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Lambie: The margins are so small

Cape Town - That kick against the All Blacks at Ellis Park a little over a year ago will remain a highlight of Pat Lambie's career regardless of what the future holds. 

With less than two minutes remaining in that Rugby Championship match the Boks found themselves 24-25 down when they were awarded a penalty from about 55m out. Lambie stepped up, knocked it over with interest and the Boks secured a famous victory over the old foe. 

Of course, that result will count for little when the sides meet in Saturday's World Cup semi-final at Twickenham, but Lambie does have some idea of what it takes to beat the world champions and the number one ranked side on the planet. 

"The margins are so small at this level particularly when you play against the All Blacks so you have to hang in there for the full 80 minutes, convert all your pressure into points and be able to absorb lots of pressure from them as well," said Lambie, who is an option for coach Heyneke Meyer at fullback in place of Willie le Roux this weekend.  

"And then when it matters most you have to be able to keep your composure.

"But the fact that we do play against these players in Super Rugby and the Springboks play against the All Blacks often, I guess it does mean you get to know your opposition a little bit better. So hopefully not too many surprises.

"But it won’t stop us from making sure that we do all our homework this week and make sure that we’re extremely well prepared come Saturday."

Kick-off on Saturday is at 17:00. 


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