Rugby: Springboks a bunch of unhappy campers

Springbok coach Nick Mallett has gambled with his front-row selections for Saturday's opening Tri-Nations test with the All Blacks in a move which could increase the potential for disruption within his camp.

He picked experienced forwards Os du Randt and Mark Andrews to start the test at Carisbrook, but indicated yesterday thtat both would be subbed after not much more than half the game.

The pair have played little rugby after serious injuries but are needed to shore up the scrum, which was exposed badly by Wales in their shock 29-19 win a fortnight ago.

Under the plan, du Randt, the massive loosehead prop, will be replaced by Ollie le Roux. But le Roux is also covering as hooker for Naka Drotske, while the other reserve front-rower, Willie Meyer, is a specialist tighthead replacement.

Should Drotske be injured it would either force du Randt to stay on the field or for two tighthead props to bind on le Roux - a case of two front-rowers playing out of position.

Mallett has been left in that awkward position after he dropped another prop, Robbie Kempson, who copes with both sides of the scrum, from the tour party.

In justifying his choices, Mallett said le Roux had solidified the Springbok scrum when he played at hooker in one match last season against Ireland A and as a former national waterpolo rep would throw well to the lineout.

"The scrummaging was unacceptable against Wales. The guys were not focused," Mallett said.

Curiously, he added that the Boks had expected Wales to treat the opening test at their new Millennium Stadium as a celebration match and he had been surprised at their full-on approach.

If Mallett gets away with his stop-gap measure at Carisbrook it will go some way towards quelling some of the criticism and pressure he has been under since late last year on the Boks' tour of Britain.

The side fell in the final match against England but had equalled the All Blacks' record of most consective test wins.

However, there were some feelings on that trip that Mallett showed some favouritism towards players of English ancestry over the Afrikaners in the squad.

It has been a consistent issue within South African rugby circles since the country returned from sporting isolation in 1992 and was an observation picked up on by writers for Afrikaans newspapers.

After the loss to England, two dismissive defeats of a woeful Italy and then the defeat by Wales, the criticisms have returned, and Mallett has also had to deal with the thorny issue of selection quotas, the awkward "merit with bias" policy which meant there had to be a test place for black wing Breyton Paulse.

Apparently, Mallett had been coy with the South African media since the team got to New Zealand, and on Tuesday, after some negotiation, held a meeting with them.

Sources said it was an uneasy discussion in which Mallett showed his unhappiness about the coverage of the test in Cardiff.

The coach always believed in his rapport with the media, a situation helped by his long unbeaten run. But he has reacted very differently after the twin defeats.

His demeanour would not have been helped by comments from former Springbok coach Andre Markgraaf at the weekend, who questioned both the selections and tactics employed by Mallett.

Insiders also said the players remained unconvinced that they could play the expansive type of game Mallett wants them to take to the World Cup.

He admires the All Black and Wallaby style and wants his squad to develop that expansive approach, while the players are more inclined to operate the suffocating, enveloping power game which was so successful for the late Kitch Christie at the last World Cup.

The cumulative effect has a Springbok side and coach under pressure to open well in their defence of the Tri-Nations title. If there is not a solid performance, the rumblings will grow stronger.

South Africa: Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Japie Mulder, Pieter Rossouw, Pieter Muller, Gaffie du Toit, Dave von Hoesslin, Gary Teichmann (captain), Andre Venter, Krynauw Otto, Mark Andrews, Corne Krige, Cobus Visagie, Naka Drotske, Os du Randt. Reserves: Robbie Fleck, Braam van Straaten, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Vos, Selborne Boome, Willie Meyer, Ollie le Roux.