from about 15m out and with three defenders hanging onto him – in the space of four minutes was the killer blow. Somehow the Pumas managed to keep the score at 28-0 at half-time.

But unfortunately a rugby match is made up of 80 minutes and it was the second 40 that really hurt the visitors.

A further six tries took the final tally to 10, and means the Bulls have their noses in front in the race for a semi-final place. The best of the lot came on the hour mark when a brilliant chip by Hougaard was gathered on the full by a speeding Delport who then evaded three defenders to score under the poles.

Scorers:
Vodacom Blue Bulls: Tries: Adriaan Strauss 2 (7th min, 55th min), Marius Delport 2 (13th min, 60th min), Dries Scholtz 3 (29th min, 33rd min, 69th min), Danie Rossouw (50th min), Morne Steyn 2 (72nd min, 77th min). Conversions: Derick Hougaard 7 (7th min, 13th min, 29th min, 33rd min, 60th min, 72nd min, 77th min), Morne Steyn 1 (50th min).

Pumas: Penalties: Arno Coetzee 1 (53rd min).

Teams:
Blue Bulls: 15 Stefan Basson, 14 Marius Delport, 13 Frikkie Welsh (captain), 12 Dries Scholtz, 11 Danwel Demas, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Heini Adams; 8 Danie Rossouw, 7 Johan Wasserman, 6 Hilton Lobberts, 5 Francois van Schouwenburg, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Rayno Gerber, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Jaco Engels.
Replacements: 16 Gary Botha, 17 Danie Thiart, 18 Hottie Louw, 19 Warren Brosnihan, 20 Neil Powell, 21 Morné Steyn, 22 Johan Roets.

Pumas: 15 Oginga Siwundla, 14 Darryl Coeries, 13 BC du Plessis, 12 Arno Coetzee, 11 Hyron Thyse, 10 Quinton van Tonder (captain), 9 Neil Cole, 8 Schalk van der Merwe, 7 Jonathan van der Schyff, 6 Corne Steenkamp, 5 Jacques Lombaard, 4 Stefan Gerber, 3 Pierre du Toit, 2 Frikkie de Jager, 1 Johan Prins.
Replacements: 16 Morné Kruger, 17 Sean Johnson, 18 Bokkie Swanepoel, 19 Danzel Manuel, 20 Ashieq Wise, 21 Pieter Benade, 22. Jóvan Botha.

By Andrew Hollely, at Loftus Versfeld

Ellis Park holds 62,500 people – the biggest rugby ground in the country – and it is expected to be filled to capacity for the final Vodacom Tri-Nations Test against Australia tomorrow.

Coach Jake White is relishing the opportunity to play in-front of a full house. “It is always a great thing to play in front of a packed stadium. We know what Ellis Park means to us and the fans and I don’t think there are too many better stadiums to play in than Ellis Park when it’s jam-packed,” White said at the team hotel on Friday.

The Boks are looking to finish a poor campaign on a high, but have not used their dominance over the Wallabies at altitude as a motivating factor. “I don’t talk about that sort of stuff with the team. Obviously it is a thing people are speaking about. I was thinking about it outside that the (the Wallabies) have won just two out of 18 games away from home yet they have won two World Cups, so you have got to put things into perspective.”

White pointed out that when the Boks won at Loftus Versfeld last year it took a late Andre Pretorius drop-goal to seal the 22-16 win. “I know we were ahead, but that drop kick that went over need to be kicked twice and it could also have been a charge down and a try on the other side. Test matches between South Africa and Australia have hardly ever been one-sided.”

The Boks are banking on home ground advantage and a a bit of Madiba Magic to help them again. Last year Nelson Mandela was present as the Boks won 33-20 in Johannesburg. This time round he will not be present, but did present every member of the squad with a personally signed copy of his Long Walk to Freedom book. “That was great,” said captain John Smit, “and I would love to get another phone call from him before the match.”

Meanwhile, news from the Wallaby camp is that Strling Mortlock did not train because of a problem hamstring. Team management though dismissed it as “precautionary” and that “he will definitely play tomorrow.”

By Andrew Hollely, at the Bok team hotel

But it will be attitude and not altitude that will win the final Vodacom Tri-Nations Test of the year tomorrow. As always it promises to be an absorbing encounter with the Bok pack and Wallaby backs probably providing the impetus for each team.

