Springboks have a point to prove after recent setbacks

South Africa v Uruguay: South Africa, with everything to prove, and rank outsiders Uruguay, with nothing to lose, should offer some early fireworks in the opening game of the World Cup's Pool C today. The Springboks, who have only lost one game in the two previous World Cups they have competed in, have arrived for the 2003 edition in turmoil.

The last 12 months have seen record defeats by France, Scotland, England and New Zealand, another last place in the Tri-nations and endless selection shuffles by coach Rudolf Straeuli who has tried out almost 70 players. Off the pitch the team has been swamped by controversy, with accusations of racism, cover-ups and foul play dogging their every move.

It is no wonder scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen, the only survivor from the 1995 World Cup success that briefly papered over the racial divisions in the sport, said this week the squad was itching to start.

"All this brings us much closer together," said van der Westhuizen, who will return to his 1999 role as captain in the absence of hamstring victim Corne Krige. "There has been enough talking. We just want to get on with it now and play rugby."

World Cup officials, who have warned they will come down hard on foul play, will be keeping a particularly close eye on a Springbok team labelled "brutal" by England coach Clive Woodward last year.

Lock Bakkies Botha returns to the line-up after an eight-week ban for "attacking the eyes" while centre De Wet Barry has promised there will be no let-up in the aggressive attitude. Barry's centre partnership with debutant Jaque Fourie - the umpteenth midfield combination Straeuli has tried - is one area where South Africa will be looking for improvement and another is at full back, where Werner Greeff returns for his first international of the year. Straeuli has also handed a debut to flanker Danie Rossouw.

The Uruguayan side contains only six professional players and though they cannot live with the Springboks in terms of fitness or technique they will certainly match their opponents when it comes to aggression, particularly up front.

Coach Diego Ormaechea, who played against South Africa as a 40-year-old in the 1999 clash in Glasgow, has admitted the Springboks and England are "in a different galaxy". Ormaechea has had to leave out one of his best players, full back and leading goalkicker Juan Menchaca, who is on the bench after missing the first week of preparations because of problems getting time off work.

SOUTH AFRICA: W Greeff; A Willemse, J Fourie, D Wet Barry, T Delport; L Koen, J van der Westhuizen (capt); L Sephaka, D Coetzee, R Bands, B Botha, V Matfield, J van Niekerk, D Rossouw, J Smith. Replacements: J Smit, F Rautenbach, S Boome, H Scholtz, N de Kock, D Hougaard, R Loubscher.

Uruguay: J Pastore; A Cardoso, D Aguirre (capt), M Mendaro, E Ibarra; S Aguirre, E Caffera; R Sanchez, D Lamelas, P Lemoine, J Alzueta, JC Bado, N Brignoni, M Gutierrez, M Gutierrez.Replacements: J Andres Perez, E Berruti, G Storace, N Grille, H Ponte, B Amarillo, J Menchaca.

Referee: P O'Brien (New Zealand)