Impressive new talent emerges as major threat

By DAVID LEGGAT in Brisbane

As they watched South Africa take Samoa apart at Suncorp Stadium, the All Blacks will have realised they have a fresh offensive threat to meet in Saturday's quarter-final.

It has taken a long time - too long, in his critics' view - for Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli to shake off his conservative suit, take the plunge and give gifted Derick Hougaard his chance on the big stage.

The 20-year-old first five-eighth showed what a No 10 with sharp attacking instincts can offer with a fine all-round performance, bagging 21 points in the 60-10 win.

So out with the staid Louis Koen and in with a breath of fresh air for the quarter-final. The Springbok team will not be named for a couple of days, but pencil Hougaard in for Saturday night.

He scored one of the eight Springbok tries, drop-kicked a goal and converted all his six shots at goal.

But just as importantly he showed the value of a first five-eighth with an instinctive attacking touch, a playmaker who can see the possibilities out wide and has the confidence to try to take advantage of them, and has a classy range of kicking skills.

It was the Bulls player's fourth test, but his first in the starting XV. It's sure to be the first of many.

He toed the diplomatic line after the match, paying tribute to his formidable forward pack for laying the groundwork on Saturday night.

"It's an awesome feeling just to get to be selected to play in the World Cup at 20 and the tight five made it very easy for me and my fellow backs playing behind a pack which goes forward like that," Hougaard said.

Add a tough streak on to a relatively small frame - 1.76m and 87kg - as he survived being flattened by a howitzer hit from Samoan veteran Brian Lima 20 minutes into the second half.

For a minute he looked like he might have been shunted into the next life, such was the ferocity of the strike by Lima.

"It's definitely the hardest tackle I've taken in my life," Hougaard said. "But I'm still breathing, so that's a good sign."

The pass had come from seasoned halfback Joost van der Westhuizen, who merely pointed out in dead-pan fashion that "it was just part of his initiation."

Hougaard did betray one small sign of youthful confidence, before covering his tracks quickly, when asked if it was true that All Black first five-eighth Carlos Spencer was his role model.

"The only reason the boys say he's my role model is because they always talk to me about being a kicking flyhalf and he's a running flyhalf, so I have to tell people I'm actually a running flyhalf.

"Carlos is a great player and I'm really looking forward to playing him - that's if I make the team."

But he didn't really need to add that final rider.

And he's sure to have given the All Blacks - Spencer and the loose forward trio in particular - something to chew on before Saturday night.