At the end of a long international season it will be the team that wants it more who will win. The Wallabies are certain of finishing second and the Boks last on the log, so all that remains is bragging rights.

The visitors are aiming for their third win in-a-row over the Boks, which they last achieved in 2000, including their last victory on South African soil. The Boks will be looking to protect a formidable record against the Australians at Ellis Park having won seven of the eight encounters to date. Many say it is the altitude that is often the difference between the two teams, but the atmosphere at Ellis Park always bring out the best in the Boks.

And coach Jake White does not believe the altitude to be the factor the visitors make it out to be. “Let’s be quite honest, the fact that Australia have now decided to practice in Jo’burg for the first time ever it must be an advantage because it is one of the highest rugby grounds in the world to play on. They usually go down to the sea,” he said.

“I don’t think it is a major factor. Look at what the All Blacks did to us at Loftus two weeks ago and they had just landed from New Zealand. So I don’t think it is a difference of winning and losing.”

“I don’t really know how they see the altitude thing, but it must have something to do with performance because a lot of long-distance athletes train at altitude which probably has an effect on your aerobic capacity. Having said that it didn’t help us playing the All Blacks two weeks ago.”

By Andrew Hollely

Ellis Park management and the Golden Lions Rugby Union are preparing to put up the “Sold Out” signs soon. “There are about 2000 tickets still available as we speak. But as I look out of my office I can see a long queue at the ticket office,” Lions CEO Andy Turner told keo.co.za. “The response has been phenomenal and we are expecting it to be completely sold out by Saturday.”

It may even happen some time tomorrow.

Although the Boks win over the All Blacks last weekend has helped, the sales were going well before they played at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace. “We had sold about 47,000 tickets before the last Test anyway. In fact, sales are going better than normal. We usually have about 2000 walk-ins on match day, but I suspect we will be sold out before then.”

Although ticket prices range from a hefty R350 to an even heftier R400, it seems this has had little effect on the public turning up for a match the Boks are favourites to win, if for no other reason than the charm of the venue. “I think because Australia has not won here since 1963, and that is their only victory, the encounter is very popular because history shows the fans will witness a win,” said Turner.

Ellis Park has long been regarded as South Africa’s premier rugby ground. Apart from hosting the World Cup final in 1995 it has also been the venue for some memorable Springbok victories in the last few years.

Who will ever forget Werner Greeff’s try and conversion after the final hooter in 2002 that sealed a dramatic 33-31 win over the Wallabies? And last year Ellis Park rocked with Madiba as he celebrated his birthday and recorded a 33-20 win that erased the 12-30 defeat in Sydney earlier in the year. “The atmosphere for last year’s Test with Nelson Mandela was truly magnificent. Hopefully we will have a similar atmosphere on Saturday.”

Again the Boks are trying to reverse their fortunes (after losing 49-0 and 20-18) at Ellis Park this weekend. There will be no Madiba Magic this time, but the confidence boost and the fact they are playing at Ellis Park will be a major factor for Jake White’s team.

Springboks v Australia (At Ellis Park):
2005 won 33-20
2002 won 33-31
1998 won 29-15
1969 won 30-11
1963 lost 9-11
1961 won 28-3
1953 won 25-3
1933 won 12-3

By Andrew Hollely

The Bulls are poised to get their campaign back on track with a thumping win. In the first round the Bulls triumphed 48-17 and it could be even more emphatic tomorrow night.

Loftus Versfeld has been kind to a few teams this year, but that courtesy is unlikely to extend to the Pumas. With just three points to their name and virtually guaranteed of finishing last in the competition, the Pumas travel to Loftus on a hiding to nothing.

They were only able to name their squad today as a result of a string of injuries which has impacted on them all season.

Injury and illness have plagued them all season, while the form of several players has been erratic at best. The most notable omission from last week’s team that was thrashed 82-14 by the Sharks is captain and scrumhalf Ashieq Wise.

He has been dropped to the bench, with Neil Cole starting. Former Lions No 10 Quinton van Tonder gets a start after missing out last week and is also entrusted with the captain’s armband. Arno Coetzee switches from flyhalf to inside centre with BC du Plessis moving from there to outside centre.

Up front Jonathan van der Schyff replaces Danzel Manual at flank, Stefan Gerber starts at lock with Bokkie Swanepoel reverting to the bench and Frikkie de Jager will wear the No 2 jersey ahead of Ashton Constant.

