Krynauw Otto believes the Springboks will move up a few gears on Saturday and surprise the All Blacks. The injured Bok lock has a lot of faith in his teammates, especially at Ellis Park.

"We just never give up. The Boks were rather unlucky in Australasia and Saturday could well be the turning point. Nick's plan is coming on well, although we seem to struggle at times with our rhythm," said Otto, referring to Nick Mallett's new expansive game plan.

"It is also heartening to see the provincial teams in the Currie Cup trying to adapt to a more expansive game plan. All we're waiting for is that particular moment when we retain possession, passes go to hand and everything comes together."

Otto also agrees that Ellis Park has been a happy hunting ground for the Boks. "The only losing Test in which I've played there was the one in 1997 when we lost to the All Blacks."

A penalty by Jannie de Beer struck the upright and denied the home side a draw in a Test they could very well have won.

"There is something special about Ellis Park, a special aura. The crowd could be quite formidable. They get involved and behind the Boks, which makes it very difficult for visiting teams," he said.

"I hope to go and see the team later this week and pledge my support. Everyone involved really needs it at a time like this. People sometimes forget how committed the players really are."

Otto will still be out of action for the next two months due to sustaining bleeding on the brain on the away leg of the Tri-Nations.

"According to my neurologist, I've every chance of playing again. Some brain tissue was hurt and it could have been very dangerous had I kept on playing. I was also warned not to take contact too quickly," he said.

The 28-year-old Bulls lock believes he still has quite a few playing years left. "I'm going to give myself a good rest, see to it that the injury heals properly and then decide when to start playing again.

"If possible, I still hope to make the Boks end-of-year tour. But to do that, I'll have to play a few Currie Cup games. But I'm not going to rush anything. My health is at stake here."

In the meantime, Krynauw enjoys spending time with eight-month-old Krynauw Jr. "He really is a bundle of joy to me. Being injured gives me valuable time to spend with my family. He's grown a lot and weighs more than 8kg already. Watch out for him!"