Johannesburg — SPRINGBOK coach Peter de Villiers could do himself a world of good if he took note of top sports scientist Tim Noakes's concerns in the build-up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

To some Noakes may seem like a whiner with his often gloomy performance predictions for the near future.

But Noakes has the players' best interests at heart and he knows scientifically exactly how much these guys can be pushed physically before breaking down.

This is a guy who spends his life travelling from one country to another to provide expert advice on sports matters and studies conducted, and his opinion should be valued.

Noakes worked closely with former Springbok coach Jake White in the run-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

He predicted that reducing the game time of the key players between the end of 2006 and early 2007 would ensure peak performance during the event -- advice that was criticised heavily by Australia and New Zealand who, in contrast to White, opted to play their best players into the ground before the spectacle.

The results were evident on October 20, 2007 when the Springboks team lifted the Webb Ellis trophy, while New Zealand and Australia bombed out before the final.

So when Noakes says the Springboks may have their worst year yet next season because the top players are suffering from fatigue, one should believe it.

Two factors contributed to the Sharks' demise in the Currie Cup semi-final, tired Springbok players and the chopping-and- changing of the squad in the lead-up to the game as coach John Plumtree tried to strike a balance between resting his Boks, allowing some to recover from injuries and simultaneously giving everyone game time.

If the Blue Bulls go down to the Cheetahs in the final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, it will be partly attributed to the likes of Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez running on empty.

As exciting as the occasion may be given the significance of the Currie Cup in SA, it is physically impossible for these players to continue pushing themselves to the limit from one season to the next. This is the reason Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Bakkies Botha and Bryan Habana have spent a fair amount of time on the sidelines in the last few years.

Smith is the latest casualty, recovering from a knee ligament injury which has ruled him out of the year-end tour. His lengthy break and rehabilitation is undoubtedly a blessing in disguise ahead of the 2010 and 2011 seasons if 2006 and 2007 are anything to go by.

It is understandable that De Villiers wants to crown off what has been a spectacular year featuring a British and Irish Lions and Tri-Nations series victory, with a clean-sweep against France, Italy and Ireland. But this season will have no significance if the Springboks crash out of the World Cup before the final.

De Villiers has "all the pots, pans and ingredients" -- as he once put it -- to guide the Boks to another World Cup title in two years. But the players have to be managed properly in the build-up to the showpiece or face the risk of flopping when it counts most -- as New Zealand have in the last few events.