Smit approves of Bok selection

Johannesburg - Springbok captain John Smit registered his approval on Tuesday as coach Peter de Villiers made just one injury-enforced change to the team to take on Australia in Brisbane on Saturday.

The unfortunate hamstring-strain suffered by JP Pietersen late in the second half of last weekend's match in Perth has paved the way for Odwa Ndungane's recall to the starting XV for the first time since playing against the British and Irish Lions in the third, dead-rubber test in Johannesburg on July 4.

"It makes a big difference having consistency in selection and it's a wonderful advantage for us. In this game there are no guarantees you'll be on the field next week because injuries are part and parcel of the game. And they seem to creep in when you're not being that successful; I can remember 2006 when it felt like we were playing against the best team in the world for six weeks in a row and we were being called the laughing stock of the Tri-Nations. But that's the way it goes, you have to build a team and learn from those sort of experiences," Smit said.

"We try to be consistent in selection because that's how you instill confidence in the players and reward them for working hard," De Villiers said.

Although the Springboks have been on the button in putting themselves inches from the Tri-Nations title, De Villiers said he believed there was still more to come from the world champions.
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