In search of the whole four minutes

At the end of another rugby year there is much to be pleased about, but the question remains: "Just how good are the Springboks?"

Jake White's summation of the Boks' defeat against the All Blacks in Dunedin - "we were just four minutes away from being the No1 side in the world" - became something of a catchphrase for the 2005 season but that loss plus the one against France raises lingering doubts about the true status of South African rugby.

The coach's optimism is understandable and justifiable but the fact remains that the Boks did NOT beat the All Blacks away, and they have not done so for seven years now, while in their other away test against one of the Top Five nations they were outplayed by the French.

In addition their outings against both Argentina and Wales were not entirely convincing so the report card should read that "John Smit and his class have had a most satisfactory year but there is still much room for improvement."

The improvement required is finding a way to beat the top-flight sides in their own backyards but that said, and before I get accused of being unduly harsh, it has to be acknowledged that the Springboks were the only side to beat the All Blacks in what for them was a halcyon year.

That victory, at Newlands, over a side who beat the Lions, won the Tri-Nations and achieved the Grand Slam, showed what the Boks are capable of and perhaps one of the most pleasing aspects of the season was the manner in which the men in green-and-gold regained the esteem of all New Zealanders.

In recent years the Wallabies have usurped the Springboks as the All Blacks' most respected rivals but by the time they met at Carisbrook the Boks were once again seen as the team to be feared.

They also got the monkey off their backs with a win over Australia in Perth but for me they were a little further from being No1 than White's four minutes.

Granted, injuries to key players, such as losing both first-choice scrumhalves, both leading flyhalves and his best No8, made things difficult for White but there were still a number of concerns which will have to be addressed in 2006; a season which, as we will constantly be reminded, will be a dress rehearsal for the following year's Rugby World Cup in France.

For me these are that while we sing the praises of our forwards we never dominate one of the big nations (not even Australia!) while our back play, relying on rush defence and strong counter-attacks, continues to be sterile.

Thus, as we take on the last incline before the next World Cup, these are some of the things I will be looking forward to in the New Year.

* That the revelations of administrative shenanigans and demands for disciplinary action that are likely to burst into the open as we head for 2006 will result in rugby's governance being put on a streamlined, sound, honest and productive footing with officials who put the game ahead of self-interest.

* That rugby somehow manages to free itself from the shackles of government interference with politicians coming to the realisation that transformation is a social phenomenon and not a sporting selectorial one.

* That Percy Montgomery re-discovers his form, especially when it comes to goal-kicking, and that White starts to identify a back-up fullback.

* That Os du Randt finds the magic lubrication to keep that old diesel engine running for another 18 months.

* That André Pretorius finds a potion to stay injury free for the same period.

* That White addresses what to many is an obvious defect on the tighthead side of his scrum; either by applying his renowned man management skills to get the best out of Richard Bands or by introducing the Free State youngster Jannie du Plessis.

* That we start to do something more positive with possession won by what is meant to be "the best lineout in the world."

* That we start to see a set of loose forwards who can be as constructive as they are destructive.

* That our outstanding under 19s and under 21s continue to develop and improve as they enter the senior ranks and that black players of genuine test match quality start to come to the fore.

* That our young coaches and their players somehow find a way to overcome the Super 14 and extended Tri-Nations burdens to which they have been condemned by inept administrators who were "taken to the cleaners" by the Australians.

* That by the end of the year we will be celebrating the fact that the Boks found a way to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand and England in England.

* That the cyberspace of the SuperSport Zone is filled, and the cameras of SuperSport remain focused, on the great deeds of excellent players rather than the smutty activities of administrators.

And now it's downtime for us oafs of the oval ball. Judging by the fact that the Australian commentators started to patronise our cricket team on the first morning of the first test in Perth it's going to be a long hard summer but wherever you are and wherever you go my best wishes for a peaceful and happy time.