The Springboks lasered in on what they needed to do to win a fourth Rugby World Cup, said assistant coach Felix Jones, as they fine-tuned their match tactics at their final training session on Wednesday (apart from the captain’s run, on Friday) before meeting New Zealand at the Stade de France on Saturday.
Jones, who will serve in his last game in the green and gold before returning to Europe, said the team were in a good frame of mind three days before their biggest match since lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan in 2019.
“The mood in the camp is what you’d expect before a World Cup final,” he said. “There’s huge excitement and a high level of focus which is all geared toward delivering a quality performance. For the players it has been about trying to nail down the detail early in the week, and we are enjoying it.”
The fact that the match is a repeat of the famous 1995 final, at which Nelson Mandela presented the winning trophy before an enraptured worldwide audience, has added spice to the occasion alongside the fact that the winner will edge ahead as the holder of four titles to the other’s three.
“Everyone is conscious of the rivalry,” said Jones. “But this is another opportunity to meet New Zealand in a final, and we are excited about the occasion.”
Jones was so focused on the RWC final he pushed aside his emotions ahead of his last match as a Springbok assistant coach.
“I feel really grateful,” said Jones. “I have a lot of gratitude to the players, coaches, and the community in South Africa. It has been an incredible time with the team.
“I don’t really bring emotion into it. It’s more a sense of excitement. This could also be the last match that some players play for their country and in their careers, so for us as coaches the most important thing is to ensure that the team is on the right track and well prepared.”