While the All Blacks take a well earned week off the Japies look to complete their Tri-Nations tour with a honour restoring win.  While NZ fans might think this game is of little interest it will tell us a lot about the resolve of the Boks & the state of the Convicts.

 
Points of interest around the Boks for me are;

• The hunger of the Boks - they have been very quick to load a lot of blame for last week on to the referee but can they turn that frustration in to something positive this week?  That will tell us a lot about the leadership of the team.

• Finally PdV has swallowed his pride & dropped the Stormers reserve halfback.  This is Pienaar's big chance in his preferred position & he needs to grab it.  He should be able to take a lot of pressure off Morne Steyn.  The selection on the bench of Francois Hougaard (a halfback though used on the wing by the Bulls) is also a pointer to the future.

• BJ Botha is the third starting tighthead in 3 games for the Boks illustrating the front row selection confusion that I have previously pointed out.  He is the best scrummager of the three which is a pointer to how the Boks will attack the Wallabies at the set piece.

• Kankowski on the flank is an interesting one.  The Boks will be rushing Juan Smith back in once they return to the Republic.  They probably want Kankowski's pace on the park but I expect the future Springbok captain Dewald Potgieter to get a decent amount of game time.

 
Aussie have had a mixed build up so I will be watching for;
 

• The Aussie front row was embarrassed by the Poms but will be helped by the return of Benn Robinson.  I've lost track of the number of props Aussie have used in the last few years - names such as Cowan, Shepherdson & Kepu.  Its an area they need to sort out & will be under the blow torch this week.  I'm not sure why Moore has not been picked to start either.

• New faces extend to back up on the bench as well with Slipper, Simmons & McCalman.  Robbie Deans pulled a rabbit out of the hat when picking Will Genia last year - he needs to start doing that with the forward resources as well.  He's signalled that by easing out names like George Smith, Phil Waugh & Al Baxter, he's going with new talent for RWC11.

• Genia & Cooper need to take their lethal Super 14 combination up a level to the cauldron of test match rugby.  Will some of the daring risk taking pay off at this level?  The wins by the Reds over the Bulls & Stormers at this very venue showed they can also mastermind grinding out results over top Japie opposition.  

• Will the move of Giteau to number 12 have a positive or negative impact on his game?  I haven't been that impressed his form at number 10 over the past 2 seasons & a move further out may take some pressure off him & allow him to play more naturally.

• Will the Aussie back row stand up physically to the pounding that is going to come at the breakdown from the Boks seeking revenge.  Elsom needs to live up to his big reputation.  I'm surprised Higginbotham couldn't get a place in the 22 given his standout form during the Super 14.  It will be a big test of Pocock's steel as well.

 
 
So can the Boks put the fatigue from the pounding of the last two weeks behind them?  They seem to have a better selection this week & should be hell bent on a win.  Meanwhile the Super Coach - Robbie Deans - has had 2 weeks to analyse the Boks & produce a game plan.  Will the Aussies play it up tempo & try to run the Boks off their feet?
 
Finally the Boks have not won in Brisbane in 7 attempts since 1971. Also their Super 14 teams don't fare well there.  Hopefully for them, this time they haven't decided to stay on the Gold Coast as part of their build up.  I once spent 24 hours (sans sleep) with Sideshow & it is no place to prepare for a rugby test - far too many distractions.
 
The Japies are just going to want this too much so I'll take the Boks by 3 points.