All Blacks ‘worrying over Springboks’
Former South African hooker Hanyani Shimange believes the All Blacks have more worries than the Springboks for their World Cup opener in Japan.
The two titans are grouped together and clash in Yokohama on September 21 in a match that will have huge ramifications to their tournament progress.
Shimange fronted a discussion panel with Springboks stars Jean de Villiers and Breyton Paulse in Cape Town and insisted that the rugby world feared the Springboks, with the two-time World Cup winners in resurgent form under coach Rassie Erasmus.
Shimange felt the opening match in Pool B would be critical for the Boks and their tournament hopes.
‘‘If we get over that, I am pretty confident we can go all the way.
‘‘I think we underestimate how other teams fear us,’’ Shimange said in a Sport24 report.
‘‘I can guarantee you New Zealand are worrying more about them playing us then we are about us playing them, considering we beat them last year in New Zealand and I cannot remember when last that happened outside of a British and Irish Lions tour.’’
The Springboks beat the All Blacks 36-34 in their Rugby Championship clash in Wellington last year. The All Blacks won the rematch in Pretoria 32-30.
They face each other just once in a truncated Rugby Championship ahead of the World Cup, meeting in Wellington on July 27 in a game that could have huge psychological upshots to the Japan tournament.
Shimage played nine tests for the Springboks from 2004-06 and enjoyed a 40-26 win over the All Blacks in Johannesburg in 2004 in his only clash with New Zealand.
He felt Erasmus would be wise to include some older overseasbased players in his World Cup mix.
‘‘There are the Du Plessis brothers Bismarck and Jannie in the front row, Frans Steyn, Jan Serfontein, JP Pietersen – they have all gone to World Cups before.’’