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Hansen backs the Boks

Sunday 03rd August 2008

Favourites?: Boks in pole position to win Tri-Nations claims Hansen

All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen has rated South Africa as favourites to lift the Tri-Nations trophy, despite New Zealand currently leading the title race.

New Zealand effected a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes on Saturday, overwhelming Australia 39-10 just a week after having suffered a 19-34 loss to the same opponents.

The result in Auckland put the All Blacks back on top of the Tri-Nations table with 10 points from four matches, one point ahead of the Wallabies and five ahead of the Springboks.

But they face difficult trips to Cape Town and Brisbane, while South Africa, who are sitting third and five points adrift of the top-placed All Blacks, have their remaining three games at home (one against New Zealand and two against Australia).

"You would have to say South Africa (are best-placed to win the trophy) in the fact that they have got three home games," said Hansen.

"But we are in charge of our own destiny. If we can win the remaining games then we have got a big show."

As Australia have proved with a dismal run of 15 consecutive away losses in the Tri-Nations dating back to 2002, winning away from home in the competition is no easy task, although Hansen conceded the Wallabies were not on their own.

"We struggle to win away too in the Tri-Nations as does South Africa," he said.

"You've got the three sides who are consistently in the top four in the world playing each other at home, it's bloody tough and you are going to lose games.

"Australia will come back, they will change things a little bit. We've just got to keep growing but we're happy with where we're heading."

Hansen said Saturday's effort would be among the top two or three performances by the pack in the time he has been associated with the side.

He thought the first Test against the Springboks this year was another top performance as was the 2004 display against France when they won 45-6 in Paris.

"Probably the best thing was because we were under a lot of pressure and there's a group of young people involved in the team and there are a lot of new faces and for those guys to experience that and come through on the other side is, I think, really good for them," he said.

Rodney So'oialo was more comfortable playing at number eight, especially with Richie McCaw getting to break downs first and him getting there second.

"You've got to try things and if you don't try things, you don't learn things," he said.

What may be of concern is after the attention paid to the scrum by referee Mark Lawrence, the All Blacks will be back in the hands of an Australian referee, Stuart Dickinson, in Cape Town.

"He [Lawrence] certainly has a good handle for it, and he does a lot of work on it, I know that and he reffed quite well last night," he said.