The Boks are back.
A colourful group of about 30 South African supporters and the John McGlashan pipe band loudly greeted the Springboks when they landed at Dunedin International Airport at 9.05am yesterday for the test match against the All Blacks at Forsyth Barr Stadium tomorrow night.
"It's always great to get a welcome like this. There's a big South African community in New Zealand and it's nice to hear South African voices and see people wearing the green jersey and waving the flag," captain Jean de Villiers said.
"It's good to be here. It's a fantastic stadium and, having a roof, it's good to know what the conditions will be like. We've got a game strategy and we'll stick to that." The players willingly posed for photographs and signed autographs for fans, but were tight-lipped about the match.
"It will be a good one, but a tough one. It's always tough here, yah," flyhalf Morne Steyn said.
"It's very good to finally be here. I'm looking forward to the game," winger Bryan Habana, South Africa's record try-scorer with 42 tries, said.
The players gathered in the airport foyer as Samson Setu and Joel Amosa sang the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika (God Bless Africa), accompanied by South Africa-born University of Otago executant lecturer in cello Heleen du Plessis, who specially arranged the piece for the visit, with Dunedin composer Dr Anthony Ritchie.
"South Africa is still my favourite team, although I think we'll probably get beaten. But, you'd better not put that down," Mrs du Plessis said.
South Africa fan Martin Treadway, bravely decked out in a 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok jersey, was at the airport to greet the team with his daughters Ashley (8), Linoy (3), Claire (12) and Haley (14). The family has lived in New Zealand for four years, but there was no sign of any divided loyalties.
"Dad will kill us if we don't say South Africa [will win]," Ashley joked. Mr Treadway admitted he was "a bit worried" about the result.
While the fans saluted their heroes, the transit lounge was also the scene of a rugby reunion.
The Otago team was waiting for a flight to Auckland - it plays Counties-Manukau in an ITM Cup match tonight - and several of the Springboks warmly embraced and chatted to Otago coach Tony Brown, who played in South Africa for the Stormers in 2008.