The Pumas will do very well to avoid another bonus point defeat against a Bulls team smarting from a loss against Western Province.

The match kicks-off at 7pm.

Pumas team to play the Blue Bulls: 15 Oginga Siwundla, 14 Darryl Coeries, 13 BC du Plessis, 12 Arno Coetzee, 11 Hyron Thyse, 10 Quinton van Tonder (captain), 9 Neil Cole, 8 Schalk van der Merwe, 7 Jonathan van der Schyff, 6 Corne Steenkamp, 5 Jacques Lombaard, 4 Stefan Gerber, 3 Pierre du Toit, 2 Frikkie de Jager, 1 Johan Prins.
Replacements: 16 Morné Kruger, 17 Sean Johnson, 18 Bokkie Swanepoel, 19 Danzel Manual, 20 Ashieq Wise, 21 Pieter Benade, 22. Jóvan Botha.

By Andrew Hollely

This story has been reposted to help with load times.

Williams, who missed out on the Springbok coaching job that went to Jake White, will take up his position as of 1 October 2006 and has signed a two year contract with the Pumas.

Nico Swartz, CEO of the Pumas, says the union went through a lengthy selection process that included many interviews with a selective panel. “The presentation that Chester made to the directors was very impressive and he accepted the offer we made to him,” said Swartz.

Williams boasts an impressive playing career spanning ten years of which he represented South Africa in 27 Tests. In an illustrious Springbok career he crossed the goal line 14 times and will probably be remembered best for the four tries he scored in the quarter-final World Cup match against Western Samoa at Ellis Park in 1995.

Williams has donned the Cats jersey 20 times (seven tries) and the Lions jersey 23 times (11 tries) while he represented Western Province 62 times, scoring 39 tries and kicking one drop goal.

His coaching career is just as impressive. After retiring from the game, Williams took over as the Bok Sevens coach. He also had stints with Boland, the Cats and more recently in Uganda. He has been manager to the SA Sevens team to the World Games in Japan in 2001 and was technical adviser to Rudolf Straueli at the beginning of his tenure as coach.

“We are very excited about the future of Puma rugby under the coaching of Chester Williams,” said Swartz.

Students will enrol for one or two years with their base being at Loftus Versfeld and will be exposed to the professional coaching and conditioning structures at the Blue Bulls Company. They will also be trained as coaches and referees and will complete courses in rugby science and life-skills.

According to Johan Schoeman, general manager at the BBRU, the college will act as a vehicle to strengthen club and development rugby structures in the province. The students will be placed at clubs and will also assist with development clinics at schools and clubs in the province.

Students will have a high degree of focus on position specific analysis and tuition, mental toughness, rugby intelligence and skill development.

Mr Boet Fick, president of the Union said that the Bulls hope to retain the services of talented youngsters who otherwise might have been lost to the Union. “The college will act as a vehicle to accommodate the late developer and create a structure wherein both professional and amateur rugby can compliment one another.”

Sports promoter, Willem Strauss will act as a consultant for the BBRU on the project, said that the rugby college offers quality rugby education and gives young rugby players and coaches a foundation to prepare themselves for the world of professional rugby.

According to Strauss who also runs a talent identification programme at a number of schools in Pretoria and Limpopo there is a need for a rugby to accommodate talented players from outside the so-called “super schools”.

“In terms of research I did last year, 91% of school leavers in Pretoria do not continue to play rugby and are thus lost to rugby. The rugby college will be a ‘cool’ entity that the younger generation will identify with.”

Strauss also said that because players are contracted at an even younger age, players who are not offered contracts feel they are “out of the mix” and may lead to them retiring at a young age. The rugby college offers an alternative to these talented players and late developers.

The Lions are aiming for a fifth consecutive victory as a possible semi-final spot remains a possibility. A shock defeat will see them slip out of real contention as the Vodacom Blue Bulls and Sharks are virtually guaranteed of picking up a win against the Pumas and Griquas respectively.

“We are only thinking one game at a time at the moment,” Lions captain Wikus van Heerden told keo.co.za. “If we make sure we can continue building on the momentum we have a good chance of making the play-offs.”

“The pressure has been on us for a long time now so we are getting used to the feeling. That doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. Every weekend for the last month has been like playing a quarter-final for us.”

