VIDEO: 'Conditioned' Boks ready to turn up the heat in Marseille
South Africa are determined to avoid the sideshows and focus on the realities of their opening World Cup match, against Scotland in Stade de Marseille on Sunday.
In his first official World Cup media briefing after landing at their training base in Toulon, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber showed all the deft footwork that his dextrous wings like Cheslin Colby and Canan Moodie has displayed this year.
He was confronted with questions about conditions, the team’s build-up and the opposition.
Nienaber replied with seasoned explanations – making it clear they are not focused on any sideshows, just the training field.
The Bok coach said the conditions are definitely something teams must get used to.
“From a conditioning point of view, if you have a five or six degrees [°C] elevation, there is some adjustment that your body needs to make,” Nienaber said at the team’s training base in the port city of Toulon on the Mediterranean coast.
Turning to Sunday’s Test against Scotland – when the temperature at kick-off it will be around 28°C (feeling like 31°C) and a humidity factor of 40 percent – the Bok coach said the Scottish team had a chance to ‘acclimatise’ when they faced off in the Paris suburb of Saint-Etienne last month.
In the end France held on to beat Scotland 30-27 in a World Cup warm-up match less than a month before the tournament kick off in France.
“They [Scotland] had a training camp in the south of France, so they would used to it – as we will,” he added.
He admitted that the Boks will be used to the heat and humidity after training in those conditions in Corsica last week.
“We are expecting similar conditions,” Nienaber said about the opening Pool B clash.
For both teams it is a ‘must win’ encounter – given that world No.1 Ireland awaits for both later in the pool stages.
“The Scotland game is the most important game for us,” he said.
The Bok coach said what happened in the warm-up games – against Argentina, Wales and New Zealand – have no relevance to Sunday’s encounter.
“They are Tests and they help to give you confidence and build momentum,” he said, adding: “It was matches to get us prepared for the World Cup and the Scotland Test.”
He also played down the significance of the favouritism tag still slapped onto New Zealand, despite the Boks’ emphatic 35-7 win in their warm-up match at Twickenham last month.
Bookmakers still have the All Blacks as tournament favourites, followed closely by hosts France and defending champions South Africa.
In contrast, the Boks are firm favourites for Sunday’s opening game – with South Africa being offered at one-to-five and Scotland at seven-to-two.
(WATCH as Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber unpacks the advantages of the pre-World Cup camp and looks forward towards the opening match against Scotland…)
“Being favourites or not being favourites does not influence Saturday’s game,” Nienaber said.
He added that while it is a nice topic of debate for fans and the media, they (the teams) have no control over who is the favourites.
“It provides some talking points ahead of the Test – this team is favoured and this team is the underdog.
“Fans want the underdog to win.
“The reality is, that it has no bearing on us or Scotland.
“It is what you, as a team, believe within the group.
“How prepared are you? How much effort did you put in? Did you get yourselves prepared for the Test against Scotland on Sunday?
“That is the reality.
“Whether you are the favourite or the underdog is not going to make Scotland perform better or worse.
“It is your preparation during the week that will be the reality.”
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The #Springboks’ French journey has started in Toulon 🇫🇷#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/URtb1UUi4H
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 3, 2023
