Beating the All Blacks 21-20 in South Africa last Saturday may have saved Springbok coach Jake White – it was his team's first win in the Tri Nations.
If the Boks beat the Wallabies in Johannesburg this Saturday, his transformation from villain to hero will be complete.
What a game that will be. The re-invigorated Springboks, buoyed by a blood-hungry Ellis Park crowd – no metaphor intended – up against coach John Connolly's newly brutal Wallabies.
And not only newly brutal, but almost universally praised for it. However, more than any other team in the world, the Springboks feel an obligation to match fire with fire, so the mix for Saturday is volatile.
How will the Wallabies go? On paper, no worries – they have beaten the Boks twice already this year. But they have a poor away record and anything can happen in darkest Africa. Just ask the unbeatable All Blacks.
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