Springboks out to launch new season in style

DURBAN - Springboks coach Jake White sees his team's two-match series against France, starting with the first test tomorrow, as the ideal way to recapture the momentum that took them to the 2004 Tri-Nations title.

Last year the Springboks started the season with a home series win over Ireland which served as a platform for their surprise Tri-Nations victory.

Tomorrow the Springboks face their first tough challenge of the year against a youthful French team at the ABSA Stadium following last weekend's 134-3 drubbing of Uruguay.

"I cannot emphasise enough the importance of getting your season off on the right note," White said.

"We did well last year because we were able to build momentum and I think the first 25 minutes of the first test are going to be crucial to the series."

To that end White turned to the bulk of the squad that won the Tri-Nations by making six changes to the experimental team that thrashed Uruguay.

He has given first starts of the season to 2004 world player of the year Schalk Burger, props Os du Randt and Eddie Andrews, lock Victor Matfield, halfback Fourie du Preez and centre De Wet Barry.

France coach Bernard Laporte, by contrast, has selected a youthful team with three new caps and a new captain in halfback Jean-Baptiste Elissalde as he continues to build towards the 2007 World Cup.

The three new caps are lock Romain Millo-Chluski, centre Florian Fritz and wing Julien Candelon.

With the French championship ending last weekend, Laporte rested players from Stade Francais and Biarritz, the two sides involved in the final. He has based his backline around Heineken Cup champions Toulouse, with five players from that club among the backs.

One of the key battles will be between the Springbok loose forwards and the French inside backs where the talented Frederic Michalak will look to cement his club partnership with Elissalde at international level.

The Springboks made no secret that they want to starve Michalak of possession so that he cannot launch his speedy outside runners.

"We will have to put pressure on Michalak," Springbok backline coach Allister Coetzee said. "But then again, any international first five-eighth worth his salt will require close attention."

The only previous occasion the Toulouse duo were paired in a test France lost to Argentina. But Elissalde and Michalak were in confident mood.

"Our combination has been successful at club level and we are confident that we can take that into the tests," Elissalde said.

"Of course we are less experienced at international level but we want to prove ourselves this week."

Michalak said: "I know the Springboks will be aiming for me, but the simple answer is not to get caught."

* Durban, tomorrow

South Africa
Percy Montgomery
Jean de Villiers
Marius Joubert
De Wet Barry
Bryan Habana
J. van der Westhuyzen
Fourie du Preez
Jacques Cronje
Danie Rossouw
Schalk Burger
Victor Matfield
A. van den Berg
Eddie Andrews
John Smit (c)
Os du Randt

Reserves: Hanyani Shimange, CJ van der Linde, Juan Smith, Joe van Niekerk, Ricky Januarie, Jaque Fourie, Brent Russell.

France
Julien Laharrague
Julien Candelon
Florian Fritz
Yannick Jauzion
Cedric Heymans
Frederic Michalak
J. B. Elissalde (c)
Julien Bonnaire
Olivier Magne
Yannick Nyanga
Romain Millo-Chluski
Pascal Pape
Sylvain Marconnet
Sebastien Bruno
Olivier Milloud

Reserves: William Servat, Pieter de Villiers, Gregory Lamboley, Remy Martin, Dimitri Yachvili, Damien Traille, Nicholas Brusque.

- REUTERS