The Springboks have spent the week, in public at least, trying to exorcise the ghosts of Albany, but behind the scenes, their attention has turned to the challenge the Wallabies pose in their Rugby Championship clash this weekend. Both the Boks and Wallabies have been humbled by the All Blacks this season and so the two sides have to be content with playing for second place. SA has a mathematical chance of winning the title, but coach Allister Coetzee rather oddly conceded that the title was out of reach. Australia, by contrast, has no hope of winning the championship, but a Bok scalp would do nicely. The Boks are also desperate to show that the 57-0 hammering in Albany – the worst defeat in the 126-year history of Springbok rugby – was a once-off abject performance. Except that there have been several of those in the past 15 months, notably against the All Blacks, but also against Italy and Wales.
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