Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer named his team for their final Rugby World Cup Pool B clash against the USA today and has taken inspiration from the first sub four-minute mile as the Springboks bid to make Rugby World Cup history.
No team that has won the World Cup, including South Africa in 1995 and 2007 have gone through the tournament unbeaten.
After the disappointing 34-32 defeat to Japan, Springbok fans thought their team’s chances nosedived in their Pool B opener, a result regarded as the greatest upset in World Cup history.
Meyer, however, cited running a mile in under four minutes, once thought to be impossible until Britain’s Roger Bannister clocked three minutes 59.4 seconds in 1954, as an ex Springboks ample of a once staggering feat that is now commonplace.
South Africa responded to their shock reverse with a 46-6 win over Samoa and last weekend’s 34-16 defeat of Scotland.
Now they top their group and are on course for a quarter-final with Australia or Wales.
South African squad:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Fourie du Preez (capt), 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger (vice-captain), 6 Francois Louw, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Jan Serfontein.
Kick-off is at 17.45pm.
