Boks' captain causes stir with new book

Watching Richie McCaw and his All Blacks looking like rabbits in the headlights against France inspired John Smit to save South Africa's World Cup campaign and lead the Springboks to glory.

Smit makes the revelations in his just-released biography Captain in the Cauldron.

Having watched the All Blacks get dumped out of the 2007 tournament by France in Cardiff, Smit found his Boks similarly struggling against a rampant Fijian side in their quarterfinal a day later in Marseille.

After the Fijians scored another try to take the lead with 20 minutes left, Smit rallied his troops behind the goalposts and told them to remember what they had witnessed from the clueless All Blacks.

"Not a word from anybody. Listen to me," he demanded of his flagging players.

"We have to understand what we are faced with here. South Africa have never lost to Fiji. We are the Springboks, we believe we should win the World Cup but we have got ourselves into a grave situation where there are two options.

"We can continue regarding Fiji as a threat and go into the last quarter with fear, or we can regard the glass as being half full and that means we have 20 minutes to play the game we planned to play instead of this loose rubbish that has given them their attacking opportunities.

"Guys, we watched the other quarterfinals. We saw the All Blacks getting knocked out – we saw them with eyes like saucers, rabbits in headlights, not knowing what had happened. They were forced into situations, panicked and didn't play to their strengths.

"Remember those close-up TV shots of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter looking like they had just seen a massacre? I'm seeing the same look on your faces. Your four-year dream is about to be obliterated unless something dramatic changes immediately.

"The difference between us and the All Blacks right now is that when their World Cup lives passed before their eyes, they didn't have it in them to stop the horror show. They are going home now. They can't fix it. But we still have time. We can still fix it, and we damn well will!

"This is the plan. We are going to kick deep. Bryan, you will chase and catch the receiver. Our forwards will arrive and put pressure on them until we turn the ball over. We will be awarded a scrum near their line and we will score from that. All right?!"

Smit's plan worked to perfection with Butch James scoring a try that got them back into the game and an eventual World Cup win.

Smit has other memories of Carter in his book. He tells a tale in the aftermath to South Africa's last-gasp 21-20 Tri Nations win over the All Blacks in Rustenburg in 2006.

It was a win that ended a three-match losing streak to New Zealand.

The Boks and All Blacks were both staying at the Sun City hotel although at opposite sides of the resort. When they got back to the resort after the match they met at a bar for a drink.

"There was a distinct whiff of cordite in the air," remembers Smit.

"Butch James made a comment – nobody can recall what it was – to All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen, which caused some drama and we decided it was best to move on to the casino."

As Smit walked the path down from the bar to the casino in the main hotel, he says he found an All Black in the bushes – it was Carter "the worse for wear".

"Dan, can I help you?" asked Smit. "Thanks Smitty, that would be nice," said Carter who was duly delivered to the casino.

With regards to post-match drinking, Smit is strongly critical of the British & Irish Lions who he said refused invitations from the Boks for dressing room beers after their tests this year.

"They said, `Thanks, but no. They didn't want to do that. It was quite disappointing and it didn't help how the games were played.

"There was an unnecessary amount of niggle, chirping, pulling and pushing, and it overtook what should have been an amazing contest between the Lions and Springboks."

Smit's book is a warts 'n' all account of handling one of the most difficult assignments in world rugby. That is borne out by Luke Watson's controversial inclusion in the Boks. Smit claims Watson had a cancerous effect on members of the team as they struggled through last year's Tri Nations.

"He never tried to become a part of us. I think he really wanted to play for South Africa but couldn't stand the environment and the truth is he irritated the living shit out of the guys. I had players in my ear about him every flipping day. He was referred to as the cancer of the team."

- © Fairfax NZ News