Springboks are impressive in practice session

The Springboks afforded anyone interested in their training methods a last chance to see them on display before the first Test with their final `open' session yesterday prior to Saturday's game in Bloemfontein.

Such is the way of international rugby, what with the covert spying techniques of rival camps, that both of Saturday's protagonists will have closed sessions over the next two days.

This prompted an early morning dash of 120 kilometres from Kimberley across seemingly endless flat and parched land.

Training in a bowl-shaped stadium called Shimla Park in Free State University (where Ireland trained during the 1995 World Cup), the World champions looked the part. Over the course of a surprisingly lengthy but thorough and well-structured session, the air reeked with professionalism.

The Springboks have been together since Tuesday of last week, save for a break over the weekend. The emphasis for much of the first hour was on support play and continuity, through the medium of six-man drills working in tightly confined areas.

Assistant coach Alan Solomons barked the orders with coach Nick Mallett occasionally booming out critical or congratulatory words.

At first there were enough dropped balls to make you wonder if you were in the right place, but gradually they found a groove similar to the Wallabies endless waves of support play from a variety of lines and angles. Admittedly it was against ghost opposition, but then again so were the Wallabies by that stage.

After a punishing, energy-sapping drill whereby each player hit three tackles bags one after the other three teams over, Mallett switched the format to pitch-size drills in which the emphasis was clearly on setting up quick phases so as to do maximum damage off third and fourth phase.

With Mallett's domineering voice echoing around the bowl-shaped ground, handling errors diminished as he repeatedly went over receiving restarts and then a few attacking moves off set-piece ball.

Afterwards, Mallett relayed that he had nothing to say about the selection of the Irish team, so Solomons (coach of Western Province) spoke to the assembled media. Helped by the evidence of last Saturday, Solomons noted that the only changes from the team beaten 12-6 by Western Province saw the return of Eric Elwood at out-half and Keith Wood at hooker, with Dion O'Cuinneagain moving to blind side flanker so as to accommodate the return of Victor Costello.

The Springboks tend to study the opposition more than most, and Solomons showed a genuine understanding of Irish rugby when observing: "People have got to understand that rugby is not the national sport of Ireland. Gaelic football is, and hurling, and stuff like that so while they may have 22 quality internationals, but they are not going to have 50, and I think that's what's coming through in the midweek games."

"People must not underestimate them because their main side is not a bad side whereas I've been overseas coaching and I've seen a few of their B internationals and the B side is not a great side."

Regarding the changes, Solomons began with Elwood. "He's a good player and obviously means a lot to them. He's much bigger and stronger than David Humphreys. He's got a very, very good boot so I think he'll make a big difference and obviously Costello is going to give them a bit of muscle there at number eight. And Wood makes a huge difference to any Irish side. He makes a difference to their psyche. He's a very, very good player; a top flight international hooker. They're a well organised side. They're not a frilly fancy team."

As a former coach of O'Cuinneagain, Solomons was particularly delighted for his ex-player. "He's a fantastic person and I tell you what he'll play a blinder. I will phone him to congratulate him. He'll be as competitive as hell and I'll want the Springboks to win but at the end of the day it's about friendship. I promise you he's going to be ready for the Irish, he'll track down the big guys. If our guys get clear he'll track them down."