With the excitement building, South Africa Magazine takes a look at the Springboks’ World Cup chances. The defending champions will be strong contenders for sure but can they bring home the trophy?

By Ian Armitage

On 9 September New Zealand kick-off the 2011 Rugby World Cup, facing Tonga in Auckland. Two days later in Wellington, South Africa defend their title, with Wales providing the first challenge to the Springboks’ crown.
Despite injury doubts around John Smit – the most experienced captain in world rugby sustained an arm injury during the 14-9 Tri-Nations loss at home to Australia – the defending champions will be going into the 2011 World Cup as one of the hot favourites.
Recent form however hasn’t been good. Critics say it will take a mega effort to get anywhere near wining the title again.
The biggest rivals at the moment have to be New Zealand and England. New Zealand recently crushed South Africa 40-7, the Boks’ worst ever defeat. That loss left coach Peter de Villiers wondering how to make it better before the start of the World Cup. There were positives tough, he said.
"If you look at the scoreboard you'll be very, very disappointed but if you look at how we sometimes controlled the game but couldn't convert our possession into points, that was more disappointing than anything," he said.
"We don't want to become a good losing side. As winning becomes a habit, so does losing and we don't want that kind of habit."
Can South Africa retain their title? We think so, but it won’t be easy. The Boks are in the so-called “pool of death” with Samoa, Wales, Fiji and Namibia, and no team has ever won back-to-back titles. What they do have is bags of experience. Collectively, captain marvel Smit and vice captain Victor Matfield have played over 200 Tests and, between them, can handle any leadership challenges. In Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie the Springboks have a seasoned and very intelligent combination that should be able to create opportunities for Bjorn Basson, one of the fastest men on a rugby field. For sheer physicality too, noone in the world can match the Boks and the likes of Willem Alberts, Schalk Burger and Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira will be landing hits that will rattle the ancestors of their opponents. South Africa also have a ridiculous amount of depth with the emergence of Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Coenie Oosthuizen and Sarel Pretorius set to further bolster the Bok ranks.
One weakness is the kick-and-chase gameplan, although with teams unwilling to take risks during the World Cup this could actually work in SA’s favour.
The key player has to be Fourie du Preez. If one man can get mileage out of South Africa’s dodgy game plan, it’s him, with his pinpoint kicks and clever passes.
South Africa did not compete in the first two World Cups in 1987 and 1991 because of anti-apartheid boycotts, but the Springboks have more than made up for it since, winning the tournament twice in four attempts. Will this be title number three? The, the boks play a brand of fast and physical rugby that is notoriously difficult to beat.

NEW ZEALAND DAWN?
New Zealand are the best rugby team in the world and are definitely the favourites. Their strength is consistency. The All Blacks rarely have a bad game and to beat the number one team in the world you have to force them into making mistakes. That’s easier said than done with Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter keeping the players around them calm and collected. In centre Sonny Bill Williams the All Blacks also have the most dangerous attacking player in the world, a man whose offloads in the tackle are already legendary.
Where they could fall short is mentally. There will be a lot of pressure on the home side to succeed. The All Blacks are also overly depended on Dan Carter. With no obvious replacement waiting in the wings, an injury to the fly-half will be disastrous for New Zealand. Carter breaking down is not coach Graham Henry’s only injury concern with Super Rugby taking its toll on rising stars like Israel Dagg and Sean Maitland.
The All Blacks’ key player is almost certainly Richie McCaw. Captain McCaw can single-handedly destroy teams with his skill at the breakdown.
Former Springboks coach Jake White, who guided South Africa to their second global crown in France in 2007, has said he believes Graham Henry's team will end their series of World Cup chokes when they host the tournament for the first time since 1987.
If McCaw, Carter and Williams have a half decent Tri-Nations the All Blacks it’s hard to see them not winning.

ENGLAND ROAR?
Can Martin Johnson’s promising team go one better than their final defeat at the hand of the Springboks in 2007? Former Springbok and Saracens hooker Schalk Brits certainly thinks so. "If England can just get their kicking game up to scratch and play in the right areas, they could win this World Cup," Brits said in a recent interview with This is London. "I really think they've got a chance. Attack isn't such a big deal in the World Cup," he added. “Look at previous tournaments: people are scared to take chances, so your kicking game dominates and your defence dominates.
"England's defence is normally good. During the Six Nations, the set-pieces were really good; they've got a great scrum and a great 10."
Brits said that he was impressed with Jonny Wilkinson’s form and that he would start the world cup winner in New Zealand.
"Toby Flood is an awesome player and has played some good rugby for Leicester but I'd still play Wilkinson in the World Cup."

Pool D teams at a glance

Fiji
IRB ranking (as of Aug 15): 14
World Cup appearances (inc 2011): Six
World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1987, 2007
The Fijians live and breathe rugby, the game dating back on the island to 1884. Their pace and daring has seen them become a byword for the sevens game, but they have never quite broken through in 15s. In what is a very tight pool, Fiji will be competing all the way with Samoa and Wales for second place behind likely group winners South Africa.

Namibia
IRB ranking: 20
World Cup appearances: Four
World Cup best: Pool stages
Qualified for their fourth World Cup with victory over Ivory Coast and won the IRB Nations Cup in 2010 but will have ambitions no greater than chalking up a first ever win at the finals. And even that is going to be tough for the Namibians.

Samoa
IRB ranking: 10
World Cup appearances: Six
World Cup best: Quarter-finals 1991, 1995
Watching Samoa is not for the faint-hearted. In between some dazzling running which has earned them plenty of success in the sevens arena, they are renowned as the hardest tacklers on the planet. The Samoans favourites to take second spot in the pool.

South Africa
IRB ranking: Third
World Cup appearances: Five
World Cup best: Winners 1995, 2007
Obvious favourites to qualify as pool winners, the Springboks will be aim to do what no team has yet managed - retain their World Cup crown. Champions under Francois Pienaar on home soil in 1995 and current skipper John Smit four years ago, the South Africans head down under with a stable squad and with class oozing from every department. The Boks have never lost to Fiji, Samoa or Namibia and only once in 25 meetings against Wales.

Wales
IRB ranking: Seventh
World Cup appearances: Seven
World Cup best: Third place 1987
In November the Welsh lost narrowly to South Africa before being held to a draw by the Fijians. That was followed by three wins in the Six Nations with defeats by England and France. Recently beat England in a World Cup warm up. Third spot is likely in this group.

Image: Getty