Will the Newlands effect be too much for the Aussies to handle?

I don’t want to get ahead of myself, and I sure hope  the Springboks don’t go into the game with the same attitude that I have, but the Newlands effect will be too much for the Wallabies.

They have not won there since 22 August 1992, when they beat a Springbok team, with a whopping total combined tests of just 75 in the starting XV, 44 of those test belonging to Naas Botha and Danie Gerber. Vastly different to today’s starting XV with a total combined tests of 620. The score was 26 – 3 to the Wallabies. Since that day, the Springboks have faced the Wallabies 4 times at Newlands, achieving four wins out of four. The avarege score being 21 -17, going the way of the Springboks.

As with last weeks record breaking test, today’s game will host a few records of it’s own:

• Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha will reach 50 tests as a lock pairing, doubling the previous Springbok record of 25 tests as a second row pair, set by Mark Andrews and Krynauw Otto.
• Jean De Villiers will become the most capped Springbok centre of all time.

The two match-ups I’m most excited to see are those between:

• George Smith, the man who wrote the book on stealing opponent ball, and Heinrich Brussow, the student who is fast becoming the master.
• Jaque Fourie, who in my opinion (and his own), is the best outside centre in world rugby at the moment and Stirling Mortlock, the war horse who has ruled the outside centre berth for the last 9 years.

The weather is looking clear here in Cape Town for a change, so look forward to some exciting open running rugby. The Newlands faithfull will be in full force as usual, with the tickets sold out days in advance.

My prediction: Springboks 27-13 Wallabies

Kickoff is at 17h00 local time.

A tribute to Jean De Villiers, the intercept king, on his record for the Springboks. Enjoy!