Beware stung Boks - Graham Henry

KIRK HARGREAVES/The Press

WRAPPED UP: All Blacks captain Richie McCaw leaps on his Wallabies counterpart, Rocky Elsom, during the test at AMI Stadium on Saturday night.

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As he supped a few celebratory drinks on Saturday night, Graham Henry may have taken a moment to lock himself into a thousand-yard stare and ponder just what lies in wait in Johannesburg.

Considering his team had just won 20-10 to retain the Bledisloe Cup, the All Blacks coach had good cause to soak up the joy of inflicting his ninth consecutive defeat on the Wallabies, yet he knows the ultimate test will be against the Springboks on their soil and in front of their fans.

All international rugby coaches have egos and what happened in the republic last year, when the All Blacks were flayed in Bloemfontein and Durban, has left a grubby blot on Henry's impressive rugby coaching CV. Now he has an opportunity to twink it out.

Having already inflicted two bonus-point wins on the Springboks in New Zealand in their opening two Tri-Nations matches, this is the final opportunity to rub out the memories of last year's losses when they meet the Springboks at Johannesburg's Soccer City on August 21.

The good news for Henry is that, apart from halfback Jimmy Cowan who is still struggling with his tender ribs, he has a full troop of fit men to select from as he ponders the 26-man squad he wants to take to the republic this weekend.

Not so bright, however, is the All Blacks' record in Jo'burg; they have won just three of their 11 matches since 1928.

In his seven years in charge Henry's All Blacks have only once played in Jo'burg and on that sunny afternoon in 2004, in which Nelson Mandela greeted both sides before kickoff, they were thumped 40-26 in front of 68,000 feverish fans at Ellis Park.

Now the stage is bigger. Soccer City, which is expected to be a sell-out, will attract, depending on temporary seating, in excess of 90,000 fans.

Having already retained the Bledisloe Cup, and probably needing just one more competition point to win back the Tri-Nations title off the Springboks, Henry hinted he is looking forward to seeing how his side copes with such an encounter.

"We want to play well in Johannesburg, it is going to be a big game. South Africa will be the best they can be, they will be playing in a stadium that holds 94,000 people, I think, which is going to be a marvellous occasion. Ninety-four thousand South Africans and us and their team. That is a huge challenge, and something I think the team needs and we will look forward to as long as we do it right between now and then."

Cowan's fitness will be monitored this week and, as a precaution, he will be bracketed alongside Alby Mathewson.

"The vibes we are getting at the moment are that he is more likely than not [to tour]," Henry said.

To spice up the lead-up to this fixture, Springboks coach Peter de Villiers will today learn whether he will be sanctioned by Sanzar following Friday's misconduct hearing. De Villiers has been charged for criticising referees and implying a conspiracy to boost the All Blacks' popularity ahead of the World Cup.

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