Bok captain Jean de Villiers says they could not have asked for more during their final week of preparation for Saturday’s World Cup game against Japan.

The Boks wrapped up their training on a sunny Friday afternoon at the Brighton Community Stadium, and De Villiers said the ‘vibe’ in the squad was extremely good on the eve of their long-awaited first Test of the tournament.

‘We had a good couple of weeks' training in South Africa, but this week the vibe picked up, as well as the attention to detail.

‘I’ve been at World Cups before where we’ve done the bulk of our preparation in South Africa, and once you get to the tournament you start the fine-tuning, working on small things on a weekly basis, taking into account the opposition, our team and how we want to play. But I’ve also seen that the more rugby changes, the more it stays the same.’

De Villiers is set to lead the team for the 36th time, equalling Gary Teichmann as the second most-capped Bok captain.

‘Being at a World Cup is so special, and to be here as captain is something I’m very proud of,' he said. 'This is a great group of people here, and it’s nice to be able to go into battle with guys you enjoy spending time with. The attitude at training this week has been amazing in whatever weather, the guys are just committed to the cause. Every player in this squad appreciates that not everyone always has the privilege of playing in the World Cup, and we want to make the most of it.’

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