Springboks forwards coach Deon Davids is gearing up for a “civil war” against Scotland in their World Cup opener in France on Sunday.
Sporting South African-born props WP Nel and Pierre Schoeman, as well as winger Duhan van der Merwe and centre-cum-wing Kyle Steyn in their squad, Scotland also have a former Springbok scrum coach and Mamersbury-born mentor Pieter de Villiers in their arsenal.
Davids, though, is reg for the battle against their countrymen, and is quoted by the Springboks’ website as saying: “We’ve been facing each other for the last few years, so it will be nothing different for either of the teams.
The #Springboks' journey in France starts on Sunday - don't miss any of the action 🗓#StrongerTogether #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/KzE7a6V2Ky
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“I coached with Pieter de Villiers at Junior Springbok level, and I worked with Pierre Schoeman and WP Nel many years ago. So, we are looking forward to playing against the team.”
Scotland are currently ranked fifth in the world, meaning three of the top five teams are in Pool B with the world’s top team Ireland completing the trio.
Davids knows it won’t be an easy opener for the world champions and says: “Scotland are a good team, so we have to be the best in the way we do things and ensure we stand our ground in each department in this match.
“They play with intensity and there is a good understanding between their players. They also pose threats with or without ball in hand, so as a team we need to be on top of how we control the pressure.
“This game will be about dominance, physicality and alignment in the way we do things.”