South Africa - The Springboks

Team Preview

Coach:
Jake White

Previous World Cups:
1995, 1999, 2003

Best Performance:
Champion 1995

Played:
17 - 14 wins, 3 losses

World Ranking:
No.4

Fixtures:
v Samoa, Paris, September 9
v England, Saint-Denis, September 14
v Tonga, Lens, September 22
v USA, Montpellier, September 30
Squad:

Facts:
1. South Africa won the tournament at the first attempt in 1995 after being banned from the sport because of apartheid for the first two competitions.
2. The Springboks won the annual Under-21 World Cup in 2002.
3. Coach Jake White was IRB Coach of the Year in 2004.
4. Their record victory came in June 2005 with a 134-5 defeat of Uruguay.
5. Former halfback Joost van der Westhuizen is his country's most prolific try-scorer with 38.

Key Players:

BRYAN HABANA
At 24, Bryan Habana has already established himself as the top winger in world rugby. Since his debut against England in 2004, he has gone on to play nearly 30 Tests for the Springboks and notched more than 20 tries in the process. His pace and flair are second to none and in that first game at Twickenham he scored a try with his first touch of the ball.

A year later, the flying winger's try-scoring exploits saw him named on a five-man short-list for 2005 IRB World Player of the Year. He subsequently missed out on the award but was named SA player of the year.

But one of the highlights of Habana's short career so far has to be the Super 14 climax this year when his last-minute try in the final enabled the Bulls to secure a dramatic 20-19 victory over the Sharks - the first time a South African team had won the competition.

FOURIE DU PREEZ
One of Habana's accomplices in that match was Fourie Du Preez, an unpredictable yet effective halfback who has a great boot along with a sharp pass and has developed into one of South Africa's major game-breakers.

The 25-year-old made his breakthrough into the Springbok squad on the back of an outstanding 2003 Currie Cup season for the Bulls and carried that through to the Super 12 in 2004, before he was summoned to the squad for the home series against Ireland.

Like Habana did in 2005, Du Preez narrowly missed out on being named the IRB's top 2006 player and was later named SA player of the year.

JEAN DE VILLIERS
The other vital cog to the Springbok backline will be Jean De Villiers, 26, who made his mark with his silky running and intelligent distribution skills.

He is a physically imposing figure in the midfield and is also a more than useful winger, a position he has occupied on a number of occasions.

De Villiers made his mark with the South African Sevens team in the 2001 and 2002 seasons and was also an important member of the team that won the Under-21 World Cup, where he finished as top try-scorer when playing as a winger.

His senior debut soon beckoned against France in November, 2002, but ended in heartbreak as he suffered a major knee injury a mere five minutes into the game.

After missing out on 2003 World Cup selection, he was back a year later to help the Springboks claim Tri-Nations success.

SCHALK BURGER
One player who needs no introduction is 2004 IRB player of the year Schalk Burger, whose father Schalk senior also played Test rugby for South Africa.

The flanker with a shock of blond hair only took a few matches for his talent to be recognised and he was given his big chance when named in the Boks World Cup squad in 2003, where he made his debut against Georgia.

Since then he hasn't looked back and a sensational 2004 saw him named the best player in the world. The 24-year-old has also become a regular starter in the green and gold, with his powerful surges in attack and big hits in defence making him still one of the most feared players around.

However, his streetwise attitude and ability to put his body on the line, which is a massive strength, has in the past been a weakness as he often conceded penalties and found himself on the receiving end of unnecessary yellow cards.

Burger has though learned to be more disciplined and he is sure to be a massive asset for the Springboks as they look to regain the Webb Ellis Trophy.

VICTOR MATFIELD
Another crucial cog in the Boks' engine room is a man who is known and respected for his hard work and athleticism - lock Victor Matfield.

His impressive speed and mobility is matched by his peerless ball-winning in the lineout and together with Bakkies Botha they have formed one of the best second-row combinations in world rugby.

His progress to the national team was a slightly delayed one and his first opportunity only arrived when he was 24 - against Italy in 2001. Before that he worked tirelessly in the Currie Cup with both the Bulls and Griquas after which his efforts were finally rewarded.

Matfield was also named as one of the IRB's five players of the year in 2005 and has also gone on to captain the Bulls and more recently, led his country in the absence of regular skipper John Smit.

Now 30, he will be aiming to go out on top with one final hurrah at the 2007 showpiece in France.