GROOT Preview: RWC Final

South Africa take on England in the Final of Rugby World Cup 2007 on Saturday 20th October in St.Denis, France. The winners will join Australia in having won two World Cup titles.

The Details

Date: Saturday 20 October 2007
Kick Off: 21:00 SA (19.00 GMT, 20.00 BST)
Venue: Stade de France, Paris
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges: Joël Jutge (France), Paul Honiss (NZ)
TMO: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Assessor: Michel Lamoulie (France)

The Teams

[TABLE=46]

Road To The Final

South Africa:

beat Samoa 59-07
beat England 36-00
beat Tonga 30-25
beat USA 64-15
beat Fiji 37-20
beat Argentina 37-13

England:

beat USA 28-10
lost to South Africa 00-36
beat Samoa 44-22
beat Tonga 36-20
beat Australia 12-10
beat France 14-09

What They Say

John Smit

“I told the guys to remember the look in the eyes of the Aussies and the Kiwis and said I didn’t want to see that here.

“I’m relieved and happy we got through, although the truth is we haven’t achieved anything yet.

“There’s nothing in the bag, and we need to follow up on the last four years of hard work.

“When South Africa won the first one, in 1995, I was a 17-year-old and everyone in the nation needed it.

“The last 12 years we’ve gone from strength to strength and it’s a different South Africa. Twelve years later to rekindle those emotions in everyone is a huge privilege.”

Schalk Burger

“They’ve been playing well, especially their forwards, which is something we also pride ourselves on so we are looking forward to the contest. I can’t wait to get started on Saturday.

“It’s a final. We are starting over. That pool game has been forgotten. We have now got a job to do on Saturday.

“It’s a brand new week and it’s a brand new game. Since then they’ve come through the rest of the tournament pretty well.”

He spoke about the Jonny Wilkinson factor.

“He’s a fantastic player and a match winner.

“He has been around and won a World Cup. He has made a big impact on their game so he’s a dangerous player.

“He will definitely make a big difference in the England side and he is one of their key players.”

He predicts that there will be a lot of kicking in the final.

“I think that’s the way it will go. I think territory, where you play the most rugby, is important.

“In saying that, I think we have still got to go out and play. We can’t fall into a trap where you get forced out of the gameplan, just kicking aimlessly, so we’ve got to stick to our structures and hopefully that will work for us on Saturday.”

Butch James

“There’s no point in beating them in that pool game if we don’t beat them in the final.

“I don’t think we’ll carry confidence from that pool game. It’s 80 minutes and anything can happen.

“I think England have come a long way since then. They have been playing in form, they have all their players back so they are going to be really tough this weekend.”

Bryan Habana

Habana has drawn his inspiration from the Springboks’ victorious 1995 World Cup campaign.

“It was the first time I watched rugby -  I didn’t even know the rules.

“But it was a great experience. I remember we were all very proud of being South Africans.

“Being part of that total euphoria was really inspirational for me. It made me want to take up the game and give the country something back.

“The tournament’s not going to be about any one individual. It’s about the Springboks team going out there and representing a nation.

“Every guy in this team has got a contribution that he makes to the overall team.

“I am the guy who gives all the energy on the field and my role is to cross the try line.

“I’m really chuffed but at the end of the day it won’t mean anything if we don’t win.”

CJ van der Linde

“I don’t think we scrummed well against Argentina.

“We struggled, especially on my side of the front row. The Pumas outsmarted us.

“But we have analysed matters and looked at the mistakes that we have to rectify.

“Os is a legend in South African rugby. Even little children know who he is. His name will be mentioned for many years still.

“We do not realise what impact he makes. One day, when he is old, we will know what great work he did for South Africa and what a leader he was.

“This is my first World Cup tournament. For me, it is incredible that we are in the final. It has not really sunk in.”

Francois Steyn

“He (White) doesn’t come down on me, but I think he wishes he could give me a hiding – but it has been good.

“I like Jake a lot and he gave me a good opportunity and I just hope I can take it with both hands.

