BJ Botha

The Flight & Accommodation

We (the Springboks) had a week’s break following our win over Italy in East London, but that was only a break from the field of play. We still had to keep the engine running in the gym and on the training paddock with the Tri-Nations approaching.

It was great to spend a week in Durban with family and a few friends after being away for the past four weeks. The weather in Durban also didn't disappoint and I doubt we had a day under 25 degrees; this all in winter! Unbelievable!

We left in two groups from Johannesburg and I was in the group that left on Saturday (the other group leaving on Sunday). We had a great flight and what made it even better was that our connection to Auckland was boarding when we landed, so there was no time wasted sitting around. After a long-haul flight like that, all you want to do is get to your destination! Jetlag did take its toll in the first three nights, but I’m accustomed to the time change now (as are most of the players).

A few of the guys lost some of their baggage, which isn’t great when all you want to do is shower and get into a fresh set of clothes. Now the only option is to borrow clothes or hope your bags arrive soon! Thankfully, all my bags arrived, but I couldn't use a lot of my clothes anyway as my shampoo burst in my bag! My first day ended with a large laundry bag of clothes, all requiring washing!

We are staying in Auckland and didn't realize (until we arrived) that the Springboks haven't played in Auckland since 2001(when we went down 26-15).

I don't know the reason for the lengthy absence, but perhaps it has to do with the welcome we received at our first practice on Tuesday morning.

The field was a sea of green jerseys and vuvuzelas greeting us; even to the extent that a Cape band played non-stop whilst we were training! The support was great and we did a fair few signatures afterwards for them. These are obviously South Africans that have immigrated and this is possibly one reason why there’s been such a long wait for a Springbok Test in Auckland, but I don’t know if the immigrant issue carries any weight.

We are staying in town itself and its great to just head down to Starbucks (if the eyes aren’t too tired yet) or go out for a bite to eat on our off day as its all well within walking distance. Some guys even enjoy a walk to the shops!

Preparation & Training

We’ve had two gym sessions and one field session (as of Wednesday) and will have another field session on Thursday and Friday. Practice has been going well and it helped that the sun came out for the duration of the practice! You have to be very careful to find the balance of how much you need to do as accuracy is far more important than quantity when you’ve come off a long- haul flight like we had.

This is where rest and recovery is also of great importance.

Personally, I’m looking forward to playing after a week off and playing in the

Tri-Nations for the first time since 2007. It’s a spectacular competition and great to be involved again!

General Feeling in the Camp for the Test

When you come against your biggest rivals, it’s something that you dream of when you are a young boy; to play against the All Blacks and face the Haka.

Whether you play in New Zealand or back home, it’s a massive occasion; so there are always a few butterflies around, but I think that’s a good sign.

We are really looking forward to doing what we do and doing it well!

As a team, we’re looking to concentrate on our performance as a unit.

Preparing for my Opposite Number

My preparation is always the same for each Test match as every match up is a “Test” in every sense of the word. The butterflies are always around but playing in New Zealand against the All Blacks has just got that little something special.

It’s a little more demanding on your mental and physical preparation, as you can’t afford mistakes. If you do make one, it must not happen again!