Just one game into Rugby World Cup 2015, South Africa believe they are facing their own final.
The Springboks’ giant flanker Schalk Burger knows their next game against Samoa at Villa Park on 26 September could determine their future in the tournament.
The shock defeat by Japan has left South Africa facing a fixture of increased importance on Saturday, and Burger insists they cannot afford to dwell on what has already happened.
“Our plans for the World Cup have now changed. This week is now what counts. It’s almost going to be like a final against Samoa,” he said.
“We are licking our wounds, but there is not a lot of time to turn it around. We can’t dwell on it because in six days we are playing a match which potentially will define our World Cup.”
MENTAL CHALLENGE
The Springboks arrived at their Birmingham headquarters nursing some minor bruises, but Burger said the worst pain was the “hamstring injury between my ears”.
“Time on the field is important but mentally you have to get everyone in a good frame of mind. When it’s not going well every little issue rears its head,” the flanker said.
“We have a determined group but unfortunately for us it’s not going our way. We‘ll put in the hard yards. We have to take this competition by the scruff of its neck.”
TASTY BURGER
Burger accepts, however, that the defeat by Japan could haunt the Springboks players for the rest of their careers and beyond.
“We were on the receiving end and we are going to have to watch the highlight reels of that for years and years to come,” he said.
“I know there have been some photos going around (back in South Africa). There was one good one which had the Japanese captain Michael Leitch saying, ‘Last week I ate sushi and this week I ate Springbok’.
“We’ll probably use that as a bit of motivation.”