Boks coach shifts pressure to England

14 April 2012

Springboks coach Jake White tonight launched the World Cup mind games for France 2007, by declaring: "England will feel the pressure more than us."

If England repeat their victory of the 2003 World Cup, then they are likely to face a quarter final rematch with Wales, probably in Cardiff.
Defeat though, and Australia, the team England dramatically beat to lift the Webb Ellis Cup last November, loom large.

The first of several dress rehearsals will be staged at Twickenham in November when South Africa arrive as one of England's three autumn Test opponents.
Current momentum in the fixture is with England - they haven't lost to South Africa since a narrow Pretoria defeat almost four years ago - but both White and England coach Andy Robinson know that a lot could happen between now and September 2007, when the sixth Rugby World Cup kicks off.

South Africa apart, today's draw at a Dublin city centre restaurant could also see England reunited with the tough-tackling Samoans.
England's five-strong pool will include the winners of the Oceania qualifying group, which is likely to be Samoa, although Fiji will challenge them strongly.
Samoa pushed England all the way in Melbourne last October, creating a real prospect of an astonishing upset before the eventual tournament winners gain the upper hand.

The third-best Americas qualifier, probably the USA, and the second qualifiers from a repechage competition, possibly Tonga, will complete England's equation.
However, most of the qualifying events will not be concluded until much nearer the World Cup itself.

White has recently taken over at the helm in South Africa, and he tonight compared the Springboks current position with that of England four years ago.
"We are probably now where England were four years ago, and the November Test at Twickenham now becomes a very important game," White said.

"But it is wonderful that we will be able to measure ourselves against the world champions. We have a tough schedule over the next two years," added White, who revealed that current South African players plying their trade in Britain could be part of his World Cup build-up.

South Africa are currently at a low ebb, having struggled for form in the international arena and been dogged by off-field problems, and many English fans still remember them for the acts of reckless foul play that marred their 53-3 defeat at Twickenham in 2002.

"I don't condone that behaviour, and I am working very hard on the whole subject of discipline," White said. "It won't happen again, and there is no doubt that we haven't done ourselves proud on or off the pitch,.

"I don't believe that South African rugby has ever been lower. We've let ourselves down, but we are a proud rugby nation."

England were represented at the draw by Robinson and flanker Richard Hill, who opened proceedings by carrying the Webb Ellis Cup on to the stage before Rugby World Cup chairman Syd Millar and French Rugby Federation president Bernard Lapasset made the draw.

"The great thing for us is that we will be playing all our games in France - we will be housed in one country, whereas we could have had Ireland at Lansdowne Road or Scotland at Murrayfield, for instance," Robinson.

"We have got to play South Africa a number of times over the next few years, and I am sure that with Jake White coming in, they will develop a new identity during that time.
"In the World Cup last autumn, we had two really tough matches in our pool against South Africa and Samoa which enabled us to gather some momentum - it was good that we had those games.

"I am happy with it, it is a good draw. We will play anywhere, and you have to win these games anywhere in the world."
Hill added: "It was a great encounter against South Africa in the last World Cup, and I am sure that they will want to beat us.

"The draw has thrown up a lot of similarity for us with the last World Cup."
Prior to England defeating the Springboks 25-6 last October, their previous World Cup meeting saw them crushed in a one sided quarter final in Paris.
Elsewhere, Wales will fancy their chances of progressing, despite being drawn with twice world champions Australia. The remainder of their group will probably be made up by Fiji, Canada and Japan.

Scotland, meanwhile have drawn something of a short straw with New Zealand awaiting them , while other potential opponents are Italy, Romania and Uruguay.
Like Wales, Scotland will play two of their group matches on home soil, with Wales having the added incentive of a potential quarter final in Cardiff.

Ireland, having been drawn in the same pool as France, could find themselves kicking off the tournament as that game would seem to be an ideal opener.
The rest of their group is set to comprise Argentina, which would mean Ireland being drawn with them for a third successive World Cup, Georgia and possibly Morocco.

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