Friday, 1st June 2007 at 10:41 pm

Boks ready for Saturday night

The question this week is not if South Africa will win, but by how much; the margin of victory against a makeshift England team will determine the level of celebration in Pretoria on Saturday night. Pretoria has seen celebration on an industrial level recently, the last three weeks of the Super 14 a blurred crescendo of jubilation, and a Bok win probably won’t spark quite the same hysteria as the Bulls’ title.

But with rugby fever riding high in the home of the Super 14 champions, and a healthy spread of local heroes swapping blue for green this weekend, it should be another good night for brandy sales - and this week’s training seems to suggest the Boks are preparing to toast a big series win. Cue this photo of Derick Hougaard, working assiduously on his footwork, Saturday night at Drop Zone clearly in mind…

Hougaard won’t be part of the England clash, much as the Loftus crowd would relish launching into endless choruses of ‘Leifling’, but he’ll join his team-mates post-match for what should be an evening to reflect on another big win. Psychological points ahead of the World Cup are a moot point, the England-South Africa game in Paris certain to offer the Boks with far different opposition. But two wins over England to start the international season? Hougaard and co. will have every right to dance Saturday night away.