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Cape Town - Springbok backline coach Ricardo Loubscher believes Japan will be a well organised team when the two nations clash in their Rugby World Cup opener in Brighton on Saturday.
The Japanese are coached by former Wallabies mentor Eddie Jones, who also has sound knowledge of South African rugby, having worked as an assistant to the Boks during their victorious 2007 World Cup campaign in France.
“Eddie Jones is a world class coach, astute, very experienced, so we have to make sure that we prepare for anything on the day,” Loubscher said at a press conference in Eastbourne on Tuesday.
Weather conditions have been atrocious where the Boks trained the last few days, but it’s expected to improve in time for Saturday’s match.
Whatever the conditions, the Boks will be ready for the challenge posed by Japan, Loubscher insists.
“For us, the focus is purely to make sure we win the Test match first. On the day, the ability to adapt is important. Obviously with Japan it’s a different challenge ahead of us, but from our point of view we just need to make sure that we prepare well and make sure we tick all the boxes.
“Hopefully it’s a good game on the weekend and the weather plays its part... (but) we want to focus on our own game, and that’s obviously to make sure that whatever chances we create, that we finish those.
“It’s a challenge that we’re looking forward to.”
Saturday’s clash at Brighton Community Stadium is scheduled for 17:45 (SA time).
