Rugby: Boks see a real chance for win

Jean de Villiers says Teboho Mohoje was picked on ability. Photo / AP

South Africa captain Jean de Villiers believes the Springboks' close call against the All Blacks in Wellington will help them beat the Rugby Championship winners at Ellis Park.

De Villiers was instrumental in helping the Springboks run over the top of a fading Wallabies side at Newlands on Sunday morning (NZT), and said the barnstorming finish would also provide a psychological boost ahead of the "dead rubber".

We will take the good from [the Wallabies] match into next week," he said. "We came so close to beating New Zealand in Wellington and I think we can be very competitive at Ellis Park.

"We did not play badly in Perth and Wellington. We did many good things there. [Cape Town] was an improvement on that and next week we have to step up again. If we continue this, we can beat New Zealand."

South Africa are not without problems in the build-up to their final Rugby Championship match of the season.

Inspirational flanker Duane Vermeulen was a thorn in New Zealand's side at Wellington, but the No8 injured his ribs in Cape Town and must be a question mark for Ellis Park.

"He is one of the leaders in the team and a player who is in great form at present," said coach Heyneke Meyer.

South Africa were also forced to counter some "transformation" controversy in the lead-up to the Wallabies match.

Flanker Teboho Mohoje was selected to start and there was a clear inference in some quarters of the media that he was picked to appease the concerns of those like Bishop Desmond Tutu, who have criticised South African Rugby for the lack of black players in the Springboks.

"I thought a couple of the guys really got insulted by the media [last] week, that they got selected only on colour," de Villiers said. "The display showed that each player was selected on merit - hopefully that's the last time we read something like that."