South Africa - player profiles

PERCY MONTGOMERY
(full back/flyhalf)
Monty, who has made the full back position his own since being plucked fromthe relative obscurity of playing fly half for Western Province during theNite Series in 1997, will come full circle on this tour. The Namibian-bornplayer exploded onto the Test scene with a try at centre but reallyblossomed when Nick Mallett moved him to full back, where he has becomeonly the third Springbok to top 200 points. He can be brilliant orfrustratingly bad on the day but Monty, now a member of the peroxide blondclub, could make or break new coach Harry Voljoen who wants to make him thepivot of his team.

MARK ANDREWS
(lock)
Many feared this Springbok legend was finished last year as a result of achronic shoulder injury. But he shook it off and, wonderfully rejuvenated,showed in the Tri-Nations why he has won a record 60-plus caps, the firstagainst England back in 1994. He is not only a world class line-out andrestart specialist but his tenacity, competitiveness and experience will bejust what is required on a testing tour.

JOHN SMIT
(hooker)
One of the new breed of Springbok forwards, 20-year-old Smit is beingtipped as a future captain. He moved effortlessly up the ladder - youngestplayer to get his colours at Pretoria High, youngest player to representNatal and captain of South Africa's World Under 21 champions last year. Thefirst blip came this season when he struggled to get in at prop for hisprovince. But previous Springbok coach Nick Mallett suggested a switch tohooker and this strong scrummaging, hard driving but mobile player haspropelled hinmself towards his first full cap.

LAWRENCE SEPHAKA
(prop)
Sephaka is a shining of example of the Rainbow Nation. One of a recordeight black players in the squad, Sephaka has collected a string of firstsafter switching to rugby at 14 when he became too big for soccer. He wasSprings High School's first black pupil, represented South Africa atUnder19, 21 and 23 level and became the first black person from his villageto attend Rand Afrikaans University. He can play at loose or tight head andlooks sure to come off the bench at some point on the tour..