If I’m to be totally honest about this, I would like to see the Springboks thrash the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday and then make an immediate application for the game’s permanent suspension. It would leave us holding the World Cup and victories over the All Blacks in New Zealand, Wallabies in Australia, England in the WC Final and six Nations champions Wales.
Where do we go from there?
Retire the game and be done with it.
Of course we’ll have one or two geniuses from Noo Zealand waffling on about “… yes but you haven’t beaten us in the House in Spain, twice in a row, with one hand tied behind your back and fielding two players with severe acne problems and sans food poisoning so you can’t really…”, but in general terms the Bokke are acknowledged as the best team on the planet.
As Naas is fond of saying: “For the next four years we are the world champions and nobody can take that away”.
On Saturday Pete De Villiers’ green and gold army will be down in Perth where half of our ex-pats are now living. Hopefully some of you guys can get down to the stadium to support the Bokke.
The Wallabies will be fielding four changes from the side that beat France in Brisbane. Coach Robbie Dean has opted for strength and experience in recalling Nathan Sharpe, Lote Tuqiri and Wycliff Palu, all back from injury, to his starting line-up. In addition, George Smith cracks the nod ahead of Phil Waugh on the open side flank.
Deans has conceded that a Springbok win would take them close to wrapping up the Tri-Nations with all their remaining games being played at home.
Let’s hope that we can share that view come final whistle time.
The Springbok team will be announced Thursday with all sorts of speculation at the moment. Adi Jacobs to make way in order to strengthen our defence against a side expected to run at us. If truth be told there was nothing wrong with Adi against the All Blacks. Butch James looked like he might need to brush up on his tackling.
Schalk Britz is in at hooker with Bismark suspended and Spies and Kankowsi are expected to feature somewhere at last.
However they line up, expect nothing short of a full blooded attempt at nailing another away win in the Tri-Nations.
Australian team: A Ashley-Cooper; P Hynes, S Mortlock (Capt), B Barnes, L Tuqiri, M Giteau, L Burgess, B Robinson, S Moore, A Baxter, J Horwill, N Sharpe, R Elsom, G Smith, W Palu.
Reserves: T Polota-Nau, M Dunning, H McMeniman, P Waugh, S Cordingley, R Cross, D Mitchell.
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