“I am enjoying my time with Butchy on my inside and Jaque Fourie on my outside and they have been helping me a lot.

“It has been quite adventurous and I hope I can just enjoy it on Saturday.

“Yeah I am (confident), but sometimes stuff doesn’t happen how I would like it to happen and sometimes I get a little bit hard on myself, but we are looking forward to Saturday and I hope everything goes well.

“We have not decided yet on a special plan (for Wilkinson).

“He is a key factor, he brings a calmness to their team – but England have great forwards too.

“Jonny’s drop-goals are perfect, and if he gets the chance he will take it.

“(Dropping for goal) is an instinctive thing so we will just have to see what happens, but I think there is going to be some, especially from Jonny, but we must keep our heads and not try to force stuff or second-guess their tactics.

Percy Montgomery

“I think they will vary it and use their forwards and keep it tight and play their normal game.

“What they normally do is go to the forwards and play a kicking game and try to transfer it into points.

“I think the weather will definitely play an issue.

“Winter is creeping into Paris so nine o’clock is quite a late kick-off and the ball will be a bit wet, so it will play a huge part.

“But I just keep quiet at the back – the forwards know what to do!”

Jaque Fourie

“We are not going to change anything in our game plan.

“We just want to do everything better than we have done in the past seven weeks.

“I think early in the game we should just play to our own structure but I think we will ask questions of their defence.

“In any knockout stage, it’s not about how many points you win by, it’s about winning. Nobody will remember how you win it, just that you won it.

“It’s a final so anything can happen. But they have done their preparation and I don’t necessarily think they will just play 10-man rugby.”

On his partnership with Frans Steyn:

“It hasn’t taken long for us to gel because I think Francois is in the same mould as Jean de Villiers.

“He is an exciting player and he likes to make things happen – the way he plays is just in his nature.

“He’s so young and in the next few years, he will become a great player.

JP Pietersen

“They have got their own game plan, but they have some talent in their backs.

“We cannot underestimate their backline, we always have to be on our toes.

“We can’t be relaxed about that just because they have not been playing wide. Jason Robinson, for example, is a very dangerous player and we cannot give him enough space.

“We are going to have to make less mistakes, and take our opportunities.”

Jason Robinson

“There is a lot of excitement, it is a massive game, no doubt about it.

“Last time we played them they beat us convincingly. I know I’m finishing after the game but having been on the rugby treadmill for the last 16 years I won’t know what it’s like to not be on it until next week.

“So there is going to be a certain mix of feelings but the main thing is to stay focused. I am just pleased with the way we have turned things around. Hopefully with one last push we will be successful.

“We have got the experience but they have got a good settled squad as well.

“It is the team that wants it the most and the team that makes the least mistakes. It is going to be a physical battle but you have got to play smart rugby as well. It has got all the ingredients to be a classic.”

Martin Corry

“We’ve spoken about this since the pool stages, we realised what we were doing wasn’t effective and we sat down and said we had to improve game on game, set ourselves goals and so far we have achieved them.

“Wilko has been magnificent for us, not just his play, it is his calming influence. No matter how much pressure we come under he stays the same.”

Clive Woodward

“If you win the World Cup, you win the World Cup.

“It doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you get over the line in the first position.

“I would say it is a bigger story in a way.

“In 2003 we arrived and there was a huge amount of pressure on us, especially from ourselves because we thought we were the best team and we thought we should win this thing.

“That created a whole amount of pressure and, thankfully, we delivered.

“These guys have come from the outside, from eighth favourite or something, and really delivered, so I guess in that way it must be extremely exciting to be in the England camp because you’ve got nothing to lose at the weekend whereas we felt going into that final a huge amount of tension.

“If we’d lost that final we would never ever have forgiven ourselves. These guys have got there just through sheer will, hard work and determination. If they can pull it off it will be just as big a result as us winning.

“Massive credit to everyone involved because if they were to be successful it would be Boy’s Own stuff.

