Fourie: ‘no special plans to hold England pack’
The world champions have bludgeoned their way to the showpiece through the strength of their pack and the opportunism of goalkicking fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.
Having ground out narrow victories over Australia in the last eight and France in the semi-final, England are expected to pursue the same tactics and use brute force to get the better of the Springboks in Paris this weekend.
The South Africans are powerful up front themselves, but have also been a sight to behold in attack, with the likes of Fourie, Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen showing electric form out wide.
Fourie, who has been one of the tournament’s leading centres, insists the Springboks are more concerned about improving their own game rather than worrying about what England have to offer.
“We are not going to change anything in our game plan,” said the Springboks playmaker. “We just want to do everything better than we have done in the past seven weeks.
“I think early in the game we should just play to our own structure, but I think we will ask questions of their defence.
“In any knockout stage, it’s not about how many points you win by, it’s about winning. Nobody will remember how you win it, just that you won it.”
The graceful Fourie lost long-term centre partner Jean de Villiers to injury in his team’s first game of the tournament. De Villiers ruptured his biceps attempting to make a tackle against Samoa in the Springboks’ opening Pool A game, and had to return home.
At first, it was seen as a massive blow to coach Jake White’s plans, but replacement centre Francois Steyn has plugged the gap magnificently.
Steyn, 20, has been tipped as one of the future South Africa stars and has already made a splash in France with his bold approach and youthful exuberance.
Steyn, who has the same build and style as England’s precocious centre Mathew Tait, is an adventurous runner, but has been accused of taking the wrong option on occasions.
“Sometimes stuff doesn’t happen how I would like it to happen and sometimes I get a little bit hard on myself,” said the Sharks utility back. “He (Jake White) doesn’t come down on me, but I think he wishes he could give me a hiding. I like Jake a lot and he gave me a good opportunity. I just hope I can take it with both hands.”
With Steyn, Fourie and Pietersen and Habana making up arguably the most dangerous back-line in the Cup, England are likely to be even more wary of spreading play wide.
Pietersen, however, reckons England have more than just a heavyweight pack. “They have got their own game plan, but they have some talent in their backs,” said the 21-year-old Sharks wide man, who scored a brace of tries in the Springboks’ 36-0 demolition of England in the group stages.
“We cannot underestimate their backline, we always have to be on our toes.”
The Springboks are set to select the same starting XV which beat Argentina 37-13 in Sunday’s semi-final, although it is believed to be a close battle for the tighthead prop jersey between CJ van der Linde and Jannie du Plessis.
Du Plessis only joined up with the squad at the end of the pool stages following an injury to fellow front-rower BJ Botha.
He is fresher than Van der Linde, who has struggled recently with a knee injury but started against the Pumas. The other change could see Wikus van Heerden come in for fellow number eight Bobby Skinstad on the replacements’ bench.
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