Captain Smit cutting it fine
Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:07
Springbok captain John Smit completed a long haul-flight from France to New Zealand on Tuesday, to join his team-mates in a rigorous training session shortly after his arrival.
Smit joined the rest of the Springbok squad in the capital, Wellington, after he played for Clermont in the French club Top 14 final against Toulouse last weekend.
A large media contingent greeted the Bok captain when he finally made his way through the domestic arrivals terminal, having completed the last leg of his exhaustive trip from Paris via London and Sydney to Wellington.
Smit told reporters New Zealand would be an extremely difficult team to beat on home turf despite the absence of their inspirational captain Richie McCaw.
"I can't think ever in my lifetime that the All Blacks have been vulnerable at home, so I wouldn't subscribe to that," he said.
"We came pretty close in the past but never managed to seal it in the end, when we needed to do so. On Saturday you will see two top sides battling it out in a truly great rugby rivalry," Smit added.
Springbok medical staff will be doing their utmost to help Smit overcome any jet-lag concerns after his marathon flight, with the captain having only three days to prepare for the Tri-Nations opener.
The Springboks will announce their Test team on Thursday for this weekend's clash against the All Blacks at Westpac Stadium.
