Peter, you are talking too much again! Do you feel left out after all the success of the Bulls and Stormers? Just concentrate on your job and stay out of the press. This week you had something to say about the management of players and the pace of the game in Europe. I just wonder when will this bite you in the back?

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers on Tuesday named 16 Super 14 finalists in his 22-man squad for Saturday’s Test against France at Newlands.

This comes a day after he said that South Africans plying their trade overseas had struggled to get to grips with the pace of the game in the weekend’s Test against Wales.

For the French, who had two teams in the Heineken Cup final, these remarks come as a slap in the face. Even so, the visitors are reluctant to draw too much confidence from the success of Biarritz and Toulouse, in spite of having nine of those players in their ranks.

“Confidence has always been a French weakness,” said forwards coach Didier Retière.

That may also be the reason why the French usually say that they are tired this time of the year and try to avoid being branded favourites.

However, the outspokenness from the Bok camp may well come back to haunt them on Saturday when recent history is taken into account.

English club teams Leicester and Saracens beat the Boks at the end of 2009 and South Africa have not beaten France since 2005.

The 13-20 defeat against France in November last year was also because of the pace at which the home side played the game.

French hooker Dimitri Szarzewski said the following about European rugby: “The Super 14 may be played at a greater intensity than our competitions (the Heineken Cup and Top14), but it does not mean our rugby is weak.

“Frans Steyn (Racing Metro) and Joe van Niekerk (Toulon) play good rugby every week and they remain good players when they come to South Africa.”

He believes the only difference between European and Super 14 teams is that less rugby is played in the Southern Hemisphere and therefore their players have more time to rest.

“It’s never easy to beat a Springbok team, but because of that our preparation is always harder and more focused. That’s all. The best answer to this question will be given on the field.”

Backline coach Emile Ntamack said the following about the apparent difference between the players: “We have to show that we are a champion side capable of taking on the Springboks.”

Article written by Marco Botha on News24