Bryan on the brink
FLYING BOK WING IN SIGHT OF LOMU’S MARK
Opportunities are likely to present themselves.
B ryan Habana could add to his try-scoring tally and edge closer to Jonah Lomu’s World Cup record when the Springboks face the US at the Olympic Stadium this evening.
Habana has won everything there is to win at domestic, regional, and international level. He currently holds the South African record for the most Test tries (61) and by the end of the 2015 World Cup, the Bok wing may have made his mark on another two fronts.
No player has scored more World Cup tries than Lomu (15). No tier-one Test player has scored more tries than the great Wallaby wing David Campese (64). However, that will change if Habana scores at least four more tries over the next few weeks.
Habana came into this tournament with 10 World Cup tries to his name. He equalled Lomu’s record for the most tries in a single World Cup when he scored eight in the 2007 competition. He added to that tally when he scored two in 2011. Thus far, he’s scored two at the 2015 tournament.
Habana recently surpassed Welsh wing Shane Williams on the all-time try-scoring list. He currently sits at third behind Daisuke Ohata (69) and Australia’s Campese (64). The Japanese wing’s record is unlikely to be broken in the near future, but there is a chance Habana will go past Campese at this tournament to become the most prolific try-scorer in tier-one rugby.
The Boks are expected to win by a comfortable margin against what looks to be a second-string US side. The Eagles will battle to live with the physicality of the South Africans, and there will be opportunities for players like Habana to score.
In the build-up to SA’s final match of the pool stage, he said he was determined to contribute.
“You sometime hear talk of records and milestones, but what I’ve realised as I’ve got older is that you have to be able to contribute in other areas,” Habana said.
“Be it at the breakdown, or through chasing a high ball, I have to stay involved. That record is in the back of my mind. But first and foremost, I have to do what’s best for the team.”