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 Future truths Flank forward stars the dangermen in Paris
Posted: Friday October 22, 1999 06:49 PM
PARIS (AP) -- Bobby Skinstad must prove he's the same player that inspired South Africa's record-equaling 17-match run of victories. England's Lawrence Dallaglio, on the other hand, just wants to forget the past. The two flankers, on their day the players that opposition coaches most fear, are the potential game-breakers whose power and poise could turn Sunday's quarterfinal showdown at the Stade de France. After a torrid year, they're both relieved just to be participating. Dallaglio, 27, lost the England captaincy to Martin Johnson over the summer and almost wrecked his whole career after bragging that he'd used cocaine while on tour with the British Lions. He was only restored to the team after convincing a disciplinary panel that he had been lying to people who he thought were would-be business partners but who were in fact tabloid reporters. Since being recalled, the 6-foot-4 (1.93 meter), 217-pound (98 kilogram) Wasps flanker has cut a low-key figure off the field, while excelling on it, and is perhaps the man South Africa most fears. "He is a world-class player who is hugely respected by the South African side," Springbok coach Nick Mallett said. "Dallaglio has game-breaking ability and England use him exceptionally well. He is a great source of line-out possession for them and they use him well as a runner." Dallaglio is a rich source of lineout possession and has a huge presence all over the field, whether defending or going forward. He has scored three tries since coming back into the side. And his summer exile has given him the opportunity to work on his fitness. "England get's the best out of Dallaglio. He's usually involved three or four times in any one move and is a key player who we will have to watch," said Mallett. The same goes for Skinstad, South Africa's 23-year-old glamour boy who can turn a game in an instant with his speed and ball-handling skills. The Western Province flanker has had a huge weight on his shoulders at the World Cup since Mallett picked him in favor of skipper Gary Teichmann, who was sensationally dropped from the Springbok squad. The captaincy went to scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen, a move that is rumored to still be causing division in the camp. When Mallett announced his shock decision, Skinstad wasn't even playing rugby having severely damaged the posterior cruciate ligament of his left knee in an April car crash. He only played one match in the runup to the World Cup, and has yet to set the tournament alight. But the same could be said for the whole Springbok lineup. His importance to the side was underlined during the Tri-Nations tournament when the Springboks lacked his speed and guile. And Skinstad now says he's faster than ever. "There is a lot of pressure on me because of the crash and stuff," says Skinstad. "I've got to lift my game. And I'd like to show a lot more. My basic fitness is right up there and my speed is back but I'm looking for an improvement every time I go out." He says the team will be spurred on by the memory of its defeat at Twickenham last December that cost the Springboks their 17-match unbeaten run and a place in the record books. Skinstad says South Africa will be peaking by Sunday's game, and will relish England's attacking tactics. "So far there has been a lot of negative play from some of the teams we've played but the intensity of the England game will be much higher," he said. "We've been tucked away a bit in the Highlands so far but the guys are raring to go. It's only now that we're in the quarterfinals that we feel really fired-up and motivated."
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