Johannesburg - The Springboks will leave Johannesburg for Perth on Monday knowing that the return of Dan Carter will make the All Blacks a different proposition on the away leg of the Vodacom Tri-Nations - but the Kiwi pivot is far from their only obstacle.

The Boks remain out in front in the Tri-Nations battle with four of the nine matches in this season’s competition remaining, and even though the All Blacks played themselves strongly back into the race with the Carter inspired 19-18 Bledisloe Cup win over Australia in Sydney, John Smit’s men are still favourites.


Their biggest challenge to the Boks may come from the patience-testing media campaign they are likely to encounter soon after they land in Perth. You can bet your last Australian dollar that quite early in the questions that come from the Australian media at the first press conference will be one relating to the style of rugby that the Boks have been employing.......................


and futher down in the article:

The Bok tactics of grinding their opponents down which proved so successful in the home leg has become a big debating point in the Australian media, and the Aussie commentators covering the Sydney game carried it forward -- making the debatable point that the one-try match was a superior product in terms of entertainment to what had been seen in South Africa.

Wallaby coach Robbie Deans and All Black counterpart Graham Henry were both drawn into playing to the Australasian media gallery before the Sydney match, making comments that suggested criticism of the Bok approach and questioning the role that kicking plays in the modern game.

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