Preview: South Africa v England
The wait is finally over and the Springboks will begin a new era under Heyneke Meyer when they run out to face a resurgent England at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
The first Test match for a new coach is always a heady mix of tension and hope, but there is also an overwhelming sense of relief that the speculation will end and we can finally see what his team are capable of on the pitch.
Their opponents England are poised as dangerous underdogs, as although they have lost their last seven matches against the Springboks they showed good fighting spirit under their new coach Stuart Lancaster to win a few tough away games at the end of the Six Nations so they are shaping as a tricky first hurdle for Meyer.
Lancaster has moulded a team marked by their committed attitude and they have gathered some momentum recently with a few gutsy performances, so they will provide a stern examination of the Springboks' mettle.
Meyer has plenty of respect for what Lancaster has achieved already and is expecting a serious challenge against an England team that will be under a lot less pressure than his side on Saturday.
He said: "They [England] showed a lot of mental toughness to come through the first few games of the Six Nations because it was the same thing as us - a new coach who didn't have a lot of time to prepare - and they got stronger as the competition went on.
"The one thing that stood out in that team was that they have got a lot of mental toughness and a lot of character because to beat France away is not easy. They won three of their away games so they will be confident," added the Springbok coach.
The winter weather in Durban has been glorious all week, but the cold front that has drenched the Cape over the last few days is approaching which means that wet and windy conditions could put an interesting spin on proceedings.
Both teams are well equipped for the physical battle up front, and if it does rain then the role of the forward packs could be even more crucial.
No matter what the conditions Lancaster knows that it will be a fierce and bitter scrap as both sides look to assert dominance across the park.
"It is bound to be tight in terms of the margins across the board - the set-piece, the line-out, the gainline battle, the aerial duel, the goal-kicking - every contest will be ferocious.
"You get the sense that this is a big game and you feel the weight of expectation. We go into the game very respectful of the challenge but equally we should have a quiet confidence as well," he said.
There are many factors to consider when sizing up the prospects of either side but ultimately it will all boil down to pressure. Both teams will be aiming to handle what is thrown at them with composure and turn the screws on the opposition through accuracy of execution, so it should be a game marked by its intensity.
The bulk of the England team have not played much since early May, which contrasts with the fact that most of the Springboks played in a taxing Super Rugby derby last weekend, but it is hard to say whether the relative fatigue and freshness of the sides will play a decisive role as a counter-argument could be made in terms of the match-fitness of each team.
Both sides will be desperate to assert dominance in the first match of the series so it will be a tough grind characterised by crunching collisions.
England have the advantage of already having found their feet under their new coach but their cohesion is set to be tested against a Bok side hungry to make an impression in front of their home crowd which is why it is easy to see this one going either way.
Players to watch:
For South Africa: The return of Frans Steyn to the Springbok midfield is the highlight in what is a very settled backline, and he should provide the kind of physicality required to make an impact at Test level. There are three players in the forward pack, and while the young and enthusiastic Eben Etzebeth and Marcell Coetzee will have a license to tear into England Juandre Kruger will have to show some serious composure as line-out co-ordinator. The destructive Bismarck du Plessis is the new vice-captain of the side and he will want to set the tone with a typically physical display in front of his home crowd.
For England: England have named fullback Ben Foden on the wing in an attempt to deal with the expected high-ball assault from the home side, and his partnership with fellow outside backs Chris Ashton and Mike Brown will be vital to their hopes. South African-born lock Mouritz Botha will be intent on providing a hard edge in the tight exchanges whilst his Saracens teammate Owen Farrell will also be under scrutiny at flyhalf.
Head to head: Frans Steyn's battle with his former Sharks teammate Brad Barritt at inside centre will be brutal as both players are renowned as fierce tacklers but perhaps even more interesting is the duel between Bok captain Jean de Villiers and the explosive Manu Tuilagi outside them. The impressive Joe Marler makes his debut at loosehead prop for England, and he will be keen to put the pressure on Jannie du Plessis at scrum-time whilst at the back of the pack the contest between big Ben Morgan and a somewhat under-fire Pierre Spies will be just as telling.
Recent results:
2010: South Africa won 21-11 in London
2008: South Africa won 42-6 in London
2007: South Africa won 15-6 in Paris
2007: South Africa won 36-0 in Paris
2007: South Africa won 55-22 in Pretoria
2007: South Africa won 58-10 in Bloemfontein
2006: South Africa won 25-14 in London
2006: England won 23-21 in London
2004: England won 32-16 in London
2003: England won 25-6 in Perth
Prediction: The sense of anticipation around this match has been huge, and if it delivers on what it promises then we should be in for a traditional battle of attrition for 80 minutes. Both sides have the ability to take the game away from the opposition but this one will be a hard slog right until the end, and home advantage could prove decisive so we are backing South Africa to win by about five points.
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandré Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis (vice-captain), 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Coenie Oosthuizen, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Patrick Lambie, 22 Wynand Olivier.
England: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Ben Foden, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Chris Robshaw (captain), 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Paul Doran-Jones, 18 Tom Palmer, 19 Phil Dowson, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Jonathan Joseph.
Date: Saturday, June 9
Venue: Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 17.05 (15.00 GMT)
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Predicted weather: 60% chance of rain, wind 10-20 km/h, high of 17 low of 12
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
TMO: Iain Ramage (Scotland)
By Michael de Vries