Ken Borland

The Springbok game plan has advanced over the last year, according to the All Blacks players and coaches, despite the negative perceptions that persist among sectors of the uninformed.

“They’ve certainly taken a step forward in the way they play, they still use their traditional strengths so you always expect a big tough battle, but they’ve added creativity and a bit of flair. There’ll be massive pressure on the game, no matter what, because it’s number one on the rankings versus number two, and whoever wins can say that they’re playing the best footy in the world at the moment,” Kieran Read, the All Blacks’ outstanding eighthman said yesterday.

New Zealand assistant coach Ian Foster, who looks after back play and attack for the All Blacks, said the selection of Handre Pollard as the starting flyhalf for the Springboks had added a new dimension to their play.

“It’s been quite a significant change at 10, we thought Handre Pollard was really strong in Wellington, he’s quite attacking and composed, he did a lot of good things and he’s very much a player of the future. He gives them a bit more width.

“The Springboks also seem to have a strong squad of 23 now, they’ve developed a strategy to use all 23 players more. It’s been one of our key strengths to use all 23 players and keep the tempo going upwards. They also still have their key strengths of kicking and the lineout drive,” Foster said.

The Waikato legend also said the All Blacks and Springboks had a special relationship, which was borne out by the wonderful gestures made in Wellington towards Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana to celebrate their 100 games for South Africa.

“The All Blacks versus the Springboks is special, it always has been and it always will be. There’s a great feeling between the teams, a mutual respect. We have a lot of time for how they go about things and the biggest compliment we can pay them is how we always lift our game against them. We know we have to be at 100% to beat them, if we’re at 99% we’ll lose,” Foster said.

2013 IRB Player of the Year Read, who had a tremendous tussle with Duane Vermeulen in Wellington, admitted that he would be disappointed if the injured eighthman was not in the picture at Ellis Park on Saturday.

“I’m sure the Springboks will still be good whoever steps out at eight, but Duane certainly leads the charge for them with his hit-ups, his carries really give them go-forward. He loves the physicality and he’s just a typical brute of an African beast.

“I’ll be a little bit disappointed if he’s not playing because he’s a good man and a great rugby player, and you always like to pit yourself against the very best. But it’s not really an individual battle out there, you rarely come up one-on-one against your opposite number, it’s a team game,” Read said.

Life’s a risk for All Blacks flank Sam Cane, not only because he is the archetypal opensider who is constantly living on the edge of the law, but also because he backs his team to move the ball around whatever the weather.

While much of this Rugby Championship has been played in poor weather conditions, Saturday’s crunch encounter with the Springboks should be played in dry conditions on a fast Ellis Park surface, and Cane is clearly looking forward to a more enjoyable game and better spectacle.

“We’re always pretty excited if we get to go out and play with a dry ball, but we like to think we can play in all conditions. We like to be expansive and we back ourselves to do that even in the wet,” Cane said upon the All Blacks’ arrival at their Sandton hotel yesterday.

The breakdowns will obviously be a key area on Saturday and Cane said the potential loss of eighthman Duane Vermeulen, who has injured a rib cartilage, would be huge for the Springboks.

“Duane has taken his game to a whole new level this year, his presence at the breakdown is massive. He’s a big man, but he gets low and he’s hard to move, plus he’s a good carrier as well with some skill. Plus last week the Springboks had Schalk Burger on the bench!” Cane said.

Hottentot Teal cruising around Marievale Bird Sanctuary

The Marievale Bird Sanctuary is a Ramsar-site whose vast reedbeds and multitude of open pools are home to thousands of waterbirds.

Perhaps the most regal of its denizens is the African Marsh Harrier, an uncommon raptor that spends most of the day gliding over the pools and reedbeds on the hunt for rodents and other tidbits.

The African Marsh Harrier spends half of its day in the air and it likes to get an early start, so there it was as the sun was rising on Human Rights Day setting off on the breakfast run as it quartered low over the reedbeds.

