Rugby World Cup: England ready to take South Africa's ultra-physical challenge
Eddie Jones expects the Springboks to initiate heavy body-contact strategy during the final
Pundits are claiming that next Saturday's Rugby World Cup final will be no less than a heavy metal concert. The pitch is expected to transform into a mosh pit. England coach Eddie Jones believes that the South African players will use their physical prowess to restrict the Red Rose from lifting the most sought after trophy.
The Springboks are known for their ultra-physical presence on the ground. Things aren't likely to change much as they will look forward to repeating the World Cup final of 2007. Coincidentally, Jones was a part of the world champion team back then.
He was part of the support staff who helped South Africa to mastermind a 15-6 win against the English brigade. Back then, Brian Ashton was the Red Rose's coach. 12 years later, Jones has now switched teams. He has ended up sitting on the head coach's chair for the same opponents that he defeated last time around.
In a recent interview, Jones said, "They are going to come through the front door. There are not many Springbok teams that don't come through the front door. So we have got to be ready at the front door and have enough cover at the back door, too. They are a massively aggressive, physical forward pack. They are going to be a difficult side to beat. We know a couple of areas that we can expose in them and we'll make sure we are well prepared in those areas."
Before naming their final team on Thursday, the English squad will undergo two intense training sessions. The Sun reports that Jones said it's important not to let pressure affect the players. They've done a terrific job throughout this seven-week tournament. It now depends on how well they execute their strategy during the final.
South Africa, on the other hand, has lost only one game this calendar year so far. However, their only loss came in this World Cup's first weekend. Historically, no team has ever won the World Cup after losing any of their group league games.
The 2nd of November will be the date that will decide if the World Cup will arrive back in London. If that happens, the Red Roses wouldn't expect any better revenge for 2007's final. The International Stadium in Yokohama is ready to witness history and so is the entire rugby world.
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