“To go from a 36-0 defeat in your second pool game to making the final and potentially winning it is just fantastic.

“So it’s been a big surprise but I think that’s probably what makes it even more special to anyone who follows the game closely.”

Phil Vickery

“I’d like to be be able to erase the memory of a 36-0 defeat but unfortunately they don’t go away.

“In all honesty, South Africa deserved their victory because they played well and took their opportunities. Since then, a huge amount has changed for us.

“I don’t know that it’s going to be a motivation, it certainly still hurts.

“It’s a World Cup final on Saturday. Whatever has happened in the past counts for nothing, it’s a one-off game.”

“I know what it took last time. This team’s here, we want to make our own history.

“Everybody in the squad knows that and we won’t leave anything in the changing room, we will leave everything on the field.”

“South Africa are a fantastic side and they’ve proven that. To know what true test match rugby is about, you’ve got to play against South Africa because it is one of the most physical games of rugby you’ll ever face.

“The scary thing looking at their side is one, their experience, combined with the power and speed, both in the back-row and the backs.

“They’ve got kickers who don’t just kick for the posts but kick for the corners too. They seem a very complete side and it’s very difficult to find any weaknesses there.

“They’ve been together a long time, Jake White has done a great job on that front, and Eddie Jones coming in, his record speaks for itself, and he’s obviously helped them hugely as well.

“We’re under no illusions about how difficult it will be this week but we’ve faced this every week from the Samoa game, so we look forward to the challenge and hopefully we can do ourselves a lot of justice.”

Facts and Figures

– If South Africa win they’ll make it three in row over England at the Stade de France in Rugby World Cup action. In the quarterfinal in 1999 they triumphed 44-21 and in this year’s pool game they defeated England 36-00

– The Boks’ 25-14 victory over England at Twickenham in their last game of 2006 halted a run of seven successive defeats and if they win on Saturday they’ll extend their current run to five wins in a row.

– The Boks go into the Final with both the top points scorer, Percy Montgomery on 93, and leading try-scorer, Bryan Habana on eight, in the tournament.

– The Boks, with 33, have recorded the second most tries in the tournament. The All Blacks ran in an amazing 48 tries. England have scored just 12 tries.

– England have repeated their feat of being the only side to lose a match in the Pool stages but still qualify for the Final. In 1991 they lost to New Zealand in the opening game but reached the Final against Australia.

– Francois Steyn (Born 14 May 1987) at 20 years and 159 days will be the second youngest player ever to take part in a Rugby World Cup Final after Jonah Lomu who was 20 years and 43 days old when he played in the Final for the All Blacks against the Springboks at Ellis Park on June 24, 1995.

– Os du Randt (Born 8 September 1972) will not be the oldest player on the field – a distinction which will, ironically, belong to another South African Mike Catt (Born 17 September 1971).

– During the 2007 tournament Jonny Wilkinson, currently on 243, passed Scotland’s Gavin Hastings (227) as the most prolific points-scorer in RWC history.

– Alain Rolland will become the first Irishman and just the fifth referee to referee a Rugby World Cup Final on Saturday night. The others have been:

1987: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)
1991: Derek Bevan (Wales)
1995: Ed Morrison (England)
1999: André Watson (South Africa)
2003: André Watson (South Africa)

– Grey College in Bloemfontein has for the second time achieved the remarkable feat of having five former pupils in a Springbok RWC squad:

CJ van der Linde
Ruan Pienaar
Francois Steyn
Jannie du Plessis
Bismarck du Plessis

– At the 1999 RWC Grey College also had five Springboks

Naka Drotske
Ruben Kruger
Ollie le Roux
Pieter Muller
Werner Swanepoel

– The victorious 1987 All Black RWC team had four players who had been to the same school, Auckland Grammar High, which was founded by the same man, Sir George Grey, who established South Africa’s two Greys, College in Bloem and High in Port Elizabeth.

Alan Whetton
Gary Whetton
John Kirwan
Grant Fox