NEW Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has told his players South Africa will want to “rip our heads off” in today’s World Cup rugby semi-final at Twickenham. The All Blacks go into the game, which kicks off at 16:00 BST, having won 47 and lost three of their past 52 Tests. South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer says the defending champions are “the best team to have played the game”.
“He’s just about killed us with compliments,” said Hansen. “He’s a cunning wee devil is Heyneke.”
Both sides have won the World Cup twice, with New Zealand aiming to become the first country to win successive tournaments.
“Just look at their record in the last four years,” said Meyer.
“Usually after the World Cup there’s a decline in performance but they just got better, which just doesn’t happen in world rugby.”
Meyer added his team need to produce their “best performance ever” if they want to win.
He said: “For South Africa it’s probably the biggest test ever, playing the All Blacks at their best.”
New Zealand scored nine tries as they hammered France 62-13 in the quarter-finals.
But Hansen said his side will not be paying too much attention to Meyer’s compliment.
“He has been praising us all week and, whilst I know he means some of it, I know they are getting ready to rip our heads off,” he said.
“We need to be in that same state. If we get caught up in all that and lapping up all the praise we won’t be in the right mental state to play.”
Despite their thumping win over the French, Hansen believes there is more to come from his side.
“I don’t think we have played our best rugby,” he said. “If we don’t turn up with our ‘A’ game, we’re not going to have a chance. We need our ‘A’ game and a little bit more.”
New Zealand are looking to win a record 13th consecutive match at the World Cup.
History is not entirely on their side today, however, as South Africa are – along with Australia – one of only two sides to hold a winning World Cup record against them.
In total, New Zealand have a winning percentage of 58% against the Springboks – though such is their long-term excellence, that is their lowest success rate against any side.
By comparison it is 68% against Australia, 77% versus France and 80% against England.
Jonah Lomu was rugby’s first global superstar and still holds a share of two World Cup try-scoring records – but both could be broken today.
South Africa winger Bryan Habana is tied with the All Blacks legend on 15 tournament tries and will claim the record on his own if he scores today.
New Zealand powerhouse Julian Savea, meanwhile, is chasing the try-scoring record for a tournament.
He has eight this year – level with the mark set by Lomu in 1999 and Habana in 2007. (BBC Sport)