The Springboks may still have their detractors, especially those from abroad jealous of the successful recipe employed by the world's top-ranked team, but All Black captain Richie McCaw rates them as one of the best teams he has faced.

The Boks, predictably, shrugged off the suggestions that their methodical style is boring - following their 28-19 and 31-19 victories over the Kiwis the past two weekends.

That shortened the odds even more on the Boks adding the Tri-Nations title to their 2007 World Cup victory and their recent series triumph over the British and Irish Lions.

Their detractors were quick to point to the fact that the wings are employed primarily as 'kick-chasers' in a forward-based game in which reliance on penalties for points is at a premium.

However, these media attacks have not been able to take the gloss off what has been a fortnight of special performances by the South Africans - which earned them rich praise from McCaw.

Asked if he thought this was one of the greatest teams he had played against, his answer was a simple: "It is definitely right up there."

McCaw said to get beaten two weeks in a row shows what sort of team this is.

"You look at the individuals right across the park, guys playing their 50th Tests and all that experience certainly adds up when the pressure goes on," he said of South Africa.

But the Boks also had a clear message for their detractors - winning is not boring.

"We've looked at the guys we have and it suits us to play this way ," centre Jean de Villiers, one of two players who earned his 50th cap in Durban at the weekend, told journalists.

"It's not boring at all, technically it's spot on and it's what is needed at the time.

"There will be times when we can throw the ball around and add an attacking dimension to our game, but it's not that time yet. The quality aspect of this side is our variety.

"The greatest thing is we are not happy with where we are. There is definitely more in the tank."

De Villiers said a kicking-based game required more skill than most pundits realise. They practice kicking and chasing techniques routinely to get them fine-tuned.

"The execution of those kicks to ensure they land where we want them to, as well as the defensive lines, takes a lot of work.

"The guys don't only do their job, they do that extra bit to make cover tackles or whatever is needed at the time."

Wing Bryan Habana, the other player to earn 50 caps, harried opposite Joe Rokocoko all game under the high ball, yet rarely had a chance to show his pace with ball in hand.

It didn't bother him and he questioned why the tourists didn't try something similar rather than persisting with expansive rugby.

"It's never easy to play out of your own 40. The ABs did that on a couple of occasions and we were able to force them into errors and get the turnovers," he said.

"When you slowly start building points - three points, six points, nine points - it puts a lot of pressure on the opposition to take chances and they make those mistakes."

RUGBY365