Willie le Roux and Marvin Orie said the Springboks must front up physically against Tonga in Marseille on Sunday, to book a place in the World Cup quarter-finals.
The Boks are second on the log in Pool B on 10 points, four behind Ireland who lead the group on 14 points.
Tonga are in fourth without any points after defeats against Ireland and Scotland, but the Boks are not leaving anything to chance to book their place in the top eight and they are determined to get their campaign back on track and to build momentum after going down 13-8 against Ireland last weekend.
Speaking during a Bok conference on Wednesday, veteran fullback Le Roux told reporters: “It’s a big week for us against Tonga. This is knockout rugby for us and it’s going to be brutal because they have some big guys playing for them.
“It’s going to be a physical match and I think there’ll be some sore bodies after the game. Our defence will have to be up for it because they have players that can spark anything from anywhere.”
Asked if he is concerned about the Boks’ erratic goal-kicking, namely Manie Libbok’s, the World Cup winner added: “I just look at what Manie does on the field for us; the attacking, how he creates space for guys, the cross-kicks, the long passes over the top scoring tries.
“For me, I don’t look at that [the goal-kicking], I look at the positive things that he’s doing for the team. We all back him and we all back everyone who has to kick.”
LISTEN: Rassie reveals master plan
NIENABER: It’s likely Pollard will struggle
Meanwhile, lock Orie expects a massive onslaught from the Pacific Islanders in the set-pieces: “They have a lot of big and athletic players. They are hard hitters as one can see, so we are expecting challenging scrums and lineouts. Many of their players have also played at a high level, so it will be a tough match.
On whether the Test inexperience of Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden at hooker puts more pressure on their lineout, he added: “I wouldn’t say it’s pressure. There’s specific shapes and throws that Deon can throw very [well]. Marco as well. We try to find the shape and the calls that they feel the most comfortable with.
“Myself and Sous [Franco Mostert] and RG [Snyman], together with the coach, we try to figure out what calls would be best.”
Le Roux, too, was realistic about his role in the squad despite being one of the most experienced players in the squad with 89 caps, saying with such good depth in the group, no-one could take their place in the team for granted.
“On a personal note, I just want to do my best, enjoy myself and to try to make the team win,” said Le Roux. “We have such great depth in the team, one cannot get comfortable in a jersey. We keep pushing one another to get better.”
Orie, meanwhile, was excited about joining forces with his former Tygerberg High teammate, Bok centurion Eben Etzebeth, in the second row this weekend.
“Eben is a world-class player, he’s played over 100 Tests for South Africa. His game is also at a high level, and he inspires us all to reach our best through the standards he sets,” he concluded.
Photo: @Springboks/X