Will Smit Face The Axe? And Who Else?

They were again out-paced – perhaps the most crucial aspect -- and out-smarted despite being on the receiving end once again of a referee, George Clancy, who tended to blow against them infuriatingly often in the borderline calls.

And Smit, in fairness, has not been the only senior statesman in the Springbok side to look unacceptably off the pace, despite doing certain grapple ‘n grunt tasks to fair enough standards.

We are not seeing great rugby either, at present, from iconic men like Victor Matfield and Bryan Habana, while all of Zane Kirchner, Wynand Olivier, Morne Steyn, Pierre Spies and Schalk Burger can hardly be branded automatic, confident shoe-ins for the New Zealand challenge on the Highveld.

SHOOT: Where is Francois Steyn? Meanwhile the Currie Cup presents a great opportunity to look at the CV's of a few new players - and coaches.

clipped from www.sport24.co.za He has been a genuinely distinguished servant of the Springbok game, both as leader and player. With the Tri-Nations already almost certain to fall back into Antipodean hands, there is a case for saying that now is the perfect opportunity for the Boks to vigorously shake the bag in the three remaining Tri-Nations fixtures and introduce a few pairs of younger, faster legs in various positions to see whether they offer sound credentials for the World Cup defence in 2011. And deep down, the currently too-cumbersome Smit, labouring to make the conversion back to No 2 after his stint as tighthead, will know that the likes of Gary Botha, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Tiaan Liebenberg – not to mention Bismarck du Plessis once fit again – are or will be knocking powerfully at the door. The side which crashed in Brisbane was not lacking for willingness and did not wilt irreversibly -- they kept bashing away nobly even with the outcome emphatically decided.