Smit plays his 'underdog' card

The Springboks have downplayed suggestions that the Wallabies will be the underdogs in their Tri-Nations encounter at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, on Saturday.

It is the final match of the expanded Tri-Nations series, a tournament won weeks ago by the All Blacks.

For South Africa and Australia all that remains is some pride and the honour of being able to say they finished the tournament on a winning note.

With the Wallabies coming off a three week rest and the Springboks in high spirits after their win over New Zealand last Saturday, Springbok captain John Smit said the pressure is on his team to repeat last weekend's heroics and end the competition on a high.

Smit also believes that the Wallabies have the upper hand, regardless of the fact that the Australians last won a match in South Africa in 2000 and last won on the Highveld in 1963.

"The pressure this week has been huge, more than it was last week before we played the All Blacks," Smit told the media on Friday.

"This match is the only way we can prove that last week's win was not a once off against the All Blacks. There is a lot of pressure to make sure that we end the Tri-Nations on a high note.

"There was a feeling of do-or-die last week but we are more desperate this week so that we don't let this momentum slide," Smit added.

Springbok coach Jake White also watered down any illusions that the Springboks would walk over the Wallabies stating that records were meaningless for this encounter.

White, though, indicated that his team had to win this game and the rest of their international fixtures before the World Cup in France next year in order for the team to gain momentum ahead of rugby's premier spectacle.

"I don't want to talk about records. In the Tri-Nations, they have won two of their 18 away matches but in the same breath they have won two World Cups.

"We don't necessarily talk about records, what we want to do is play 80 minutes of rugby like we did last week. There are not too many one-sided Tests between us and them. We have to win as many Tests as we can between now and the World Cup," White said.

And while the Bok team will be feeling the pressure of winning, more pressure will be shouldered by Springbok fly-half André Pretorius and debutant fullback JP Pietersen.

The Australians have not made it a secret, throughout the week, that they will want to neutralise Pretorius to try and slow down the Springbok backline and also to stop Pretorius from succeeding with his racking kicks down field.

"It is a challenge for André but that is what rugby is about, certain players are going to be targeted," White said.

And Smit was comfortable that Pietersen will not crumble under the pressure from the Wallabies.

"JP is an extremely laid back kind of guy and he doesn't stress many times," Smit said.

And after an unsatisfactory start to the season, Smit believes that the Springboks have turned the corner and the introduction of new players in the squad played a hand in the Springboks poor run of results this year.

"It has been difficult this year with new guys coming into the team after we had been together for two years. But the guys have been together for almost a season now and there is only one guy making his debut on Saturday," Smit said.

As much as the record books may lead to assumptions on who is likely to win this match, inevitably it will be about the team that can handle the pressure better.

And with the Boks looking a dangerous outfit when their backs are to the wall, the Wallabies might have to wait a little while longer before they boast of another win in this millennium and of another win on the Highveld in 33 years.

By Vata Ngobeni, SAPA