Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick said the Boks can’t wait to tackle top-ranked Ireland on Saturday, even if conditions for the World Cup blockbuster are on the wet and windy side.
With the heatwave of a French summer giving way to autumnal rain in Paris, there is every possibility that this weekend’s Pool B clash at the Stade de France will be played in more awkward conditions than either team has encountered in their previous two matches.
“We are good travellers, we know how to adapt to conditions,” said Stick at a Bok conference on Friday, adding that the world champions had prepared specifically while in their pre-tournament training camp.
“When we were in Toulon we had very warm conditions so now it’s cooler in Paris and we’re enjoying it. But even when we were in Corsica we were trying to make our balls wet so we could train for these conditions.
“Also remember we have a place in South Africa called PE [Port Elizabeth] and Cape Town where you get four weathers in a day. So the guys are used to these conditions. They are well prepared.”
Stick was also quizzed about the Boks’ split of seven forwards and one back on the bench, but played down the excitement, saying it was a simply a case of doing what the title-holders felt was the best option for this match.
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“It’s the World Cup,” said Stick. “It’s the biggest competition in world rugby and when people talk about us it means they are interested in the team. We do what works for us and with our team selection it allows us to ensure that we have fresh legs on the field.”
He added: “We are playing against the best team in the world and as a group we lean on our strengths, so we won’t change much in the way we do things. Ireland are similar to Scotland in how organised they are, so we know what to expect. That said, this is a World Cup, and we must adapt to any challenges.”
The Boks head into the match on the back of a gritty 18-3 win over Scotland, before a rather more straight-forward 76-0 thrashing of Romania. The Irish, who beat South Africa in Dublin in November, are a different class.
“We are playing against the best team in the world,” said Stick, adding that there was a marked difference to playing the game in Paris. “They are not No 1 for nothing, surely they are doing something right.
“They are a well-organised nation when playing at home. The World Cup is a different story. We have to play to our strengths. I don’t think there’s going to be much change in how we play the game.
“In a World Cup you can get different challenges and you have to adapt. We can adapt. We are so solution-driven, that is the strength of our team.”
© Agence France-Presse
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