James Mortimer: Officially, the Tri-Nations championship is at the halfway point. The All Blacks lead the competition, but both the Wallabies and Springboks have a game in hand over the New Zealanders. While the All Blacks do have the strategic benefit of two bonus points, they were beaten at home in the House of Pain. Traditionally, the team that wins on the road is the team that wins the championship – so with all their remaining games at home, the Springboks hold the dominant hand.
Not only do the world champions have three consecutive games at home – but World Cup winners Fourie du Preez and Jacque Fourie are now fit and will be on the bench against Argentina on Saturday. However, South African coach Peter de Villiers still has question marks over his selection principles. He seems set to persist with Butch James at fly-half despite a plethora of options, and seems undecided on his first choice fullback, right wing, outside centre and No.8. However, win all of their games at home and the Boks will win the Tri-Nations and cement their place as the world’s best team. |
No comments:
Post a Comment