Boks get set to slug it out

Published Nov 1, 1999

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London - Mark Andrews, in his inimitable, forthright way, reckons playing France or New Zealand in Thursday night's play-off for third place is "like kissing your sister".

"How the hell do you get up for that?"

South Africa's most capped player says with the exasperation of a man who would far rather be playing golf at Durban Country Club on Thursday than slugging it out with the All Blacks, after France pulled off their stunning victory at Twickenham on Sunday to set up a clash with Australia in the final in Cardiff on Saturday.

The only consolation is that the Boks have ended up with the match everyone was predicting before the two semifinals.

It could still be a humdinger - if both the Boks and the All Blacks can pick themselves up.

The Boks might want to bear in mind that the losers in Cardiff on Thursday night have to go through the insufferable indignity of qualifying for the 2003 event in Australia and New Zealand.

That would mean the delights posed by visits to the likes of Morocco and Tunisia.

Admittedly, they would be spared the pain of having to join the immediate qualifying tournaments and would only be required to begin qualifying in a few years' time.

Robbie Fleck has good news for long-suffering South African fans who are sick of supporting a team who make no attempt to use their backline.

"We will change our tune on Thursday. There was too much at stake in the knock-out games for us to try anything adventurous, but now is the time to have a go. It is time for some self-expression."

Hallelujah!

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