Boks ready for quarters

Jake White is relieved that his team have the pool stages of Rugby World Cup 2007 behind them. It’s now all about knock-out rugby and the Boks won’t be underestimating the challenge posed by Fiji.

“We’ve been in a bit of a no-win situation ever since beating England,” said White.

“We were expected to beat Tonga and the United States and we went into the USA game knowing we had already qualified as the leading team in our group.

“Emotionally, that’s a difficult place to be for the players. They knew they were already there, but there were still play-off commitments to negotiate.

“But now it is about knock-out rugby and if the mind is not switched on you could be on a plane home.”

Bok mental coach Henning Gericke praised the players’ mental toughness and knows the team won’t be complacent heading into the knockout stages of the tournament.

“There is respect for the occasion,” he said.

“It is not who we play on Sunday that will determine the players’ approach.

“We’re in a World Cup quarter-final and the right to go back to Paris for the semi-finals is something that has to be earned through performance. We won’t get it because we are expected to beat Fiji.

“They’ve had one eye on Marseilles ever since showing the intensity to deal with England in Paris. That performance against England showed the mental strength of the guys in this group and so while there can be criticism that the intensity wasn’t there for 80 minutes against the United States I know it won’t be an issue against Fiji.”

Jake White talked about the victory against the USA and the setbacks his team have overcome to make it to the quarter finals against the Fijians.

“I seem more pleased than some of you guys,” White told the media.
 
“I think that in itself is a compliment to the expectation there is of this team when we can beat the USA 64-15 and I don’t see you guys smiling.

“We knew we were one of the favourites when we got to France and I am pleased we’ve managed to show it wasn’t just hype.

“I always said we were comfortable with the pressure of that kind of expectation and so far we’ve been equal to the demands of the challenge.

“We’re in a good space right now. We’ve had to overcome injury setbacks, but as a squad we’ve responded to each question.

“We don’t determine the opposition and our view all along has been to focus on what we can control, which is our own performance. And we’re right where we want to be a month into the tournament.

“Fiji are already being written off, but we aren’t the ones doing that. We want a particular performance against them on Sunday and that’s where our energy will be this week.”

“You just don’t know what to make of Australia and New Zealand because of the lop-sided nature of their match-ups.

“On Sunday night there will only be four teams left in the World Cup and the four left will have had to be at their best to still be around.

“Personally, I know we have already been challenged at this World Cup. The pressures of losing Jean de Villiers for the tournament and Schalk Burger for two Tests, as well as the unavailability of Pierre Spies were things we had to counter.

“Now it is how we overcome losing BJ Botha.

“England mentally was a huge test for us and we triumphed. We showed the capacity to deal with the occasion and produce the efficiency required at this level.

“Defensively we also showed we have the pattern and desire to keep a team out. I know there were lapses in defence and attack against Tonga and the United States, but the occasion was very different. You won’t see those lapses in the quarter-final,” said White.