The expected full house of some 53 000 spectators at King's Park Rugby Stadium in Durban tomorrow will be there with high expectations.
The expected full house of some 53 000 spectators at King's Park Rugby Stadium in Durban tomorrow will be there with high expectations.
They are expecting that the titanic Tri-Nations rugby Test between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Springboks will be something of a dress rehearsal for a possible World Cup final in France later in the year.
Such is the profile of both teams in the final preparations in Durban this week that one can expect a physical confrontation second to none, many a classic break from broken play and a degree of that unknown factor, Lady Luck.
From the first whistle to the last these two giants of world rugby can be expected to give it their all in a bid to gain a physiological advantage over the other in both the pursuit of the two trophies on offer - The Tri-Nations and the one-off Freedom Cup - and the outcome of the World Cup.
For one, the match should provide a gruelling clash of two mighty packs.
The All Blacks have been weakened by the loss of key locks and the Springboks have had to field a new front row following injuries to Bok captain John Smit and Guthro Steenkamp in the equally demanding first Tri-Nations Test against the Wallabies at Newlands a week ago.
Greg Rawlinson and Troy Flavell have been given the all- important All Blacks role in the engine room of the scrum though they may be perceived as being a possible weakness at lineout time against new Bok leader Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, who will be playing together at international level for the 29th time.
Teams: New Zealand - Mills Muliaina, Josevate Rokocoko, Isaia Toeava, Aaron Mauger, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Byron Kelleher, Rodney So'oialo, Richard McCaw (captain), Jerry Collins, Greg Rawlinson, Troy Flavell, Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver, Tony Woodcock.
South Africa: Percy Montgomery, Ashwin Willemse, Jaque Fourie, Jan de Villiers, JP Petersen, Butch James, Ruan Pienaar, Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield (captain), Bakkies Botha, BJ Botha, Gary Botha, Os du Randt.
Bench: Bismarck du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Johann Muller, Danie Rossouw, Michael Claassens, Wynand Olivier, Francois Steyn. - Sapa
Boks out to gore the All Blacks
The expected full house of some 53 000 spectators at King's Park Rugby Stadium in Durban tomorrow will be there with high expectations.
The expected full house of some 53 000 spectators at King's Park Rugby Stadium in Durban tomorrow will be there with high expectations.
They are expecting that the titanic Tri-Nations rugby Test between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Springboks will be something of a dress rehearsal for a possible World Cup final in France later in the year.
Such is the profile of both teams in the final preparations in Durban this week that one can expect a physical confrontation second to none, many a classic break from broken play and a degree of that unknown factor, Lady Luck.
From the first whistle to the last these two giants of world rugby can be expected to give it their all in a bid to gain a physiological advantage over the other in both the pursuit of the two trophies on offer - The Tri-Nations and the one-off Freedom Cup - and the outcome of the World Cup.
For one, the match should provide a gruelling clash of two mighty packs.
The All Blacks have been weakened by the loss of key locks and the Springboks have had to field a new front row following injuries to Bok captain John Smit and Guthro Steenkamp in the equally demanding first Tri-Nations Test against the Wallabies at Newlands a week ago.
Greg Rawlinson and Troy Flavell have been given the all- important All Blacks role in the engine room of the scrum though they may be perceived as being a possible weakness at lineout time against new Bok leader Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, who will be playing together at international level for the 29th time.
Teams: New Zealand - Mills Muliaina, Josevate Rokocoko, Isaia Toeava, Aaron Mauger, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Byron Kelleher, Rodney So'oialo, Richard McCaw (captain), Jerry Collins, Greg Rawlinson, Troy Flavell, Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver, Tony Woodcock.
South Africa: Percy Montgomery, Ashwin Willemse, Jaque Fourie, Jan de Villiers, JP Petersen, Butch James, Ruan Pienaar, Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield (captain), Bakkies Botha, BJ Botha, Gary Botha, Os du Randt.
Bench: Bismarck du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Johann Muller, Danie Rossouw, Michael Claassens, Wynand Olivier, Francois Steyn. - Sapa
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