Indeed, if the Lions stay unbeaten then they have a good chance of sneaking into the top four. The have four matches left, three of which are against teams they should beat – the Valke (away), Griquas (home) and Pumas (away). The match against Western Province in the penultimate round is already shaping as a make-or-break clash.

But tomorrow they face a Valke team that are no pushovers. At the same time fellow contenders the Bulls play the hapless Pumas, a match they are certain of securing five log points from.

“It’s important to win these games that we are expected to win. In the first round we let ourselves down when we were in a position to go for victory. I think we have learnt from those mistakes. We have also learnt how to win,” said van Heerden.

“Tomorrow we will not be doing anything fancy. First we will secure the win and then we will look to get the bonus point. We are not going to get caught up in what the Bulls are doing.”

By Andrew Hollely

Apart from sharing initials and playing with the same No 15 on their backs, that is where the similarities really end. Pietersen is big and fast and has his hair cropped short. Williams on the other hand was far smaller, but just as nippy and had long flowing locks accompanied by huge lamb chop sideburns.

Williams is considered by many to be one of the greatest fullbacks of all time. His devastating tackling and fierceness in defence were particularly renowned, but he also displayed great skill, speed, and agility in attack. A player with no real weaknesses, he was also a skilled kicker.

“I also have an R after the JP,” Pietersen told keo.co.za, “because my father named me after JPR Williams. It (JPR) stands for Jon-Paul Roger, but my team-mates call me JP and my family just calls me Polla.”

Pietersen will make his Test debut in the Vodacom Tri-Nations match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday. The 20-year-old is at the very beginning of what promises to be an excellent international rugby career. “It won’t be an easy task to make my debut against a world-class Australian team, but rugby remains rugby, irrespective of the opposition,” he said.

“I expect them to try put pressure on me because it happens at every level that a young player is targeted. But I’m ready for their onslaught. I think my strong point is probably my speed. I like to join the backline and create opportunities.”

Pietersen has been part of the Springbok set-up since the first squad was announced for the camp in Bloemfontein earlier this year. He was picked on the bench for the Tests against New Zealand in Wellington, but never got on the park.

“I’ve been waiting patiently for my chance. I knew if I just trained hard my time would come. Being on the bench in Wellington is one thing, but it’s a different story when you start a match, there is a lot more pressure. You’re more at ease on the bench.”

In the camp, Breyton Paulse and Allister Coetzee have helped guide the youngster, but he has also been influenced by former Australian Test player David Campese at the Sharks.

But his greatest rugby influence comes from uncle Christie Noble, who played for Natal in the late 1980s and early ‘90s. Noble played left wing, but has helped mould young Pietersen. He will be at Ellis Park on Saturday to watch the Test
.
“He has had a big influence on my career ever since I was at school and he still helps by chatting after matches and discussing some small things in my game.”

By Andrew Hollely

The Valke have come close to upsetting some of their more fancied opponents on more than one occasion this year, but the only two wins are against fellow minnows – the Pumas and Griquas.

In the very first match they came within one score of defeating th eVodacom Blue Bulls at Loftus Versfeld and then also gave the Lions a tough time at Ellis Park.

In that first round match, the Lions won 32-19, but had to dig deep for every point. Since then, the Lions have gone from strength to strength and are surprisingly knocking on the door for a spot in the competition’s semi-finals.

The best the Valke can hope for is to overhaul Griquas in sixth spot, but that would require an upset win tomorrow night, which is highly unlikely against the form team of the competition.

Bosman Stadium is never a nice place to go, but the Lions are firm favourites to take this one. Standing in their way is an impressive pack that has finally settled as the year has gone on, while the halfback pair of Sarel Pretorius and Louis Strydom is capable of igniting their fellow backs.

The match kicks-off at 7pm on Friday.

Valke team to play the Lions: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Jovan Bowles, 13 Riaan Hefer, 12 Hanno Coetzee, 11 Mpho Matsaung, 10 Louis Strydom, 9 Sarel Pretorius; 8 Mike Vermaak, 7 Jacques Nieuwenhuis, 6 Piet Krause (captain), 5 Ryan Strudwick, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 Philip Lemmer, 2. Piet Grobler, 1. Zane Killian.
Replacements: 16 Gavin Whittingham, 17 Attie Pienaar, 18 Nico Luus, 19 Sean Plaatjies, 20 Morne Adams, 21 Bosman Grobler, 22 Dean Okkers.

