Centre Nick De Luca insists a victory over South Africa is not essential for Scotland’s World Cup hopes.
The Scots host the Springboks after losing to New Zealand last Sunday. They need to win, and beat Tonga a week later, to secure a second seed berth for England in three years’ time.
bbc
“There’s no need to win it for the World Cup. We need to win it because collectively we want to win,” De Luca told BBC Scotland. “We think we’re good enough to beat South Africa.”
Saturday’s Test will be the 22nd meeting of South Africa and Scotland since the first in 1906. The Springboks have won 16 and lost five, including the 2010 Murrayfield defeat in torrential rain.
That triumph for Scotland came a week after a stinging defeat to the All Blacks and Edinburgh’s De Luca is eyeing a repeat success.
“We now need to go out there and show everybody we are good enough and it’s going to take an 80-minute performance from all of us,” he said
“If we manage to get top eight for the World Cup seedings that’s great, but in three years’ time the top eight might not be the top eight anymore. We need to go out and concentrate on this game.
“We’re looking for a win to beat this team, not necessarily for the World Cup pools.
“We want to beat everyone that’s put in front of us and if you want to do well in the World Cup you’ll have to beat a top seeded side.
“Obviously it makes it easier if you’re one of the top seeded sides but last World Cup we were up against two better seeds [England and Argentina] and we should have won both those games so if we’re in that situation again we’ll back ourselves and hopefully make it come good.”
De Luca will be joined in the starting XV by Edinburgh team-mate David Denton, who replaces the injured Ross Rennie.
“It’s a great feeling to be back,” explained the Zimbabwe-born number eight. “It was tough for me to take the fact I wasn’t starting [against New Zealand] but I feel I worked hard and played well when I came on.
“South Africa are a really physical team and they play good rugby.
“It will be aggressive and I’m relishing the opportunity to test myself against the best exponents of the style I like to play.
“I’m looking to be physical, aggressive and carry the ball well.”
November 16th, 2012 at 19:28 SAST
November 16th, 2012 at 19:29 SAST
93 @ Stormersboy:
Its good for you boet, not only for good muscle tone, but doing that 3 times a week helps build good strong bones as you get older. A Biokineticist told me to do it as well, just don’t have the time. Only walk and swim now for exercise and the odd game of golf. So keep it up.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:30 SAST
@ Pietman:
Glo my dis nie daai Dawn sonder tande niw
November 16th, 2012 at 19:31 SAST
@ Pietman:
Flippin laptop playing up again, excuse the typos, signal on and off, have to edit all the time.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:31 SAST
Pooms?? this is specially for scrumdown,
November 16th, 2012 at 19:32 SAST
94 @ Pietman:
Ja that was the only thing that got to me sometimes, but you know you get damn good at making good beer. At least making the beer does not take too long, it is the wine that takes about 3 months. Well 3 months was vintage for us……………
November 16th, 2012 at 19:34 SAST
@ Sharks_forever:
@103
Is Dawn nog daar? Sy is n ok antie, vol sports gewees altyd.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:34 SAST
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg it was the wrong one i posted
lemme get the right one lol\
November 16th, 2012 at 19:35 SAST
105 @ Sharks_forever:
hahahaha. Shame man, feel for the Lions supporters not having a team in Super Rugby next year. At least our bogey team, which they have become won’t be there next year…lol.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:36 SAST
@ Pietman:
Ya, sy is deel van die wat enige mens aanval wat nie a stormer of nie blanke is nie
need i say more?? lol
November 16th, 2012 at 19:37 SAST
This for me is one of the really great oldies
November 16th, 2012 at 19:37 SAST
108 Sharks_Forever
You sounding like me now………….hahahahaha. Forgetful???????? hehehehehe. Thought why was that song for Scrumdown? Anyhow got it….lol.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:37 SAST
@ Puma:
Three months!!!! Jeez, you guys were really maturing the stuff then…..no hell, I just put that booster yeast and keep the room tempt at 29 and after two weeks or so Bob’s your uncle.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:38 SAST
November 16th, 2012 at 19:39 SAST
@ Puma:
November 16th, 2012 at 19:40 SAST
111 @ Sharks_forever:
Yip one of the great songs.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:42 SAST
Piet just for you Brudda, something you miss in the desert
November 16th, 2012 at 19:42 SAST
@ Sharks_forever:
@110
Dink Dawn was onskadelik, meesal ‘tong-innie-kies’……
Maar daar was op n kol n ander mob, o hel, Langenhoven en sy gammatpelle en so n bende strandlopers, hulle was net daar om rassisme aan te stook, hulle het selfs vir Dawn skaam gemaak!!!
