The Springboks are bracing themselves for an epic Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday evening and said they are ready for the encounter in what will be their biggest match since the Rugby World Cup final in Japan in 2019.
The All Blacks won the first outing between the sides 35-20 in Auckland in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, with the Boks winning the second match 35-7 in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham in August, which is expected to spice up this match even more.
Springbok lock Marvin Orie is well aware of the challenge ahead and said they were ready to front up.
“I think everyone in the world knows New Zealand are famous for their courageous and skilful play,” said Orie.
“In Auckland, they started that match with intensity, and we took the learnings from that match going into the game in London, and fortunately it went in our favour.
“We are hoping for the same this weekend, but this is a Rugby World Cup final, and we know it will be a tight game.”
When quizzed about the importance of a strong start to the match given New Zealand’s emphasis on starting their matches with a bang, Orie said the Boks knew what they had to do on Saturday as they attempt to register back-to-back Rugby World Cup victories and become the first team to win four titles.
“As the coaches always say, it’s hard to ensure a fast start because the ball can bounce funny at times, but what we can control is to start with good intensity and to prepare well in the week,” said Orie.
“We’ve been doing a lot of analysis on New Zealand, and that included our Rugby Championship match and the game at Twickenham, so hopefully that will assist us in ensuring that we can start with intensity this weekend.”
“Rugby, at its core, is a team sport,” said Orie.
“There are 33 players in the World Cup squad and for us, it’s important that everyone contributes – not only in case there are injuries, but also to prepare the entire team as well as possible for every match.
“So much analysis goes into the opposition these days and over and above that, we try to prepare one another for exactly what the opposition will bring on the field. I feel it’s incredibly important for a team to operate like that, and hopefully, the franchises will use the same model in future.”