England's Jamie Noon leaves the game after an injury during the Group A Rugby World Cup match against South Africa. Photo / Reuters
NEWCASTLE - England centre Jamie Noon, whose World Cup was cut short when he sustained a knee injury against South Africa last month, will return to the ground where his tournament ended when he watches his team-mates play the Springboks in Saturday's final in Paris.
"It's been hard
being at home and being so far away from it when in my head I feel so close to the squad, but all the same it's very exciting to be going out there for the final," said the 28-year-old Newcastle midfielder.
"It's kind of rescued my World Cup a little bit."
Noon, in a statement issued by Newcastle, added: "I've been told to come in my England tracksuit because there will be a medal ceremony no matter what happens in the game.
"To be involved in that will be a huge honour and something I'd been wondering about ever since coming home with the injury.
"For the guys to want me there means a lot personally," said Noon, who damaged medial ligaments in his knee towards the end of a 36-0 loss - England's record World Cup defeat - against South Africa on September 14.
"I'll be watching it with my wife Rachel, which is nice because she hasn't really sampled the atmosphere before or realised why I go away for such long periods of time playing rugby."
Looking ahead to the match itself, Noon added: "South Africa haven't changed much during the course of the tournament, whereas England have got better as it has gone along and really found a formula that works.
"That's not to say it won't be tough against a very good Springbok team.
"They don't throw the ball around a huge amount, but they have individual players who can make things happen like Francois Steyn and Jaque Fourie plus the quickest guy in world rugby (Bryan Habana) out on the wing.
"If South Africa shut up shop like France (England's semi-final opponents) did then I think the boys can get stuck in to them.
"We've worked so hard to get where we are, so now it's just a case of busting your guts for 80 minutes and slamming it home."
- AFP
