Straeuli already planning for All Blacks

By MITCH PHILLIPS

BRISBANE - South Africa coach Rudolf Straeuli was already looking ahead to his team's probable World Cup quarter-final clash with the All Blacks minutes after the Springboks had competed a 60-10 win over Samoa last night.

"We knew what was coming and planned well this week," he said after the Springboks scored four tries either side of a brief Samoan flurry early in the second half.

"But the game is past and we are looking towards New Zealand. The team is improving, it's a world class pack. We came close in Dunedin so it's a nice challenge.

That 19-11 defeat in the final Tri-nations game, coming after a 52-16 thrashing in Pretoria, has given the Springboks real hope that their forwards can frustrate New Zealand's flying backs.

"We will watch them against Wales and come up with a game plan for areas where we think we can attack them.

"We definitely stepped up in the forwards today but there is still room for improvement," said captain Corne Krige.

"We will need another step up if we want to go on but after the physical and mental preparations we have had, nothing anyone can throw at us can be worse than what we've been through."

The South African pack was very impressive and dominated the set plays but the backs also looked lively, thanks in part to a fluent performance from 20-year-old first five-eighths Derick Hougaard.

In only his fourth appearance he got a scoring full house with 21 points but played down his contribution in the pool C encounter.

"It's an awesome feeling and I'm really looking forward to playing behind this tight five, it makes it easy for me," he said.

Hougaard left the field late in the match after being flattened by a massive Brian Lima hit.

"It was definitely the hardest tackle I've taken in my life but I'm still breathing so it's a good sign.

Samoa coach John Boe said his players had not been able to lift themselves to the heights they reached six days ago when they ran England so close.

"In the second half our boys did show a lot of heart, did fight back, but there wasn't enough in the tank and nothing really went right for us today.

"We are just not used to the intensity of these sort of back-to-back games and we found it hard to expose areas we had identified as weaknesses.

"We were playing catch-up in the second half and risked a few things but the referee stopped it to warn them at just the wrong time for us."

Boe ended with another plea to the organisers of the world game to give the likes of Samoa a chance to compete.

"We go back to all parts of the world now, hopefully next year we will assemble at some stage but it's all up in the air and things are getting shakier as time goes on.

"We really need some help from the IRB (International Rugby Board) and the major unions or we really might not be playing in another World Cup."

Assistant coach Michael Jones echoed his fear.

"We have a big wish list and we've spoken comprehensively about that in last few weeks.

"There has been a lot of rhetoric and my concern is that the talk might go on and we could be sitting here in four years, if we are here at all, talking about the same things.

"We need strong leadership and real vision. We are desperate."

- REUTERS

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