The Springboks scrum coach Daan Human says the team are relishing the prospect of facing France in their own backyard as they prepare for their key quarter-final clash against the second-ranked team in the world.

It is a huge game and Human says that neutralizing the powerful French pack will be a critical part of subduing the tournament hosts.

Speaking to the media Human said: “I think they are better than last year but so are we.

“If you train hard, you’ll naturally get better as a team. But just as they believe in themselves, we believe in our players.

“They are strong in every department. That’s why they are the No two team in the world.

“They also won all four pool games and did very well against New Zealand, so there isn’t one area one can say they are particularly good at.”

Echoing his coaches’ thoughts, Prop Trevor Nyakane said that they were working hard to be as effective as possible at scrum time.

“France will certainly have a difficult set-piece to move,” he said. “But we also pride ourselves on our set-pieces and gaining dominance from that.

“We’ve been working hard on it and there’s a lot more to do, but we are looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s a very important facet in the game in France and in the Top 14 competition.

“They put a lot of emphasis on that area of the game. If you get it right, it’s a beautiful thing and it gives you a mental boost,” he said.