De Villier backs conservative World Cup plan

The Springboks' much-criticised conservative approach will still be well-suited to their World Cup defence in New Zealand this year, coach Peter de Villiers says.

De Villiers also said he hopes South African teams "annihilate" their Australian and New Zealand opposition in the ongoing Super 15 to create a mental advantage ahead of rugby's biggest tournament, which begins on Sept. 9.

At his first media briefing of the new season, De Villiers backed South Africa's traditionally tight game plan over the expansive style of the Super 15 - and teams like the No. 1-ranked All Blacks - as the world champions named 23 centrally contracted players for 2011.

"There's definitely going to be a big difference between playing a competition (Super 15) and playing a tournament (World Cup)," De Villiers said.

"Playing a tournament, your outlook on the game is much different. You go the conservative route more than ever and I'm really happy with what is happening at the moment."

De Villiers picked out South Africa's physical, forward-dominated win over England at Twickenham at the end of last season as proof the tactics could work at the World Cup.

Following a disastrous Tri-Nations and with De Villiers under pressure for his job, the Boks ground out a 27-11 win over an inform England at Twickenham in November.

It was a result that gave South Africa renewed confidence, De Villiers said, after his lackluster team lost five out of six games in defense of its Tri-Nations title employing tactics that were criticized as one-dimensional and uninventive.

"We played against England last year, the same old conservative South African style of rugby and it was good to watch," De Villiers said. "It worked for us. The guys knew and there was no confusion amongst players, and game after game you can play that level of rugby.

"The one great thing about the England game last year was that it brought back the belief that what we are doing can work for us and that is what we are building on for the World Cup."

De Villiers hopes for another boost from the Super 15.

"I would love us to annihilate the Aussie and the New Zealand teams now and build a kind of fear factor into them," he said. "But, it doesn't matter come World Cup time. I think we will be ready."

On Wednesday, the South African Rugby Union released the list of players that have won Springbok contracts for the World Cup year.

Sixteen of the 23 players were members of the World Cup-winning squad in 2007. Eleven have more than 50 caps, led by John Smit (102 caps), Victor Matfield (105), Bakkies Botha (72) and Juan Smith (69).

Not included were Stormers scrumhalf Ricky Januarie and overseas-based backs Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar. SARU said overseas players were not considered for contracts but would be considered for places in both the Tri-Nations and the World Cup.

"A guy like Frans Steyn, for instance, I think we will definitely look at a guy like him," De Villiers said.

The contracts were "no guarantee" of a place in South Africa's World Cup squad, according to the coach, with no specialist fullback in the 23 and just one scrumhalf - the Bulls' Fourie du Preez.

South Africa's captain and vice-captain for the Tri-Nations and the World Cup would be named later in the year, SARU said.

De Villiers added he would also consider bringing in consultants to help him during the World Cup year after a tumultuous 2010 for the Springboks boss. De Villiers said he had four names in mind for temporary places on his management team but would not reveal who they were.

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South Africa centrally contracted players for 2011:

Bryan Habana, (Western Province), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Jaque Fourie (Western Province), Wynand Olivier (Blue Bulls), Adrian Jacobs (Sharks), Jean de Villiers (Western Province), Juan de Jongh (Western Province), Morne Steyn (Blue Bulls), Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls), Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls), Juan Smith (Free State), Schalk Burger (Western Province), Heinrich Brussow (Free State), Bakkies Botha (Blue Bulls), Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls), Andries Bekker (Western Province), Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls), John Smit (Sharks), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Gurthro Steenkamp (Blue Bulls), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), CJ van der Linde (Western Province), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks).