Springboks crank up the rugby mind games ahead of All Blacks trip

Published 11 August 2009 | By

Let’s forget about Australia for a minute but let me focus on New Zealand and how South Africa are gearing up for them specifically during their away leg of Tri-Nations 2009.

South Africa have always had the toughest away season in world rugby. Invariably the Springboks have had to face a tag team which no other international rugby nation could contemplate  – New Zealand and Australia in three weeks.

Perish the thought of any other team, let’s say Scotland, Wales or Ireland, attempting what South Africa do year in and year out. They would no doubt shudder at the thought.

For South Africa, especially in 2009, things look different. I’m not referring to the unquestionable dominance of the South African squad at present OR the relative strengths of Australia and New Zealand.

What I’m talking about is a shift in national mindset – a strange common agreement in South Africa that New Zealand are fair game and the Springboks aren’t going to be diplomatic about handing them a lesson.

In nearly 50 years of watching rugby in South Africa, I’ve never seen anything quite like this. And the largest national TV News channel in South Africa has set the tone.

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