Springbok fullback Willie le Roux is expecting a “brutal” battle against Tonga in their final Rugby World Cup pool match in Marseille on Sunday.

The Boks are in second place in Pool B with 10 points, four points behind the group leader, Ireland, which has 14 points.

Tonga is in fourth place with no points because they lost to Ireland and Scotland, which are two of the best teams in their pool according to the world rankings. However, the Boks are leaving nothing to chance to get into the top eight and are determined to get their campaign back on track and gain momentum after losing 13-8 to Ireland last weekend.

“It’s a big week for us against Tonga,” said Springbok fullback Willie le Roux.

“This is knockout rugby for us and it’s going to be brutal because they have some big guys playing for them.

“It’s going to be a physical match and I think there’ll be some sore bodies after the game. Our defence will have to be up for it because they have players that can spark anything from anywhere.”

Le Roux was honest about his role in the Rugby World Cup squad, even though he was one of the most experienced players with 89 Test caps. He said that because the group was so strong, no one could take their spot on the team for granted.

“On a personal note, I just want to do my best, enjoy myself and to try to make the team win,” said Le Roux. “We have such great depth in the team, one cannot get comfortable in a jersey. We keep pushing one another to get better.”

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