Springboks can achieve greatness: Habana - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Springboks can achieve greatness: Habana

By Justin Chadwick 30/08/2009 02:35:16 PM Comments (0)

Here's a scary thought for world rugby - South Africa not only believe they will become even more dominant but have also set their sights on becoming one of the greatest sides of all time.

The Springboks all but secured this year's Tri-Nations title with a 32-25 bonus-point victory over Australia in Perth on Saturday night.

It was South Africa's fourth straight win of the series and lifted them nine points clear of second-placed New Zealand with just two games each left to play.

But winger Bryan Habana declared there was even more upside to come for the world champions, who dismantled the British and Irish Lions before their current Tri-Nations blitz.

"We've been lucky to be able to achieve some great things as a team but this team isn't satisfied with where we are at the moment," Habana said.

"We'd like to set standards for the rest of the world to follow, we'd like to constantly produce games that people want to follow and respect.

"The greatest goal in life is not making it to the top, but trying to stay there.

"So there is a real motivation from everyone involved in the squad at the moment to carry on achieving, to carry on not only being humble in what we have achieved but work even harder to make sure we go forward and achieve a lot of greatness that this team thoroughly deserves."

Habana said the hunger amongst the players to improve was as strong as ever.

"We want to get better, we want to improve and we'd like to stay No.1 in the world for a while to come," he said.

"But that said there's a lot of hard work, there's a lot of tough competition in world rugby and they say to stay No.1 you have to train like No.2.

"It's good at the moment and it is a special side.

"You don't want to get injured because I think you are going to struggle to break back into the side."

Springboks captain John Smit was coy when asked whether his current team was the best South African unit ever assembled.

"There are always going to be teams before us and after us that are going to debate that," Smit said.

"It's a great team to play in at the moment."

South Africa had been criticised in recent months for their 'predictable' kick-chase game but against the Wallabies they showed they could be just as damaging when running the ball.

"I don't think we are playing ugly rugby, we are playing towards our strengths at the moment and hopefully we'll keep on building on that," Habana said.

"As a team we've stuck to doing what's worked for us.

"We aren't going to worry about what anybody outside of this group of 40 people really say.

"It's been working for the last three months and I don't think we are going to change."

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