South Africa's Bakkies Botha trudges away to the sinbin during his side's clash with New Zealand
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Panic-induced, wholesale changes should be avoided when the Springbok brains trust begin the regrouping process after their relative humiliation in the Vodacom Tri-Nations opener against the All Blacks, according to Sport24's Rob Houwing.
"Unless the Boks can dramatically manage a turnaround victory of similarly large proportions in the follow-up encounter, they are likely to stay behind their great rivals on the table even if they redeem themselves with the basic triumph at the Cake Tin.
"But it would also be foolhardy, I believe, for South Africa to suddenly shake the selection bag to a ludicrous degree, signalling alarm and possibly disarray. It just seemed as if the collective Bok focus was off the mark in Auckland and they must take responsibility for it as a broad group without necessarily resorting to drastic measures yet.
"We can almost certainly assume one enforced change will be required, with the ill-disciplined Bakkies Botha set for suspension anew. Ever-loyal Danie Rossouw shapes up as the logical replacement as the “enforcer” No 4, albeit minus the headless-chicken element Botha has brought to the party once too often."
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