November 16th, 2012 at 19:43 SAST
Remember them? Jeepers they look sooooooo old…hahaha. Time has moved so fast.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:44 SAST
I think Piet is sleeping or dreaming of that beer he is dying for
November 16th, 2012 at 19:46 SAST
Yip that is for you Piet……
Good song though, used to enjoy them had some good songs.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:47 SAST
120 @ Sharks_forever:
It is his laptop I think giving him greef he said.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:47 SAST
@ Sharks_forever:
No, I am still here, waiting for the wife to set up her skype, also wanna watch the Wales game.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:48 SAST
@ Puma:
see he bought one of them small complicated sony’s lol
watch the Guitarist here make a Guitar talk bro
November 16th, 2012 at 19:48 SAST
123 @ Pietman:
Thought it was your laptop giving you trouble Piet… See that video it is for you from us Sharkies…..LOL.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:51 SAST
124 @ Sharks_forever:
Yes I like that
November 16th, 2012 at 19:55 SAST
@ Puma:
November 16th, 2012 at 19:55 SAST
@ Puma</
Thx.
Yip, I really miss the Cape rain and storms and snoek and soet patats in front of the fire place, I grew up on that….the wine came much later! I didn't use to drink as a youngster, btw, the odd beer at the Boston after rugby practice, never had the time, studied at night mostly and worked by day!
November 16th, 2012 at 19:57 SAST
@ Pietman:
Bolds again? !!!! No man, where is GBS?
November 16th, 2012 at 19:57 SAST
Okay gents been good fun, going to watch some tv with my better half.
Catch up tomorrow.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:57 SAST
@ Puma:
Yes, a few old injuries later and i have to keep my core strength up, so it’s all compound exercises. Squats, dead-lifts, bench etc all focusing on form not weight, although that improves over the years too, I can squat well over 150 kgs for several sets if I want to (that’s without taking my own body-weight into consideration), don’t know what my max would be, never checked, but it makes getting up off the couch a lot easier if you know what I mean.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:57 SAST
November 16th, 2012 at 19:58 SAST
128 @ Pietman:
Hahahaha. At least you can do the bold thing Piet, I have no idea how too…..LOL
Okay out of here now. Catch up with the game later or tomorrow.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:59 SAST
@ Puma:
Cheerio, see you at the game maybe.
November 16th, 2012 at 19:59 SAST
@ Pietman:
The Boston Hotel? LOL now that does bring back my own set of memories, that ‘hood was my old sto,ping ground when I was growing up.
November 16th, 2012 at 20:03 SAST
131 @ Stormersboy:
Yes it is very good for the whole body, keep it up. I was told to do weights to strengthen my Quads mostly for the knees, did go a few times but it takes too much time. You will benefit later in life if you keep it up as it keeps the bones stronger by building the muscle, just don’t over do it. Then you will know how much to do. Like I said I mostly swim and walk, but swim more and play the odd game of golf. Once I get my knees done I really want to play a lot more golf.
Cheers boet out of here now. Catch up tomorrow or later when the rugby is on.
November 16th, 2012 at 20:05 SAST
@ Puma:
Ciao Pooms
November 16th, 2012 at 20:06 SAST
November 16th, 2012 at 20:07 SAST
You Guys mentioned Boston??
so listen to Boston music lol
November 16th, 2012 at 20:08 SAST
@ Stormersboy:
Also the Outspan (across from SANLAM), and then of course the Oxford or Grove Hotel in the Ville.
Orange Grove used to belong to Solly Solomon, head honcho at Ville RC.
And if you were really brave, the Parow Hotel also had a nice ‘sporty ambiance’ (just had to check the scene out first, as long as Clifford/Skattie, Buks Mills and Rooi Spies were around, us rugby okes were ok in there…)
November 16th, 2012 at 20:10 SAST
128 @ Pietman:
Before I go Piet. You were a good youngster…..hahahaha. I got up to a lot when I was young. Had a great time growing up though. Remember we were 3 boys and got up to a lot until we got sense when we grew up. Now it is only me, I have lost both my brothers. Miss them. I lost my big boet just about 5 weeks back now.
Anyhow catch up later. Just enjoy life no matter what. It is just toooooooo short. Have a blast I say, you never know what tomorrow brings. Cheers boet.
November 16th, 2012 at 20:11 SAST
@ Stormersboy:
There used to be a jewish hall behind the old Boston where we went for a ‘jig’ on Saterday nights, you know it? Near the CY post office.
November 16th, 2012 at 20:13 SAST
PIet these were the days
November 16th, 2012 at 20:13 SAST
@ Puma:
Sorry to hear about your boet Pooms, strength and commiserations bru.
You told me about the other brother some years ago.
November 16th, 2012 at 20:16 SAST
Moving to the tv room, see you on the game thread.
November 16th, 2012 at 20:17 SAST
November 16th, 2012 at 20:40 SAST
@ Pietman:
lol yes, remember
November 17th, 2012 at 12:27 SAST
Well no one in our Superbru group is predicting a Scottish win, same as no one predicted a Samoa win, I hope that’s not an omen.
For Superbru, I have moved one place up the table, and I see quite a few others have moved up or down. Since none of us got any points for the Samoa game, I am not quite sure how that works.
November 17th, 2012 at 12:56 SAST
148 @ Peter J:
I hope this time round us all picking one team to win it will be correct…lol.
I almost put down Samoa and thought nope, Wales are 6 Nations champs and will bring their game this week after losing to Arg, instead the Samoans klapped them…
Samoa could have had a bigger score against them as well, think they missed 5 kicks or something like that.
November 17th, 2012 at 12:58 SAST
144 @ Pietman:
Thanks Piet.