Straeuli eager to unleash new Springboks

There is a fresh look to the South Africans – unknown and curiously exciting

Springbok fans love their lager – the team is even sponsored by their favourite brand – but it's the laager mentality of their famously contradictory administrators which is widely blamed for the slide from 1995 world champions to whipping boys of the southern hemisphere's Big Three. Throw in reported problems such as the quota system, an exodus of talent, provincialism, and in the eyes of many next year's World Cup looks all bleak, if not All Black.

Yet indications are that coach Rudolf Straeuli has dragged the wagons into the 21st century, carefully avoiding many of the landmines left by his predecessor, Harry Viljoen. The promise he made to The Independent on Sunday was that over the next few weeks the northern hemisphere will see the New South Africa, a decade after politicians first coined the phrase.

An assignment in Marseilles with Six Nations champions France next weekend is followed by a Murrayfield date with Scotland, and on 23 November those wagons will try to shake Fortress Twickenham to its very foundations. A member of the 1995 World Cup-winning Bok squad and subsequently a popular figure at Bedford, the former No 8 is not verbally expansive by nature, but the words carry maximum effect.

Mindful that South Africa have not beaten England in their last three meetings – last autumn 20 points separated the sides – and that they also lost to France, Straeuli has a clear vision for the Springboks. "France will be an incredibly tough start, but it is the kind of examination this young team need as we assess our improvement over the past six months. England, naturally, take on extra significance because our World Cup pool game against them in Perth next year is the most important Test of our 2003 year. I don't think comparisons can be made about playing them at Twickenham and in Perth. It will be two completely different occasions and England at a neutral venue are a different prospect to England at home," he said.

The young bucks in the Bok squad he refers to include a five-foot-something fly-half in Andre Pretorius, a ball-playing full-back in Werner Greeff, a quick, rampaging centre in Marius Joubert, plus grizzled forwards, led by Corne Krige and of whom Joe van Niekerk is raising the bar. So what are their strengths? "The unpredictability of this side is one. They are young, not that well known and they love scoring tries. They scored nine in two Tests against Australia. Not many sides have done that. Our approach at Twickenham will be similar to that which we showed in the Tri-Nations. We want to play attacking and effective rugby."

Attacking and effective. A subtle difference to the tenure of Viljoen, who instructed his players only two seasons ago to play a Test in Argentina without once putting boot to ball. However, Straeuli is confident his team, bottom of the Tri-Nations heap again this year, have embraced his vision.

"Our ambition is simple: we want to become the best team in the world again and we want consistently to beat the top three or four. We are only fourth now and have hovered around four and five for the past three years. This tour represents three tough Tests away from home and it will be a good measure of how much this squad has to offer."

Despite losing the giant long-serving Mark Andrews in the second row to retirement – "I applaud Mark for making the call, I have always believed in the saying that great players go a year too early rather than a year too late" – and others like Braam van Straaten, Percy Montgomery and Andre Vos to British club rugby, Straeuli feels the South African game is on an upward curve. "I think anybody who has followed us this year will have seen a different attitude in our playing style and our approach. We have some wonderful footballers."

One of those, Brent Russell, was last seen scoring a spectacular try as the Springboks showed their new-found style and character in beating Australia at Ellis Park in August. In a country where the rand has plummeted, Straeuli has offered the players a financial incentive to stay at home and perform. In an attacking and effective manner, of course.

"We pay them differently. An emphasis is now on match fees and performance. The retainer was the dominant aspect of the annual package, now we want to encourage excellence and not promote mediocrity. We will reward our players very well, but we need them to get the results," says Straeuli.

So, while the brain and brawn drain has seen other young South Africans chase the pound, Straeuli has given this group the chance to earn good money at home. But they must produce away, starting with France. Pass the Castle.