Former boss Heyneke Meyer warns Boks: ‘Don’t look past England’

Former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has urged Jacques Nienaber’s team to hold their nerve in their Rugby World Cup semi-final showdown against England on Saturday night at the Stade de France in Paris.

The match will be the second semi-final in France at the weekend, with New Zealand and Argentina contesting the other at the same venue on Friday night.

According to Meyer, who was in charge of the Boks at the 2015 showpiece, there will be more pressure on the four teams this weekend than on the two teams who qualify for the final.

‘Tougher than a final’

“First of all, semi-finals are always tough, in my experience, it’s almost tougher than a final,” Meyer said when speaking to The Citizen.

“Semi-finals are always nerve-wracking, and so the team that usually wins is the team that can handle the pressure the best. And, dealing with the pressure goes hand in hand with discipline.

“South Africa have a lot of experience … they have won the World Cup with this team, so they are a great side but it’s not how you play but how you handle the pressure. The Boks though are very good with that (handling pressure), and there are many good leaders in the side,” he said.

Underestimate England

The Springboks will go into the match as the heavy favourites to win and advance to the final, but Meyer has warned the Boks to not underestimate their opponents, who the Boks beat in the 2019 final in Japan four years ago.

“A lot of people predict it will be an easy game for South Africa but because of the pressure in the semi-finals, there’s no way that South Africa can underestimate them.

“The biggest mistake South Africa can make is to look past this game and look to probably an All Blacks final because England are a team that can beat anyone because they play low-risk rugby,” said Meyer.

After struggling before the World Cup, England, under coach Steve Borthwick, seem to be peaking at the right time.

‘Playing to strengths’

Out of the remaining four teams in France, England are the only unbeaten side. Meyer praised Borthwick for how he’s managed to get the team back to their original DNA after taking over from Eddie Jones.

“Borthwick went back to the way that England used to play, which is a set-piece game,” said Meyer. “They have improved week after week, nobody gave them a chance but they have grown as a team.”

And discipline, said Meyer, will be key for the Boks because in Owen Farrell England have a goal-kicker who’ll punish any faults.

“England are playing to their strengths and in Farrell they have got a very good kicker. What you don’t want is a game where South Africa are all of a sudden drawn into ill-discipline and Farrell kicks a few penalties and you’re suddenly chasing the game.”