My wife and I had a fine view of this long-winged beauty as we sat with our morning tea on the balcony of our little chalet overlooking the wetland. Blackcrowned Night Heron, Grey Heron, Greyheaded Gull, Redknobbed Coot, Cape Shoveler, Whitewinged Tern, Whitebreasted Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Spurwinged Goose, Greater Flamingo and Glossy Ibis were all easily spotted from our chalet on the edge of the water.

Soon we were on our way, heading for the causeway over the Blesbokspruit. This tarred section is a wonderful spot because there are pools of water close-by on both sides of the road, as well as vegetation right up to the causeway.

On the way there, Redshouldered and Longtailed Widows were busy in the grasslands, Southern Masked Weavers were almost ubiquitous and the sexually dimorphic Amur Falcons were dotted along the power and telephone lines along the road.

A lone Swainson’s Francolin was out and about in the brisk morning air – 15° was the temperature for most of the day – and popping into the Hadeda Hide en route produced Little Egret and Reed Cormorant.

Both Yellow and Blackthroated Canary were enjoying the seeds of the many Docks (Rumex spp) along the road, before we turned west on to the causeway and the waterbirds came thick and fast.

Common Moorhen in one of Marievale’s open pools

Common Moorhen were swimming around the pools, Pied Kingfisher were hovering and diving for breakfast, Cape Reed Warblers were singing merrily as they worked their way through the reeds, African Jacana were standing stately on the lilypads and Whitethroated Swallow, along with Brownthroated Martin, were zooming about.

Purple Gallinule and Malachite Kingfisher were also around and, as we exited the car and walked towards the Otter Hide, a sleek, sinuous dark head rose from the water – it could have been considered reptilian except it had whiskers, and a little black nose and eyes – a Spottednecked Otter just where it should be!

Spottednecked Otter rising from the waters at Otter Hide

A handsome Hottentot Teal was also swimming around and Black Crake and African Darter were spotted too.

The open waters between the causeway and the picnic site also produced Redbilled Teal and Dabchick.

The northern section of Marievale takes you through productive wetlands on your left and open grassland on your right. Here Blackshouldered Kite and Hadeda Ibis were on one side of the car, while Squacco Heron, Little Bittern and Whiskered Tern flew around on the other.

Great Crested Grebe were swimming on the large expanse of water in front of the Duiker Hide, while the Flamingo Hide, back by the picnic site, also has a wide vista of open water and reedbeds in front of it. Large flocks of European Swallow are found here, but there were also Blackwinged Stilt and a rather tame African Reed Warbler, who was at much closer quarters.

Popping into the Hadeda Hide again on our way back to our chalet yielded the archetypal wetland Cisticola, the Levaillant’s. From regal raptors to skulking little LBJs, Marievale Bird Sanctuary has it all.

Sightings list

Grey Heron

Greyheaded Gull

Redknobbed Coot

Cape Shoveler

Whitewinged Tern

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Cattle Egret

Spurwinged Goose

Greater Flamingo

Glossy Ibis

Blackcrowned Night Heron

Egyptian Goose

Blacksmith Plover

Sacred Ibis

African Marsh Harrier

Redshouldered Widow

Longtailed Widow

Little Egret

Reed Cormorant

Laughing Dove

Rock Pigeon

Southern Masked Weaver

Yellowbilled Duck

Swainson’s Francolin

Stonechat

Cape Turtle Dove

Amur Falcon

Fiscal Shrike

Yellow Canary

Blackthroated Canary

Common Moorhen

Pied Kingfisher

Cape Reed Warbler

African Jacana

Whitethroated Swallow

Purple Gallinule

Cape Wagtail

Brownthroated Martin

Malachite Kingfisher

Spottednecked Otter

Hottentot Teal

Black Crake

African Darter

Greater Striped Swallow

Dabchick

Redbilled Teal

Blackshouldered Kite

Hadeda Ibis

Squacco Heron

Redeyed Dove

Redfaced Mousebird

House Rat

Little Bittern

Whiskered Tern

European Swallow

Great Crested Grebe

Blackwinged Stilt

African Reed Warbler

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Levaillant’s Cisticola