You can do it, Boks

The Springboks are capable of achieving a Mission Impossible in New Zealand over the next two months. That's the belief of some rugby cognoscenti ahead of the Rugby World Cup that kicks off next week.

Jake White, who coached the Boks to victory at the last World Cup in 2007, says the team of 2011 does not have many weaknesses and contains the "permutations" to be successful.

His assistant from that tournament, Allister Coetzee, said earlier this week that the Boks were better equipped to win this World Cup than they were at the last one.

"There are a lot of guys in the side that know how to play winning rugby, that know how to get to a final," said Coetzee, now coach of Western Province and the Stormers. "And there are more than enough leaders. Back then [in 2007] we had to develop leaders, who are now hardened players. As long as all of them play in New Zealand, we should do well."

Former Springbok wing and coach Carel du Plessis said the Boks had a "good chance" of going where no other team has gone before: successfully defending a World Cup and claiming the trophy for a third time. South Africa and Australia have won it twice, more than any other nation.

"[The Boks] are well prepared, especially for a play-off scenario because their game is more defence-minded," said Du Plessis. "They are strong defensively, they are physically powerful and some of the guys will be in better form by the time the tournament starts."

Experts from Sean Fitzpatrick to Bob Skinstad have picked the defending champions as the team to look out for in the next two months, although the All Blacks start as favourites.

But the Boks are under no illusions about the enormity of the task or the hostile conditions that they will face.

Unlike four years ago, where the players were able to walk around Paris almost unnoticed, in New Zealand they'll be like goldfish in a bowl. There is nowhere to hide and they will be scrutinised by the rugby-mad public and aggressive Kiwi media for two months. A recent poll found that New Zealanders would least like South Africa or Australia to win the title.

Question marks remain over the Boks' attacking ability, which rules the team out as favourites - something that centre Jaque Fourie believes will help. "That's going to take some pressure off us," he said.

The Boks are up against Wales, Fiji, Namibia and Samoa in Pool D, which, if not quite the "group of death", is surely going to be the "group of dents" given the physical nature of the combatants.

The Boks begin their campaign against Wales in Wellington on September 11 before tackling Fiji at the same venue on September 17. They meet Namibia in the North Harbour stadium on September 22 and finish their group against Samoa on September 30.

"It's definitely going to be physical and the biggest thing for us will be to get through the group without any injuries," said centre Jean de Villiers, who was ruled out of the last World Cup after only 44 minutes when he was injured.