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boks boss predicts final
South Africa manager Zola Yeye has stoked the fires ahead of Saturday's World Cup final, predicting another easy victory over England.
South Africa earned a World Cup final rematch with the England team they demolished in the pool stage when they overcame Argentina 37-13 in their semi-final on Sunday. South Africa are in the final for the first time since they won the trophy on home soil 12 years ago and can probably barely believe that their opponents will be England, whom they thrashed 36-0 in their second pool match. And Yeye was in ebullient mood. "What we did to England, 36-0, we will inflict the same punishment on them again," he said. "Some people say I am overconfident, but we are playing a team we have already beaten." Bryan Habana scored two of their four tries to equal Jonah Lomu's 1999 tournament try-scoring record of eight as Argentina's first appearance in the semi-final fell flat with a performance littered with errors. Habana, one of five nominations for the IRB player of the year, demonstrated why he is regarded as the deadliest finisher in world rugby with two moments of brilliance against the Pumas. The speedster scored a 60-metre try in the first half when he chipped the ball over Lucas Borges then followed up with an 80-metre intercept just before full-time. Despite Habana's reluctance to take credit for his performances, his team-mates were quick to pay tribute to his contribution and England know he is the man to stop. "We could do with him in the final, we need him to score one or two tries. He will say he's not interested in breaking records," said lock Victor Matfield. Full-back Percy Montgomery, who kicked seven goals from as many attempts to finish with a personal haul of 17 points, said Habana deserved to break Lomu's record. "Good luck to him. He deserves it. He works hard off the ball. It's a great achievement if he does it," said Montgomery, the tournament's leading points scorer. South Africa will go into the final as overwhelming favourites to win the Webb Ellis Cup for a second time but Habana said the Springboks were not taking anything for granted. "There's something really special about this team at the moment but we've still got one more hurdle left for our goal," he said. "England have improved a lot in the last two matches so what happened five weeks ago will have no bearing at all. "Jonny (Wilkinson) has come back so it's a totally different ball game. "It's a win-all or lose-all situation next week. We are very proud of the country to have come this far but we want to go all the way." However, Josh Lewsey's hopes of facing South Africa at the Stade de France are hanging in the balance. An England spokesman said the condition of Lewsey - who scored England's lone try in the semi-final against France after 78 seconds - would be discussed at a meeting between the player, coach Brian Ashton and team doctor Simon Kemp at Noon and no update on the 30-year-old's condition would be issued before then. |
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