Captain John Smit joins the Boks

Wellington - Springbok skipper John Smit completed a marathon flight from France to New Zealand on Tuesday and joined his teammates in a tough training session shortly after his arrival on Kiwi soil.

Smit joined the South African team in the capital after he played for Clermont in the French club final against Toulouse over the weekend.

A large media contingent greeted the Bok captain when he finally made his way through the domestic arrivals terminal, having completing the last leg of his exhaustive trip from Paris via London and Sydney to Wellington.

Smit told reporters New Zealand would be an extremely difficult team to beat on home turf despite the absence of their inspirational captain Richie McCaw.

"I can't think ever in my lifetime that the All Blacks have been vulnerable at home, so I wouldn't subscribe to that," he said.

We came pretty close in the past but never managed to seal it in the end, when we needed to do so. On Saturday you will see two top sides battling it out in a truly great rugby rivalry.

The Springboks will announce their Test team for Saturdays Vodacom Tri-Nations opener during their weekly media hour on Thursday which starts from 12:30 at the Duxton Hotel. The team will enjoy a media and training free day on Wednesday.

Smit joins the Boks

Good luck to the Boks, it's their choice to do things that way, but I hope we never see that occur with the Wallabies.

Yarpies team has been announced.

Van Niekerk surprise call-up for Boks - Rugby - Fox Sports

No Steyn or Monty - does this mean they are going to try to play "entertaining rugby"?

Monty can't play because he was in Europe, wasn't he?

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Originally Posted by laura

Monty can't play because he was in Europe, wasn't he?

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SA don't restrict players I don't think, so he can still play.

Springbok team to play against the All Blacks, Round 1:

1. Gurthro Steenkamp
2. John Smit (captain)
3. CJ van der Linde
4. Bakkies Botha
5. Victor Matfield
6. Schalk Burger
7. Juan Smith
8. Joe van Niekerk

9. Enrico Januarie
10. Butch James
11. Bryan Habana
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Adrian Jacobs
14. Odwa Ndungane
15. Conrad Jantjes

16. Bismarck du Plessis
17. Brian Mujati
18. Andries Bekker
19. Luke Watson
20. Bolla Conradie
21. Francois Steyn
22. Percy Montgomery

this for 3N? few old, but good names and a few newies too. Strong team!!

It's good to see that playing super14 rugby isn't a prerequisite for getting selected. Smit and Victor may have moved on the sharks and the bulls but good to see they are still recognised as the best in their respective positions.

Looks like the international scene can still be fluid even with the european clubs throwing all this money at other nation's players.

I think it sets a good precedent. :)

Bloody blow-ins want the best of everything, play in another Country forget representing your own.

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Originally Posted by BLR

SA don't restrict players I don't think, so he can still play.

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de Villiers has said in the past that it was somewhere in between - the bulk of the squad would be RSA based but he'd pick half-a-dozen or so key players from Europe.