Writing in The Star, Jacques van der Westhuyzen believes the stakes are high this afternoon at Loftus and reckons it is all about conditioning for the Springboks.
"There is a general consensus Peter de Villiers' men played their "final" against the All Blacks last weekend and while the Boks gave a good account of themselves, their mammoth first half effort cost them in the latter stages. They were out on their feet after going toe-to-toe with the best attacking team in the competition, and a few minor errors finally allowed the All Blacks to sneak in at the death.
"The Boks were a beaten bunch - physically and mentally - and now they're being asked to reproduce that performance to prevent a fifth successive defeat in this year's Tri-Nations competition. The pressure is enormous, not only to snap the losing streak, but for many in the squad to ensure they have a future beyond next weekend, when they clash again with the Wallabies in Bloemfontein.
"Two further defeats could mean the end of De Villiers - and that may also mean the end of Smit and a few others. It was hardly surprising after last week's match that All Blacks coach Graham Henry praised his conditioning staff for getting the best out of the players. And if the Boks think the Wallabies will run out of puff simply because they're playing on the Highveld, at a venue where they've never won before, they'd be very wrong."
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