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Can Jake take the Boks all the way?
Home stadium: Various - Ellis Park ( 62,000) in Johannesburg was the stadium in which South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, so can be best described as the Boks' hunting ground.
Nickname: Springboks
Number of rugby players: 464,477
Website: www.sarugby.net
National champions: Blue Bulls and the Free State Cheetahs (Shared the Currie Cup)
Strengths: The Springboks are world renowned for their monster forwards who can bully teams around the pitch - especially in the line-outs and the scrum. They are currently blessed with two of the world's best line-out jumpers in the form of Bakkies Botha and Victor Matfield. The men in green and gold pride themselves on being a physical side and have a solid defensive unit that often keeps attacking runners at bay with their 'rush defence'.
Weaknesses: If South Africa were asked what they wanted for Christmas, it would be an all-round fly-half! It is an area that the national team and the provinces lack, and need to fix quickly. This of course leads to no creativity in their backline that leaves them annoyingly predictable for their die-hard fans. Unless an intercept try gets handed to the likes of Jean de Villiers, expect the Boks to use their forwards to do all the dirty work.
Ill-discipline also seems to be an ongoing problem for the Boks and they appear to see more yellow cards than they do tries being scored.
History: 1995 - Winners, 1999 - semi-finals, 2003 - quarter-finals
Prediction: Tough call this. South Africa certainly have what it takes to go all the way and appear to be the only team to challenge the mighty All Blacks for the Webb Ellis trophy. Expect the Springboks to make the final, but lose out on the prized silverware by the narrowest of margins.
Coach: Former high school teacher Jake White has been in charge of the Bok set-up since 2003 and has taken the side from zero to hero since then. White was named the IRB Coach of the Year in 2004 for his efforts in taking South Africa to Tri-Nations glory in the same year. His previous involvement in a World Cup was as video analyst for the 1995 World Cup winning Springboks.
Key Player: There are a number of Boks that have a heavy influence on the outcome of a match. They have all the forward resources to get them through, but it will be the backline that needs to shine. The young backs will be looking at veteran full-back Percy Montgomery's wealth of experience to guide them along. The highest point-scorer in South African rugby will need to be on top of his kicking game with that golden left boot.
Captain: Hooker John Smit has proven to be the heartbeat of the Springbok team, and keeps his troops pumped at all times. And just like in the human body, if the heart stops beating the team falls apart. Smit is a natural-born leader and balances his play and captaincy role tremendously well. The 29-year-old Smit has a record 65 Test caps as hooker and a record 42 as Bok captain.
Rising star: Though a bit too erratic for his own good, South Africa's young gun Francois Steyn has come along in leaps and bounds in the short space of time spent with the national team. Steyn has already played at fly-half, full-back and wing for South Africa and has made an impact at every position he has played - scoring a try on debut. His enormous boot has seen him kick drop-goals from 50 meters out against England and win a match against Australia thanks to another piece of magic from the touchline. And he's only 20-years old!
Team Nemesis: The rivalry between the All Blacks and the Boks has always been one that legends are made from. South Africa shattered New Zealand's 1995 World Cup dream thanks to a famous Joel Stransky drop-goal at Ellis Park. The All Blacks took revenge in 2003, when they sent the Boks packing in the quarter-finals. The mutual respect they have for each other as a rugby nation takes this love-hate relationship to the extreme.
Likely headlines: 'Green machine sees more yellow', 'All Blacks blame food poisoning for loss against Boks'
Price of a pint: E1.50
Rugby player/sheep ratio: 1:87
