South Africa v New Zealand:New Springbok captain Victor Matfield lashed out yesterday at suggestions tighthead BJ Botha scrums illegally.
Australia and New Zealand, South Africa's opponents in the Tri-Nations tournament, have accused Botha of scrumming at an inward angle, which is against the laws of the game.
"It's easy for other teams to say tightheads are scrumming inward when their looseheads are walking around," Matfield told a media conference on the eve of his team's match against the All Blacks in Durban.
"I don't know whether (New Zealand loosehead Tony) Woodcock is walking around because he has been penalised quite a few times in the Super 14. It's a fine line, and let's hope the referee can pick up who is at fault."
Lock Matfield, a stalwart of 57 caps, took over the captaincy after regular skipper John Smit was ruled out of the match with a hamstring injury.
"It's always tough captaining your country, but luckily I've worked closely with John and our structures have been in place for the last four years," Matfield said.
Loosehead Gurthro Steenkamp, flanker Juan Smith and number eight Pierre Spies are also missing from the team that beat Australia 22-19 in the tournament opener in Cape Town last Saturday.
But Matfield has confidence in replacements Gary Botha, who comes in for Smit at hooker, and loosehead Os du Randt, flanker Danie Rossouw and number eight Bob Skinstad.
"It's difficult when there are injuries, especially when guys pull out late like Juan and Pierre did," Matfield said. "But, particularly in a World Cup year, it's important to have a strong squad and I'm sure the guys coming in will come to the party and deliver."
New Zealand captain Richie McCaw said Skinstad's inclusion could boost the South Africans. "He (Skinstad) is a smart player, and he's got the ability not only to be a good ball carrier but also to allow the people around him to run into gaps," McCaw told a media conference.
The South Africans' enforced absences make New Zealand favourites. The leadership has been passed to Matfield, who has the undoubted respect of his men behind him.
But there is less confidence about Smit's replacement, Gary Botha, who struggled to fill the captain's boots in the scrums against Australia and is likely to find the going tougher against the formidable New Zealand front row.
World Cup favourites New Zealand, meanwhile, have enjoyed a low-key spell of recovery and preparation after arriving in Durban on Monday.
"We prefer to get done the things we can control. Travel is one, the less the better," assistant coach Wayne Smith told a news conference yesterday.
