Nick Mallett is still backing his abilities as Springbok coach even though he has the sword of Damocles hanging over his head.

"I believe the way I've coached the Springboks will make them more competitive in these last two Tests at home," Mallett predicted ahead of the remaining Tri-Nations contests against the All Blacks and Australia.

"I'm not saying we'll go out there and score four tries against New Zealand and Australia. We're going all out to win this match and the next that's all.

"It would be nice to win two out of four Tri-Nations matches. The most important thing is that we prove South Africa can still beat New Zealand and Australia."

Well, two wins is exactly what Mallett needs to avoid the axe as Bok coach, with the majority of his countrymen baying for his blood after four successive losses.

"We had our fair share of chances in our previous Test matches against Australia and New Zealand, but we weren't able to take them. We need to finish off the opportunities we create.

"I think the Springboks deserve a win - they've worked really hard for it. The whole squad is absolutely determined to turn it around. The enthusiasm is there; the will to win is there.

Commenting on Saturday's game against the All Blacks, he said: "And playing back in South Africa is very important for this team. Ellis Park is certainly a special venue for a lot of the Springboks in this side and playing at home again will mean a lot to them.

"It's really up to the bounce of the ball and the player's ability to take his chances. The key is to create and take our opportunities and also to stop the opposition from taking theirs.

"They've shown a fair amount of variety in attack and there's not much more we can do in the line of defence - I think the World Cup emphasised that.

"South Africa have always been very strong in defence and we've taken it a step further by using the defensive patterns of rugby league.

"The lineouts and first phases have also improved and we've shown the ability to create opportunities. It's now up to the backline to take those opportunities and turn them into tries."

"The big difference in Australian and New Zealand rugby is that they've been able to make use of attacking half-backs."