Boks warned against complacency

MONTPELLIER – South Africa coach Jake White has warned his players not to even think about winning the World Cup despite getting what appears an easy path to the final.

The Springboks are now odds-on favourites to at least make the final after a series of surprise results left them in the same half of the draw as Fiji, Argentina and Scotland. With tournament heavyweights; New Zealand, Australia, England and France grouped on the other side of the draw, the signs are looking good for a Springboks’ side who swept all before them in the pool stages.However, sticking to the coach’s mantra that they will take it one game at a time, White said it was crucial his players did not start thinking too far ahead.”It’s a difficult one but we’ll discuss that with the players,” he told a news conference after his team’s 64-15 win over the United States on Sunday.”It makes no difference about who we might have pencilled in to play because so many things have changed from the time the competition has started, literally from the opening game.”I don’t think we need to worry about who we’re going to be getting.We just have to focus on what’s next.”South Africa’s quarter-final opponents are Fiji, who upset Wales in a classic encounter to reach the last eight for the first time since the inaugural 1987 World Cup.White said he had been expecting to face the Welsh but added he could not afford to take the flamboyant Pacific Islanders any more lightly.The Springboks were untroubled running in nine tries against a brave but outclassed American side in their last pool game but the win was soured by a knee injury to tighthead prop BJ Botha, who is almost certain to be ruled out of the rest of the tournament.”Any loss of any player at this stage is disruptive,” Springboks skipper John Smit said.”We’ll be hard-pressed to replace him with someone who can work as hard.We’re lucky enough we’ve got CJ (van der Linde) who’s been alternating with him over the last couple of weeks.South Africa almost suffered a double blow when wing Bryan Habana left the field with blood streaming down his face after a nasty head clash.Habana, who scored four tries against Samoa and another two against the United States, needed a few stitches only and will be ready to play in Sunday’s quarter-final against the Fijians in Marseille.Nampa-ReutersWith tournament heavyweights; New Zealand, Australia, England and France grouped on the other side of the draw, the signs are looking good for a Springboks’ side who swept all before them in the pool stages.However, sticking to the coach’s mantra that they will take it one game at a time, White said it was crucial his players did not start thinking too far ahead.”It’s a difficult one but we’ll discuss that with the players,” he told a news conference after his team’s 64-15 win over the United States on Sunday.”It makes no difference about who we might have pencilled in to play because so many things have changed from the time the competition has started, literally from the opening game.”I don’t think we need to worry about who we’re going to be getting.We just have to focus on what’s next.”South Africa’s quarter-final opponents are Fiji, who upset Wales in a classic encounter to reach the last eight for the first time since the inaugural 1987 World Cup.White said he had been expecting to face the Welsh but added he could not afford to take the flamboyant Pacific Islanders any more lightly.The Springboks were untroubled running in nine tries against a brave but outclassed American side in their last pool game but the win was soured by a knee injury to tighthead prop BJ Botha, who is almost certain to be ruled out of the rest of the tournament.”Any loss of any player at this stage is disruptive,” Springboks skipper John Smit said.”We’ll be hard-pressed to replace him with someone who can work as hard.We’re lucky enough we’ve got CJ (van der Linde) who’s been alternating with him over the last couple of weeks.South Africa almost suffered a double blow when wing Bryan Habana left the field with blood streaming down his face after a nasty head clash.Habana, who scored four tries against Samoa and another two against the United States, needed a few stitches only and will be ready to play in Sunday’s quarter-final against the Fijians in Marseille.Nampa-Reuters