Almost all of the big name stars who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup by defeating England in Paris last weekend will be coming to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
That means the Springboks’ world class stars, such as newly crowned IRB Player of the Year Bryan Habana and Man of the Match from the final Victor Matfield, are expected to line up against Wales.
The Springboks captain and hooker John Smit has committed along with the likes of flanker Schalk Burger, young centre sensation Francois Steyn and scrum half Fourie Du Preez.
The pledge to send the World Cup superstars to Wales was given to Welsh Rugby Union Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis by the South Africa Rugby National Team’s Manager Andy Marinos.
It will be the first game for the World Champions since they won the Paris final and thousands of South African fans are expected to travel to Wales to salute their heroes.
Wales Caretaker Coach Nigel Davies said, “This is great news but it is no less than we expected. South Africa are not going to want to come to Cardiff and lose their first game after becoming World Champions. They will want to make a show of it and come here and beat us.
“They are obviously a magnificent team, they are world number one and are brimming with world class players. The likes of Burger, Du Preez, Habana and the impressive Steyn are the spine of their team and we fully expect a tough day at the office at the Millennium Stadium next month.
“Nothing will change in our focus or in our preparation for this match. In the last five or six months we have beaten teams well ahead of us in the world rankings. This is a great opportunity for everyone involved in the team to test ourselves against the best team in the world at the moment.
“We know we are capable of beating any team on our day and with the hard work in place we have the chance now to right any of the wrongs that may have gone on before.”
The pledge to bring the World Cup stars to Wales will focus minds of Welsh players this weekend as Nigel Davies and his coaching team travel to all the big games scouting for the in-form contenders.
Nigel Davies is at Cardiff Arms Park tonight (Friday) for the Blues’ opening EDF Energy Cup game against Sale Sharks while Wales coaches will be at every key match involving Welsh sides this weekend.
Welsh Rugby Union Group Chief Executive Roger Lewis said, “This confirmation that the World Cup winning players are coming to Wales is great news for our fans.
“There can be no greater challenge than taking on the World Champions and there can be few greater honours than facing them in their first game after lifting the trophy.
“The Springboks will want to put on a show to celebrate their achievements in front of their adoring fans and we will want to prove a big point by winning and lifting the Prince William Cup.
“Top class sport is all about that extra edge and now this game will attract the eyes of the world onto the Millennium Stadium. We know South Africa will want to show they are worthy of the Webb Ellis Cup and we know our boys will want to prove just how good they are.”
The only confirmed omissions from the South Africa squad are Os Du Randt, Gary Botha and Ashwin Willemse. The Springbok squad are still waiting for an injury assessment on Percy Montgomery before confirming his presence.
The third batch of tickets to be released on public sale sold out within minutes today – but more tickets will be released at midday next Wednesday (October 31st) via the usual WRU ticket outlets – Ticketmaster (http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/, 08705 582582) and to personal callers at the Millennium Stadium Ticket Shop, 98 St Mary Street, Cardiff.