By Andrew Hollely

The BOA said on Wednesday that Woodward will help prepare and advise British competitors during the buildup to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the Winter Games at Vancouver in 2010 and the Summer Games in London 2012.

Woodward made little impact in a coaching role at soccer clubSouthampton and recently missed out on the new role with the England rugby union setup.

“It is a privilege to be joining the BOA at such an exciting time for British Olympic Sport,” Woodward said in a statement released through the BOA.

“I will use my past experiences in high performance sport to assist the 35 Olympic sports achieve their own aspirations and, working in partnership with UK Sport, national governing bodies and
performance directors to ensure the performance of Team GB is maximized in the years ahead.”

Woodward has a reputation as being meticulous in his preparations. As head coach of the England rugby team he took a large team of physical and motivational experts with him to the
World Cup in Australia to prepare the players.

He was employed by Southampton as technical director in July last year but Saints manager Harry Redknapp quit as manager five months later amid reports the two did not work well together.

Woodward’s role changed at the club and he quit a week ago. He missed out on a return to rugby, however, when the Rugby Football Union named Rob Andrew as its elite director.

Western Force back Cameron Shepherd has been selected on the wing to make his first appearance in the Wallaby starting XV.

Robinson, the youngest member of the 2006 Wallaby squad, who celebrated his 22nd birthday just six weeks ago, will be the seventh debutant used by Connolly in nine Tests this season.

Shepherd, who played in the opening three Tests of the season from the reserves bench, has earned his first start following Lote Tuqiri’s suspension for a dangerous tackle during the Wallabies’ loss in Auckland last month.

Saturday’s Test will also mark a significant milestone for two more Wallabies. Vice-captain Stirling Mortlock and lock Nathan Sharpe will share their 50th Test caps.

Connolly had been happy with his team’s preparation since arriving in South Africa last Friday. “We had a great preparation in Sydney last week and the team has trained very well since we arrived in South Africa,” he said.

Connolly said that he was wary of a rejuvenated Springbok outfit after their drought-breaking one-point victory over New Zealand in Phokeng last weekend.

“The Springboks really tightened up their game against the All Blacks last week and would have gained a considerable confidence boost from the win,” he said. “We know we are in for an extremely tough match and we will need to produce a really strong 80 minutes to beat them,” he added.

Connolly said that his team would not be using altitude as an excuse for a below-par performance, despite the fact that the Wallabies have not won on the highveld in 43 years.

“We will have had eight days preparing at altitude before the Test so we won’t be using (the altitude) as an excuse for a poor performance on Saturday,” he said.

Wallaby team to play the Springboks: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Clyde Rathbone, 13 Stirling Mortlock (vice-captain), 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Cameron Shepherd, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan (captain); 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman (vice-captain), 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 Jeremy Paul, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Tai McIsaac, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 George Smith, 20 Brett Sheehan, 21 Mark Gerrard, 22 Scott Staniforth.

Smit will also be playing in his 39th consecutive Test match, equaling Gary Teichmann’s record for most consecutive Tests.

Several other milestones will be reached during the Vodacom Tri-Nations Test between the Springboks and Wallabies at Ellis Park on Saturday:

- Saturday’s Test will be the 60th encounter between South Africa and Australia. Of the previous 59, South Africa have won 35, lost 23 and one Test was drawn.

- It will be the 9th time South Africa meet Australia at Ellis Park. Of the previous 8 Tests at this venue, South Africa won 7 and lost only one in 1963.

- The average score for the eight Tests is 25-12 in SA’s favour. In the eight previous Tests at Ellis Park South Africa scored 30 tries and conceded only 9.

- Smit is already the most capped hooker with 57 caps as hooker (he played in two Tests as a replacement prop). On Saturday he will be playing his 59th match as hooker in the Springbok jersey (one tour match included), thereby surpassing James Dalton’s record of 58 matches for the Springboks as hooker.

- Os du Randt will be playing in his 75th match as prop for the Springboks (70 tests and 5 tour games), thereby surpassing Hannes Marais’ record of 74 matches. Du Randt is currently the most capped prop in Test matches with 69 caps).

