Smit vows to give Regan trouble and strife

South Africa captain John Smit has called upon a secret weapon to stop opposing hooker Mark Regan from talking him to distraction during their World Cup Final battle on Saturday - his wife.

During England's tour of South Africa in the summer, Smit famously bemoaned the fact that the notoriously garrulous Regan refused to shut up in the scrum, noting wearily: "He talked to me in two matches more than my wife has in 10 years!"

Yet after leading the Springboks into Saturday's Final, Smit reckoned he had found the perfect sparring partner before round three with Regan. "I've brought my wife over this week so I can get some practice in," laughed the captain.

"I'll be trying to talk more to her than I do to him at the weekend."

Regan was silenced by England's 36-0 defeat when the pair clashed in the pool game, but Smit noted after hearing Regan's chat over the TV microphones against Australia: "He's been playing pretty well - and he's been pretty loud, too."

Regan has no plans to stop the earache for Smit. "I've not stopped talking to the opposition but a few of the French front row found it hard to understand me on Saturday," he said.

"People have been talking about the moments of the game. The true rugby expert will see my charge down as the moment that swung it. It hit me square in the belly. A few people have said they have never seen me run so fast."