Bok ace coaches Wobblies

Australia will have a Springbok ace up their sleeve when they tackle South Africa in their Tri-Nations Test in Pretoria on Saturday.

Sydney Morning Herald

The Wallabies this week called on one of South Africa’s most astute goalkickers to help improve their technique.

Braam van Straaten, who played 21 Tests for the Springboks and is best known for kicking South Africa to victory over the All Blacks in Johannesburg in 2000, has spent the week with the Wallabies.

At the team’s first training session at their Cape Town base on Monday, Van Straaten was called in near the end of the practice to oversee the techniques of the Australian kickers – including James O’Connor, Matt Giteau and Quade Cooper.

Then, on the team’s day off on Tuesday, the kickers spent two-and-half hours at a nearby ground with Van Straaten fine-tuning their run-ups, kicking styles and follow-through.

The decision of Van Straaten could be frowned upon in some quarters, but the Boks have in World Cup winner Percy Montgomery an equally astute kicking coach.