Jamie Roberts expecting a war against South Africa

Jamie Roberts has braced Wales for “physical warfare” in today’s World Cup quarter-final clash against South Africa at Twickenham.

Roberts knows from vivid personal memory just how punishing an appointment with the Springboks can be.

“The challenge above all else is to get the mind right and put your body on the line for physical warfare,” Wales centre Roberts said.

“I will never forget the second Lions Test at Loftus Versfeld (Pretoria) in 2009, when there were five of us in the hospital afterwards. That was interesting.

“Adam (Jones) came off with a shoulder which took two or three hours to get back in, Gethin (Jenkins) smashed his face, (Brian) O’Driscoll got a clout on his head, I injured my wrist and ended up needing an operation on it and Tommy Bowe hurt his elbow.

“There were five of us in an ambulance after that game going to the hospital. That is what lies in store for us this weekend.

“It’s pretty gruesome, but that is the nature of the game now. You have got to be prepared to put your body on the line and take it to places you haven’t been before.

“Having played South Africa many times in my career, you have to match them physically before anything else,” he added.

“The way they play the game, if you lose the battle of the gain-line you are 80-90% towards losing the game. They pressurise teams in defence, but their aerial game is huge. You don’t have to be a rugby connoisseur to work out how they are going to play the game.

“There is no doubt that when South Africa play like South Africa — and do it well — they are a very difficult team to beat. They have gone back to how they play the game best — that’s how they won the World Cup (in 2007). That is the challenge that faces us, but for us to get that win last November was a huge step in our learning curve.”

South Africa skipper Fourie du Preez has backed the Springboks to stand up and be counted again.

Wales have only beaten South Africa twice in Test match history, with that run of defeats including 16 successive losses between 2000 and 2014, but Du Preez is taking no notice of past results.

“Tomorrow at 4pm, we start at zero. The last time we played Wales, they beat us,” he added.

“In a World Cup, any team can beat anyone, and over the weekend any four of the eight quarter-finalists can go through. They are going to be four big games.

“Anything that has happened in the past doesn’t really count. All that matters is tomorrow at four o’clock.

“You can be as well prepared to adapt to the referee. In 2011 (against Australia) we were well prepared but didn’t adapt to the referee, and in 2007 we almost lost against Fiji, so it’s all about what happens on the day.

“It doesn’t matter which stadium, what record, what happened in the previous games against Wales. We are just looking forward to a massive battle.” Du Preez has had to overcome his own battle just to make the World Cup, putting injury setbacks behind him and now preparing to drive their bid for a semi-final place.

“Last year, in June, I almost had a career-ending injury,” he said. “It was a long battle for me to get back on the field.

“Then I played in Japan, everything went well and I had a nice off-season. Then I had quite a bad knee injury, so two or three weeks before the World Cup, I wasn’t sure if I was still going to play rugby. I am very lucky to be here today.

“It was quite a mental battle, and a physical battle as well. I mentally had to make a decision, and some decisions can come good.”