Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber says that the heat and humidity of Corsica have helped preparations for their Rugby World Cup opener against Scotland.
JACQUES Nienaber, coach of defending champions South Africa, said on Sunday that the heat and humidity of Corsica have helped preparations for their Rugby World Cup opener against Scotland.
“The players are used to the heat and humidity after training in these conditions in Corsica,” Nienaber said in an SA Rugby statement after the squad arrived in Toulon to continue their build-up.
“We are expecting similar conditions next weekend,” added Nienaber, referring to the Springboks’ opening Pool B clash with Scotland in Marseille on September 10.
Pool B is rated the toughest of the four sections with top-ranked Ireland, second-placed South Africa and fifth-ranked Scotland battling for two quarter-final places. Tonga and Romania complete the pool.
“It feels surreal to be here (in Toulon). We have been working toward this goal for four years and are now officially one week away from playing our first match,” said Nienaber.
“There is a lot of excitement in the group and the team is completely aligned in terms of what we have to do if we want to be successful in France.
“We ticked the boxes we wanted to from a training perspective in Corsica and will return to the field raring to go on Tuesday.”
“They (Scotland) are ranked fifth in the world, and we know what they are capable of, so it is vital that we hit the ground running from our first training session.”
The Springboks arrived in Toulon after a ferry trip from the Mediterranean island of Corsica, where they spent one week after decisive victories in their final warm-up matches.
South Africa trounced Wales 52-16 in Cardiff, then scored a 35-7 victory over New Zealand at Twickenham, a record winning margin in 105 Tests against their greatest rivals.
New Zealand and South Africa have won the World Cup three times each.
– AFP
