FRANCE: RUGBY - Springboks prepare in Noisy le Grand near Paris before the World Cup final against England at the Stade de France in Paris

South Africa captain John Smit and his team trained at the Mimoun stadium in Noisy le Grand outside Paris on Wednesday (October 17), few days before they play England in the World Cup final on Saturday at the Stade de France. The team looked fit during the training. However, coach Jake White and his team are aware that England have amazingly improved since the beginning of the World Cup and will do everything they can to become the first world champions to retain the title. JP Pieterson said it would be an honour to play with some of the guys, who will hang up their boots after the game "I am very pleased and pleased to be with a Captain like John Smit and a lot of senior guys, Victor and Monty, it's going to be their last game and going to be very special for them ", said Pieterson. The Springboks know it will be a tough game and English Fly Half Jonny Wilkinson is a real danger. "You cannot be relaxed about their backs who's not going to pay wide, they will surprise us, by playing some moves wide, like Jason Robinson is very dangerous player, you cannot give him enough space otherwise you will create a very difficult situation for us", Pieterson said.. South Africa won the World Cup at home in 1995 and the pressure on them to win again this year is enormous. Even if South Africa beat England in Saturday's final, the team is likely to be broken up because of political pressure to raise the quota of coloured players in the side.

ITN Source | October 18, 2007

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