Rudolf Straeuli will write his name into the history books if he can mastermind a South Africa revival and lead them to victory at Rugby World Cup 2003, in doing so becoming the first man to lift the trophy as both a player and coach.
The odds may be stacked against the 40 year old, a World Cup winner on home soil in 1995, with the Springboks having conceded 50 points to England and New Zealand since he succeeded Harry Viljoen as coach in April 2002, but the famous fighting spirit of the Springboks should never be underestimated.
Straeuli won 10 caps as a Springbok between July 1994, when he marked his debut with a try in a 22-14 defeat by New Zealand in Dunedin, and November 1995, including one as a replacement in the Rugby World Cup final itself.
The former back row forward coached English club Bedford amid serious financial difficulties before returning home in 2000 to coach Borders and then Natal Sharks, taking the latter from bottom to the Super 12 final within a year.
Straeuli, who has a law degree and was qualifying as an attorney when the game went professional, played his rugby for Northern Transvaal and Transvaal before joining the Bedford ranks in 1997.