My Dream Team

André Joubert or Percy Montgomery? I’d hardly been asked the question, hardly said ‘Okay, let’s go,’ and I was already in a quandary.

The question? “Name your Dream Team over the 13 years of the Springbok Saga?”

It’s not really the kind of pub moment I relish, for the simple fact that there are just so many outstanding players you have to leave out, men who during their time in the green-and-gold jersey were the best in the world, that I hate it.

So first there was the sip of beer, pursed lips and inevitable “Tough one.”

Then the hum and the hah and the attempt to set some parameters; such as pointing out that Naas Botha and Danie Gerber, even though they played in the post-isolation years were excluded from the 13-year time span of the Springbok Saga.

But Rob Flemming, sponsorship manager of SAB, was not about to side-tracked, and it did lead to animated discussion as we discussed the final episode of the Saga in the near-vicinity of six of the captains who had been part of it – Francois Pienaar, Gary Teichmann, Joost van der Westhuizen, Andre Vos, Bob Skinstad and John Smit.

So this is what I came up with – ironically starting with No15, as we all do, even though the IRB has been imploring us since the World Cup in 2003 to start numbering teams from No1.

So let’s start at the back! Who of André Joubert or Percy Montgomery to play fullback in the Dream Team?

The Rolls Royce was a marvelous player; poised and brave in defence and the best hitter of the line of his or any era but the Field Marshall is not Springbok rugby’s first (and only) centurion for nothing.

In the end Montgomery’s goal-kicking swung it for me. His contribution to the Cup win in France was inestimable so that’s how my list started: “No 15 – Monty.”

Right-wing, interestingly, did not produce a long string of names. James Small, Stefan Terblanche, Breyton Paulse, JP Pietersen? I went with Small.

Next come the centres. So many to choose from. The ’95 World Cup pair of Hennie le Roux and Japie Mulder or the ’07 duo of Francois Steyn and Jaque Fourie? Where to place Jean de Villiers, Marius Joubert, Andre Snyman, Robbie Fleck? Influenced by the freshest memories I decided on Fourie and Steyn – the former for his impenetrable defence and instinct for scoring; the latter because he has the X Factor and the ability to kick those looonng and, for the opposition, devastating goals.

Next there’s 11 and there’s only 1 – Bryan Habana; try-scorer supreme although I did feel a pang of regret for leaving out Chester Williams.

Halfbacks? Joel Stranksy and Joost van der Westhuizen? Butch James and Fourie du Preez? What of Henry Honiball, Jannie de Beer…? How to separate Joost and Fourie?

For me Van der Westhuizen was the ultimate warrior who, apart from his ability to score tries brought a hard edge to the defence of the teams he played in, and what better than to pair him with the “Lem?”, a Bok who literally struck fear into the hearts of South Africa’s opponents.

6, 7 and 8? Possibly the hardest of all given South Africa’s endless supply of top-class loose forwards and the great players who have occupied these positions.

Ironically, of course, both World Cups were won with locks in the No8 jersey, Mark Andrews and Danie Rossouw, but for the Dream Team I’d prefer a specialist. Gary Teichmann, André Vos, Bob Skinstad, Joe van Niekerk, Jacques Cronje, Rassie Erasmus. For me it’s a chance to right one of the great wrongs in the Saga so I’m going with Teichmann.

Few countries have produced as many superb flankers as South Africa. Francois Pienaar, Ruben Kruger, Andre Venter, Rassie Erasmus, Andrew Aitken, Warren Brosnihan, Corné Krige, Juan Smith and Schalk Burger but to my mind the most well-matched and devastating pair were the last two, Smith and Burger.

Lock is equally problematic because three does not go into two. Victor Matfield reigns supreme as arguably the greatest ball-winning lock ever, so he’s No5, but with whom to partner him – Mark Andrews or Bakkies Botha?

Andrews was undoubtedly one of the finest tight forwards of his or any generation – hard, uncompromising, mobile and wonderfully skilful – but in the end I felt Matfield would prefer the man with whom he formed twin Eiffel Towers in Paris last year; No4 goes to Bakkies Botha the Martin Johnson of his era.

One of the most amazing things about the 13 years between World Cups is that the Springboks did not ever possess a “killer” tighthead prop – a destroyer in the No3 jersey. Balie Swart and CJ van der Linde were moved from the loosehead for World Cup Finals while the like of BJ Botha, Cobus Visagie, Faan Rautenbach, Richard Bands and Jannie du Plessis did yeoman service.

Visagie was probably the best out-and-out scrummager while Van der Linde was the better all-rounder in terms of hitting mauls, carrying the ball and putting in tackles; making him a better bet in the kind of pack I have assembled and especially in view of the last selection in this list!

There were just so many outstanding hookers – Chris Rossouw, James Dalton, John Allan, John Smit, Gary Botha and Bismarck du Plessis – but John Smit, in terms of experience and leadership stands supreme.

And that leaves 1, and there’s only one – Os du Randt.

So here it is my Dream Team of the years which spanned one World Cup victory in 1995 and the next in 2007.

15 Percy Montgomery, 14 James Small, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Francois Steyn, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Henry Honiball, 9 Joost van der Westhuizen, 8 Gary Teichmann, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit, 1 Os du Randt.