Noakes said the Boks in 2006 had a poor year - so much so that White's head as coach was called for. But it was necessary to give some players a break from the game.

"The saving grace of the Springboks is that they have [lately] cut down on training, but that is to a large extent offset by the players being trained into the ground by their provinces," said Noakes.

He warned that there would be a price to pay: for the player, the country and also in the psychological plane where it will give opponents the confidence that the Boks were on their way out.

Liebel said the Springbok management were in constant discussions with the unions, but had to accept that the provincial and franchise coaches were measured by their results and would often opt for their best selections.

How to counter that?

Noakes agreed with a suggestion that the only way to really monitor and control the game as well as the training time of players was for them to be contracted by SA Rugby.

Liebel said teams managing their players the best were also at the top of the tree in the provincial and Super 14 competitions.

The Bulls, who used only 28 players in their 15 Super 14 matches, were a prime example of good management of players.

The Springboks' success this year could also be contributed to good management of the players, with the injuries this year coming down significantly.

The recovery time of injuries within seven days was also much improved, and a cut-down on training time coupled with more attention to recovery were instrumental in that, Liebel said.