It'll be rough and tough! Springboks winger Habana relishing England challenge
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UPDATED:
13:57 GMT, 5 June 2012
South Africa wing Bryan Habana claims England's extra preparation will have little bearing once their Test series gets under way.
The majority of England's squad will have been together for almost two weeks – and a significant proportion for even longer – by the time the action starts with Saturday's first Test in Durban.
Ready for action: South Africa's Bryan Habana
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Key man: Chris Robshaw
'Come Saturday afternoon at Kings Park stadium – I think it is going to be a real titanic clash.
'I think the team that is willing to put their bodies on the line and want it more will come out victorious.'
Meyer's 32-man squad contains nine uncapped players and six others with less than 10 appearances.
But Habana claims that neither the number of new faces, nor the limited training time together are issues.
The 28-year-old speedster said: 'It has changed quite drastically but it is an exciting new era.
'Seeing the vibe, the energy and the willingness of the guys at training was pretty enjoyable.
'Sometimes you forget what a privilege it is to represent your country but when you see the youngsters, and how much they want to feed and take it in, it takes you back to when you got your first cap.
'It is a huge privilege to be called up.
'There is a great energy, a great vibe, but that all comes to nothing if you don't go out and perform on Saturday.
'I'm looking forward to that challenge.'
England head coach Stuart Lancaster expects the roles of the two new captains to be crucial in the upcoming series.
Chris Robshaw, who has made just six
Test appearances, leads England overseas for the first time after
impressing in this year's RBS 6 Nations.
The Springboks also have a new skipper following the retirement of John
Smit but have turned to someone at the opposite end of the experience
scale in 72-times capped flanker Jean de Villiers.
Lancaster said: 'Jean de Villiers strikes me as a key player for South Africa.
'The primary thing for a captain is to earn your place in the side and
there is no doubt he has done that, and he has done it well.
Tough test: England coach Stuart Lancaster
'He is clearly experienced, respected and has leadership qualities. It is a good appointment. I'm sure he will be very motivated to get things right.
'We have got a good captain in Chris Robshaw and I know the importance of good leadership in the team.'
The series begins at Durban's Kings Park on Saturday before further Tests in Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth.
England have won just three Tests in South Africa, most recently in 2000, and have lost their past seven clashes against the Springboks.
Having had longer preparation time than the opponents – who were still involved in domestic action last weekend – Lancaster knows the importance of hitting the ground running this weekend.
Lancaster said: 'In a three-game series there is going to be a huge amount on the first Test.
'We have always been of the mindset you take one game at a time.
'We will deal with the first Test, and that won't lessen the impact of the second or third Test.
'We will review our performance and move on from there.
'It is all about performance and getting the win in the first Test, but equally we know South Africa is a formidable challenge.
'There are very few northern hemisphere sides who have ever come here and won. We recognise the challenge.'
