Monday, 9th July 2007 at 11:46 am

Springboks arrive incognito

Following the great start, poor finish Test in Sydney, the Springboks are in Christchurch, new Zealand for their final game of the Tri-Nations. And having been afforded a break by team management after a sterling effort against the Wallabies, the team duly took to the streets for a quiet day out of the limelight; and as Gary Botha and Derick Hougaard so ably demonstrate here, the players are doing their best to keep a low profile, and get around Christchurch without being recognised as touring Springboks…

…but perhaps there’s good reason for staying firmly in uniform on your off-day. Being written off as the ‘B’ squad might have got to the tour squad, and encouraged them to take every possible opportunity to display their national colours. Perhaps an acquired inferiority complex (thanks to the Australian media) has them desperate to make the statement that they are indeed Springboks. Or maybe they’re just taking every opportunity possible to appear in South African kit, well aware that 20 first choice players are already on the plane out to France for the World Cup. Makes sense of a sort, I suppose.