South Africa’s greatest export at the moment, the vuvuzela, has been banned from the opening match of the Tri-Nations between South Africa and New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday.
The ear-splitting trumpet has been dividing opinion the world over since its unveiling on the biggest international stage of all – the football world cup – admittedly to mixed reviews.
And you can tell the vuvezela’s reach is going to be considerable by the number of people flying out of O.R. Tambo International Airport with one of the plastic horns in their luggage.
But that has not stopped the Eden Park management from banning them from this Saturday’s Tri-Nations test between the Springboks and the All Blacks. According to CEO David Kennedy, they are not just singling out the vuvuzela, however.
“Loud horns have never been allowed at Eden Park. I think its a judgment call on whether to let in certain items. There are 25,000 people expected to turn up to the test match this weekend and any vuvuzelas brought to the venue will be confiscated,” he said.
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All though Richie McCaw must be the ultimate diplomat, he revealed that revenge are in the All Blacks’ minds ahead of the clash against the Springboks on Saturday.
After the Boks three game whitewash last year on their way to the Vodacom Tri Nations title, McCaw knows only too well how revenge would be a dish best served cold in Auckland this week, although he was mostly diplomatic in speaking to New Zealand rugby scribes on Saturday.
“There is definitely a little bit of that,” McCaw told the Sunday Star-Times in Auckland when asked about the dreaded R-word. “We felt like we never performed like we could have last year. The Africans are a good team but they are not a team that is unbeatable too. So there is a bit of that.”
There is an acknowledgement in the All Black camp that they certainly can’t give the Boks a good start in this year’s competition, not if they want to try and gain some significant advantage ahead of next year’s World Cup. “We have to start off well to win the Tri Nations,” he said.
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The Springbok squad announcement was made yesterday and Tendai Mtawarira made his return to Springbok rugby for the Tri-Nations after he was named in the 28-man touring squad.
Mtawarira made his debut in 2008 and played 22 tests before the South African government declared him ineligible to represent his adopted country.
The 24-year-old was granted South African citizenship on Friday after intervention by Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, clearing the way for an unexpected return.
Mtawarira meets the three-year residency requirement of the International Rugby Board (IRB) but the government has instructed sports federations that only South African passport holders are eligible to represent the country.
The bulk of the Springbok squad is drawn from the players who beat Wales, France and Italy this month.
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Springbok vice-captain Schalk Burger will miss the Test against the Italy this weekend due to an ankle injure.
Burger, who was the main feature at the Thursday media conference earlier on, underwent a fitness test on Thursday afternoon on the ankle, which he rolled against the French last weekend in Cape Town, and was not deemed fit to play in the game.
“The Springbok medical team advised that Burger be withdrawn as there remained a risk of further injury,” a team media statement said.
Burger’s place will be taken by impressive Stormers flanker Francois Louw, who excelled against France and Wales for the Springboks this season.
But while Burger’s loss is offset by Louw’s exhuberance, it has also robbed coach Peter de Villiers of the chance of seeing Dewald Potgieter slot into the loose trio with Pierre Spies and Burger, something De Villiers gave as a main reason for selecting the loose trio.
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Bandise Maku is a Springbok again after he replaced John Smit in the Sprinbok squad ahead of the first Test against Italy on Saturday.
This follows after Bok captain John Smit was ruled out of the game with a grade one hamstring strain.
Maku, who played in two of the midweek matches on South Africa’s year-end tour last season, joins the squad to cover for Smit.
There will be some questions as to why the two players behind World Cup winner Gary Botha in the Bulls pecking order – Maku and Chiliboy Ralepelle – got the call at hooker.
Van der Linde, however, returns to the squad after taking part in the one-off Test against Wales in Cardiff 10 days ago.
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Springbok coach Peter de Villiers will make quite a few changes to his Springbok team for the Tests against Italy in Witbank and East London the following two weeks despite having faired well against France at Newlands.
De Villiers made it clear that he wants to cast the net as wide as possible to increase his options for the World Cup in New Zealand next year – and the last two Tests against Wales, which they won 34-31 in Cardiff the previous week, and France have been part of the process.
He also emphasised that the teams should not be seen as weakened B sides.
“I select every side with the hope that the new combinations will work and that the players will show that they are up to Test standard,” he said. “If we lose, we lose as a (fully fledged) Springbok side.”
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Springbok coach and captain, Peter de Villiers and John Smit, both reiterated the importance of beating France at Newlands on Saturday with 16 months to go before the 2011 Rugby World Cup kicks off in New Zealand.
The Boks were very classy as they beat the visitors by 42-17 for their first-ever victory over France at Newlands.
“It was an important week for us to get the result — two good teams were on display today and the game between the Vodacom Tri-Nations and Six Nations champs were quite hyped up,” Smit said.
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Francois Louw and Gio Aplon of the Stormers have been rewarded for their good form against Wales and retained their positions in the Springbok team for Saturday’s match against France at Newlands.
It will be a big occasion for the pair as it will be the first time they play for a full-strength Springbok team — and the match is being played on their home ground. There are four other Stormers players in the team, including scrumhalf Ricky Januarie
Not everyone was that convinced by Januarie’s form against Wales, but coach Peter de Villiers on Tuesday backed up his contention that Januarie was one of the pick of the Bok players in Cardiff by handing him the No 9 jersey ahead of Ruan Pienaar.
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Springbok centre Jean de Villiers will miss the Test against Wales in Cardiff on June the 5th due to a shoulder injury.
De Villiers was to partner Bath flyhalf Butch James in the team which contained only a handful of Stormers and Bulls players for the one-off game abroad. His place would be taken by Springbok and Stormers centre Jaque Fourie, De Villiers’ regular partner over the past year.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers broke the news on Kyknet’s SuperRugby on Monday night, calling it a “setback” for the team. De Villiers said the test was the “perfect opportunity to have a look at a number of players ahead of the 2011 World Cup.”
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South Africa will face the French in a Test match at Newlands on the 12th of June and tickets went on sale yesterday.
There is a festival atmosphere brewing for the Test which comes the day after France take on Uruguay in the FIFA World Cup at the Cape Town Stadium with over 1000 French expected at the game.
Tickets for the clash are selling for between R400-R100 and are available from computicket or the Newlands ticket office.
