How Boks can get 'smell of victory'; Rugby 365

South Africa do have the talent to win a third World Cup. However, it is all about how the players are used.

This is the view of 1995 World Cup legend Mark Andrews, who said injuries could be one of the Springboks' biggest stumbling blocks at the global showpiece in September and October.

Andrews, speaking at the 1995 World Cup-winning team's reunion, said that South Africa are blessed with an abundance of loose forwards. However, the country's lock stocks are threadbare.

"I just like to state publicly that I am not making a comeback," the jovial legend quipped, when asked about the Boks' second row resources.

However, from his 'retirement chair' he has some well-informed views on what it will take for South Africa to become the first team claim the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time.

"I do believe we are incredibly blessed top have some phenomenal loose forwards in this country," Andrews said, adding: "Locks are obviously a concern."

He described Pieter-Steph du Toit as the ultimate second row forward and a key player for the Boks.

Du Toit, who underwent a knee surgery in March, started training with the Springboks in Johannesburg this week. However, his lack of game time the past four months means he needs to be carefully managed.

Du Toit is for me, potentially, one of the greatest locks South Africa will ever have," Andrews said.

"He has the best of every single lock we have ever had - he can tackle, take the ball up, win line-outs, he can [collect a] kick-off, he can defend, he can lead defensive lines and he can read the game.

"He is just an incredible player.

"Without Pieter-Steph du Toit there, we have a problem at lock."

Like the 1995 Boks the class of 2015 are being written off on the back of a poor Super Rugby season by the South African franchises.

However, Andrews believe the talent to win the World Cup is available - depending on the combinations and experience that will be used.

"You can have some incredibly talented guys, but if they are not playing with someone who has the experience and the Test experience of having played [at that level] the moment can become too big and the structure can fall apart.

"For us this year it is going to depend on what players are available at the end of the pool games, going into the quarterfinals and semifinals.

"If we have injuries in key positions that can break the structure of the side, we are going to be in trouble.

"It is important that we have the players who have the experience and have the form. It is no use going to the World Cup with 150 Tests behind you and you have no form - you have to have that combination of experience and form.

"It also helps to play with someone who you have played with before in a combination.

"If [Bok coach] Heyneke [Meyer] can get the guys through injury and we don't have injuries during the pool stages, then we have a great chance.

"I just don't think we have enough dept and experience in all key positions to take us through, if we have enough injuries."

Andrews, who said he initially thought it was a bit "cheesy" to have a 20-year reunion of the 1995 World Cup victory at Ellis Park, said the occasion turned out to be something "pretty special".

"As we got on the bus everybody went back into their old roles - Kobus Wiese became the joker that he was 20 years ago and Japie Mulder became sarcastic with his biting comments.

Then, walking onto the Ellis Park turf, he got that smell of victory straight away.

"This is one of my favourite stadiums in the world, not just because we won the World Cup," Andrews said, adding: "Walking on for me, it had that exact same smell it had 20 years ago.

"I still remember standing here during the anthems and the smell .... the grass has a smell."

By Jan de Koning
@King365ed
@rugby365com