VIDEO: Boks expect plenty of '2019 beef' from England
England will play it down, publicly, but South Africa’s players and coaching staff believe there will be a measure of ‘payback’ when the two countries face off in a World Cup semifinal in Paris on Saturday.
Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard admitted there may be some lingering ill feelings from the England camp after what happened four years ago – a 32-12 win for the Boks.
South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus also pointed out that the two teams have met twice since the 2019 World Cup Final – winning once each.
England won 27-26 at Twickenham in November 2021 and the Springboks won 27-13 at the same venue in November last year.
England have 12 of the starting XV from Yokohama, 2019, in their current squad and available for selection. There are a few more who came off the bench in the Final four years ago.
Twelve of the victorious Bok starting XV from 2019 are around – with Tendai Mtawarira retired, while Makazole Mapimpi and Lood de Jager are injured. Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman and Franco Mostert all came off the bench in Yokohama.
(WATCH as South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus speaks about the residual beef England will have after the 2019 World Cup Final loss to South Africa…)
“It is something that will always hurt,” Erasmus said of the Boks’ 2019 demolition of England.
“I lost in a World Cup semifinal against Australia and the next few games you think: ‘You guys took it away from us.’
“England will feel like that.
“That’s the excitement of it [Saturday’s semifinal].
“That’s professional sport – toy want to rectify the problems, you want to make your country proud, you want to make your team proud.
“That’s what England will be like.
“They won’t arrive there an say: ‘Come do it to us again’.”
Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard said the Boks will ’embrace’ any “beef” that comes with the England team.
(WATCH as South African flyhalf Handre Pollard speaks about the residual beef England will have after the 2019 World Cup Final loss to South Africa...)
“You could see on their faces four years ago, the disappointment [after South Africa beat them in the 2019 Final],” Pollard said, at the same media briefing where Erasmus spoke of the potential leftover animosity.
“I have been part of a squad that has been knocked out in the semifinal of a World Cup [in 2015] and it sits with you the rest of your life.
“There are a lot of things you look back on and think you could have done differently.
“I’m sure they will come with that mindset this week.
“I think they will be ruthless, I think they will take the intensity and physicality to a whole new level.
“But, that being said, we are prepared for that, we are prepared for that and we enjoy that.
“If there is going to be beef, there is going to be beef.
“It’s test rugby, it’s 80 minutes and we have just got to play the game.”
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