News24
12 Jun 2019, 14:12 GMT+10
Cape Town - Legendary former Springbok wing Bryan Habana on Wednesday dismissed concerns over his country's erratic recent form in Test rugby.
Habana was speaking at an event in Tokyo to mark the 100-day countdown of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, where organisers unveiled a countdown clock and flagged off a domestic trophy tour in which the Webb Ellis Cup will visit all 12 host cities.
The Springboks, under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, won seven and lost seven Tests in 2018.
"Inconsistency has probably been their biggest foe," Test rugby's second highest try-scorer and a World Cup winner in 2007 admitted. "But if you compare it to the run-in to the 2007 World Cup - we lost 49-0 to Australia a year out and went on to win it. They can definitely be a force to be reckoned with."
Four years ago, Habana was part of the Springboks side which suffered a stunning 34-32 defeat by Japan. He warned there would be no pushovers at this year's World Cup.
"It was probably a one-in-a-million shot that Japan had and they took it," Habana said. "It showed you can't take any game for granted."
Asked to tip a winner, Habana, who turned 36 on Wednesday, kept his counsel.
"If you'd have asked me that question in January, I would have said Ireland were the team to beat," he said.
"New Zealand will potentially go in as favourites but the special thing about this World Cup is that it really is too tight to call."
Get a daily dose of Greek Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Greek Herald.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: British oil giant Shell has denied reports that it is in talks to acquire rival oil company BP. The Wall Street Journal...
LONDON, U.K.: A little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as the most prominent public backer of U.S....
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Kesavan Ramachandran as Executive Director of RBI with...
The inflation is driven by the price of services, which recorded a yearly inflation rate of 3.3 percent in June, up from 3.2 percent...
DUBAI, 1st July 2025 (WAM) -- Emirates will be layering on more retrofitted Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s on its existing schedules...
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 1 (ANI): TVS Motor Company has recorded its highest-ever quarterly sales in the first quarter of...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Under pressure from European regulators, Apple has revamped its App Store policies in the EU, introducing...
Washington DC [US], July 2 (ANI): United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) said that Israel has agreed to the necessary...
U.S. Senate passes Trump's landmark mega-bill The GOP-led Senate on Tuesday passed U.S. President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful...
(250701) -- WASHINGTON, July 1, 2025 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press at the White House in Washington,...
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he will oppose any agreements to end the fighting Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich...
by Burak Akinci ANKARA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Yousouf Al Sharif, a 35-year-old furniture worker from Syria living in Ankara, is thinking...