- Should Du Randt score a try on Saturday he will equal Chris Koch’s 46 year old record of 5 tries in Tests as a prop.

- Breyton Paulse is currently the most capped wing in Tests with 59 caps (he played fullback in two Test matches), but, should he make an appearance as a substitute on Saturday, he will equal Jannie Engelbrecht’s record of 66 matches as a wing in all matches for the Springboks.

- Should Albert van den Berg be used as a substitute on Saturday, he will play in his 40th Test, 21 of the 40 Tests as a substitute. Van den Berg is the 2nd most capped substitute for the Springboks behind Ollie le Roux.

Pietersen was one of three changes – all in the backline – for the final Tri-Nations game. He will start at fullback, a move coach Jake White hinted at on the weekend. He also ran there at practice this week.

He replaces Jaque Fourie who switches to outside centre to resume his partnership with Jean de Villiers in the midfield. As predicted, Wynand Olivier will start in the No 11 jersey, replacing the injured Bryan Habana after he played outside centre last weekend.

“Bryan’s injury is a huge blow. His performance last week was probably his best this season. But again that gives an opportunity to JP. He has been a part of the squad since we first announced the squad for Bloemfontein and there is now a chance for us to see how he does.”

One worry might be the defence out wide with Olivier unaccustomed to wing play. Also the kicking aspect might backfire on the coach.

“I think Wynand understands how we play, he has been part of our team and has played 13. There is no reason why he will not slot in in certain plays in that position anyway. He is comfortable to play anywhere,” White said.

“We know what Breyton can do, we know what Akona and Bryan Habana can do. We have an opportunity to try something else now. The more players we can get buying into the way we defend the better it will be for us going forward.”

There was, however, no place for fellow Sharks player Brent Russell, who also flew up from Durban on Monday to join the squad. The three backline players on the bench are Ruan Pienaar, Butch James and Breyton Paulse.

Andre Pretorius is again at No 10 and much will be expected of the talented flyhalf on his home ground. He will partner Fourie du Preez, but Ruan Pienaar is likely to get a bit more game time this time round.

Springbok team to play the Wallabies: 15 JP Pietersen, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Wynand Olivier, 10 Andre Pretorius; 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 AJ Venter, 6 Pierre Spies, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Johann Muller, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Lawrence Sephaka, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jaques Cronjé, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Breyton Paulse.

By Andrew Hollely, at the Bok team hotel

It brings together two teams with vastly different factors working against them. The Springboks face fatigue when they play their third Test in three weeks, while the Wallabies are rested because they haven’t played since August 19.

On the flip side, the Boks have momentum behind them having beaten the All Blacks in Phokeng last weekend, while the visitors will probably be a little rusty – and both are playing at altitude.

So who will have the advantage on Saturday?

“I suppose the only way I can really answer that is on Saturday night,” White told keo.co.za. “It’s difficult. For me it is a crazy draw,” he said. “We played one game in five weeks, Australia have had three weeks off. We played five weeks away from home. It is such a difficult thing to work out.”

“Our two best Test matches we played (in the Tri-Nations) are where we played two weeks in-a-row at altitude and maybe the fifth week on tour against Australia in Sydney. So again that goes completely against the grain because people would say you are at the end of a five week tour and are probably at your worst.

“It will be interesting whether the Wallabies are sharp in terms of match time or whether they are going to be better because they have had time off to get all their bumps and bruises all 100%.”

Saturday’s match will be the fifth extra match some of the Bok players will have played this year in a schedule that last year was already being lamented as too congested. Two extra Vodacom Super 14 matches, a World XV game and two additional Tri-Nations games means that instead of the usual 18 matches, most players will be playing their 23rd game, with some Bulls players having played 24 after featuring in the Super 14 semi-final.

“There is no doubt in my mind (we play too much rugby) just look at the mere fact that I have CJ out, Os is carrying an injury, Gurthro is out, Bakkies is out, Schalk’s out, Jean was out, Joe was out, Danie Rossouw has been out. That just shows you the impact this sort of level has.”

“And again, Mat Rogers has been ruled out with a knee injury. It is a tough competition and when you play Super 14 and Tri-Nations rugby it is very difficult to get up every single Saturday and have a full strength squad.”

The mood in the squad though is positive and the players are determined to get up for one last hurrah before taking a well-deserved break.

By Andrew Hollely