There is to be no let-up from South Africa as they continue to expiate that opening-weekend defeat by Japan. The Springboks’ World Cup destiny is in their own hands but they could become the next giants to fall should the unthinkable happen again when they meet the USA on Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium.
If England think their premature ejection has gone down badly, should a similar fate befall South Africa the reception back home would not bear thinking about. To avoid that outcome they have named their strongest possible team, despite the knowledge that the USA are fielding practically a second team as they prepare for their big game against Japan on Sunday.
The Springboks make two changes, both injury enforced, from their 34-16 win against Scotland, with Lwazi Mvovo replacing JP Pietersen and Frans Malherbe coming in for Jannie du Plessis. Neither injury is thought to be serious. Victor Matfield, now squad captain in the absence of Jean de Villiers, is to be given longer to recover from his hamstring strain, assuming they progress to the quarter-finals, although they are purely focused on the USA match.
“We don’t look past this game,” said Heyneke Meyer, the Springbok coach. “I’m a very, very positive person. I believe everything is possible and the guys know this is. A lot of these guys have done it before. But we know we have to get through this game and that is a problem. We don’t look past this game. And I mean it. We really respect the USA. But this is the most important game for us. Every single game is actually a final. This is the final for us.”
If South Africa were to lift the trophy they would set a precedent as the only team to have won the tournament despite losing a match. Meyer is not perturbed by this, citing an Englishman, Sir Roger Bannister, as inspiration. “There are so many examples of comebacks that people said can’t happen. They said the mile would never be run in under four minutes; now everybody does it. I’m a very, very positive person. I believe everything is possible, and the guys know this is.”
Meanwhile Schalk Brits, the Saracens hooker who will be on the bench for South Africa, had words of consolation for the England squad. “I think the World Cup is poorer without them,” he said. “I had a group chat with the Sarries boys. I said, ‘Boys, I feel for you.’ I would have liked to see them do well. Not better than us but I wanted them to do well.”
South Africa team Le Roux; Habana, Kriel, De Allende, Mvovo; Pollard, Du Preez (capt); Mtawarira, B du Plessis, Malherbe, Etzebeth, De Jager, Louw, Burger, Vermeulen.
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