England's ex-Boks expect a fightback

Before flying to Australia, Abbott explained: "When they have been taking criticism, I know it must have been hurting and that makes them dangerous. They will only be more determined to do it for themselves and the country."

Even though their initial bullying of Uruguay really tells us little, all the evidence seems to be that Abbott is right. South Africa have turned to Nelson Mandela in a bid to rekindle the magic of 1995, while coach Rudi Straeuli trumpets how they've come through the worst. "We are addressing the issues and the country has supported us very strongly," he says.

Both England men can sense the hurt of men like Straeuli because, even if they would kill to have the chance to play a role in a victory which could help cost him his job, they've actually found some of the recent ignoble stuff surrounding the game that moulded them to be sad, too.

I'd talked to Abbott, Cape Town born-and-bred and once a player for South Africa Under-21s and Western Province, just after the news of Afrikaner forward Geo Cronje's refusal to share a room with coloured lock Quinton Davids at a training camp had sparked a crisis which still threatens to divide the game at its roots.

Abbott, now a Wasps centre, was stunned. "It's just really sad. I feel sorry for the guys in that position. If it is like that, then I hope that something will be done about it. But it doesn't bode well for South African rugby." At 21, he had spent eight months playing for Free State in the Afrikaner heartland, which he reckons was an "uncomfortable" experience for a young lad from a liberal background.

"To be fair, perhaps there was racism before or after I was around but I never saw any of it. I was quite shocked to hear (about Cronje). It's not something you expect to hear in this day and age.

"Maybe it's something to do with the administration side, but there's certainly a big problem over there. They will have to sort it out or they are going to struggle."

That's in the long term, though, he hastens to add. "For a one-off tournament, it's different. Ever since they've been preparing for this World Cup, it seems they've been running around with pressure on their backs, but they'll be up for it when the big matches come around."

Of course, Abbott, who qualifies for England because his mum was born here, might conceivably have found himself playing for the Springboks on Saturday if he had taken up an offer from Straeuli, who wanted him to come back home to fight for a national team place. Instead, he decided to commit himself to Wasps and to pursue his England ambitions.

As far as his family are concerned, there are no conflicts of interest. His parents still live in Cape Town but his grandparents and uncles are in London. All of them support their boy and England first. "They think it is the best move I ever made to come over here and they're 100 per cent behind me," Abbott adds.

Yet could he imagine how the thought of yet another South African itinerant pulling on the shirt of another country might have gone down with some of his compatriots?

"Ooh, I'll have to have a word with Catty about that; I'm sure he remembers. There'd be a few who are unhappy - there always are - and probably a bit of abuse thrown my way too," says Abbott. His smile suggests he could live with that if England triumph.