I don't mean to be a downer at the start of this new year, but I still have to be realistic about the Proteas.
Yes, things are looking up with a new management team in place.
But they still have a long way to go after just three Test victories in eight matches last year.
Their first Test victory since January came in the Boxing Day Test against England and the margin of 107 runs was encouraging.
However, you don’t have to scratch very far under the surface to realise that it’s not all roses.
First of all, the English were not at the best physically after a mystery illness swept through their squad.
Ben Stokes’ dad also had a stroke during the contest in Pretoria.
And you can bet what you have left of your geld in January they will come back fitter and stronger in the Newlands clash.
Secondly, our batsmen are still struggling to make big runs.
With only a couple of fifties and few starts from our boys, we must improve this side of our game.
In the past year, only four hundreds were scored by this team.
Two of those came in a single innings in a losing cause in India and, more worryingly, the other two came on home soil in the Pakistan series.
Dean Elgar, at the top of the innings, was one of those centurions, but he hasn’t managed to really stick around and frustrate opposition bowlers much in the last 12 months.
SOLID: Dwaine Pretorius. Picture: Catherine Kotze/BackpagePix.
It’s also a blessing in disguise that Aiden Markram has injured his hand for the second time in the last six months after a lean year even on home soil.
The middle order has also failed outside skipper Faf du Plessis and we all have to thanks Quinton de Kock for saving us with some brave knocks down as the last of the recognised batsmen in our team.
What I’d like to see in the rest of this series is not just the return to form of this team, but also the squad building on some depth.
Dwaine Pretorius did well on debut at the weekend. He was tidy with the ball and helped build pressure on the Poms.
That means putting your faith in players who are yet to prove their worth at this level.
WELL DONE: Cobras’ Pieter Malan deserves his chance. Picture: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix.
Cape Cobras opener Pieter Malan is set to come into the side for Markram and he deserves his chance.
Knights middle-order star Keegan Petersen could also make his debut soon. And I would have liked to see him get his chance at Newlands this week already - being a laaitie from Paarl.
But that would nogal be unfair to Temba Bavuma.
Still, form must be rewarded in cricket as much as faith in ability.
Bavuma has done well on the Newlands stage and maybe Petersen would be inspired too.
Even with Faf and the combative Rassie van der Dussen finding his feet in the five-day arena, an injection of runs is badly needed.
STILL FINDING HIS FEET: Rookie Rassie van der Dussen. Picture: Catherine Kotze/BackpagePix.
With six uncapped players in the squad to begin with, a show of faith is the only action that can bring some rewards now.
Now to the bowling attack.
Vernon Philander will be looking to give a performance to remember on the ground he made his sensational debut on as he makes his makes his farewell tour around the country during the series.
With the end of his Proteas career in sight, change is inevitable in the unit.
Who will replace him to partner Kagiso Rabada?
While Pretorius and Anrich Nortje did well, they didn’t look like strike bowlers,
Maybe it’s time for Dane Paterson to get his shot - he knows Newlands conditions after all and can hit the lengths that Vernon got so much joy from.
JUST WHAT THE PROTEAS NEED: Leftie Beuran Hendricks. Picture: Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix.
Beuran Hendricks, though, is the guy we should all hope is the one to get his chance.
A left-arm quick is just what we need to vary our attack.
Just look at how our boys sukkeled against England’s Sam Curran.
A leftie creates that angle that just continues to ask questions and we haven’t had a regular player like that in the side since Brett Schultz in the early 1990s.
I wonder what the selection panel will come up with.