Bismark: Why the Boks can win the World Cup

Meyer has overseen only one win over the all-conquering New Zealanders in seven Tests against them in his reign, and he said the Cup holders’ cohesion in the squad was their greatest asset.

“That’s why we went with more or less a team of some continuity, especially at the backs – only Jean coming back in there… then there’s also a mix of guys that had some continuity in the forwards and a few players haven’t played for quite some time”. The British currency has appreciated against all but two of its 16 major peers in the past year, strengthening more than 15 percent versus the rand, Aussie and kiwi.

“Not a lot is expected of us but we as a team have great expectations. And I’m not convinced they will get to the final because they will have to get past New Zealand first, and that’s when all that experience comes against you”.

The University of Bath is playing its own important part around the World Cup.

The Bok skipper has been desperately unlucky in the past with injuries prematurely ending both his previous World Cup experiences.

A year ago, they came second in the Rugby Championship for the second year running.

South Africa is the heavy favorites for the Pool B clash at Brighton Community Stadium but Ives, as well as the rest of Eddie Jones’ squad, believes they do have a chink in their armor, small though it may be.

Meyer says they have studied Japan and it is not going to be easy. He knows South Africa are expecting big things from him and the team. He’s got a two-year work visa and plans to stay in the UK after the event to pay down the costs in pounds. “The downfall of that is you should be able to drop black players who are performing badly”. “For us it is about taking off from the first game and building up momentum”. “We’ve been together for five months working really hard and I think we can ask enough questions to challenge them”.

Until 1990, Namibian players were eligible to represent South Africa, with some of those players including the late Namibian-born Springbok Jan Ellis and, more recently, Percy Montgomery.