Former South Africa captain Corne Krige has come under fire from current Springboks skipper John Smit for questioning the ability of New Zealand's Rodney So'oialo.

So'oialo has been named All Blacks captain in the absence of the injured Richie McCaw and has also been selected to cover for his team-mate on the openside flank in the opening Tri-Nations Test in Wellington on Saturday, despite being a specialist number eight.

"I can't see how much Corne has had to do with Rodney," Smit said. "We seem to have a company in South Africa called 'Rent-a-Quote' and Corne's at the top of the list at the moment."

He added: "I wouldn't say there's any validity in that. I know Rodney personally and I've played against him for many years. He might not be as talkative but he's certainly as active on the field, and that's what counts the most as captain."