Heyneke Meyer's lavish praise heaped on the All Blacks this week has been described as mind games by his opposite Steve Hansen, who has told his team to take no notice.
Springboks coach Meyer has called the All Blacks the best team to ever play the game, adding his players would have to play the match of their lives if they were to be successful in Sunday's World Cup semifinal at Twickenham.
Hansen, a coach well versed in mind games and the use of the media as a motivational tool, responded to his friend's comments with a knowing smile. "He's a cunning wee devil is Heyneke," he said today. "He's been praising us all week and whilst I know he means some of it, at the same time they are getting ready to rip our heads off, and we need to be in that same state.
"If we get caught up in lapping up all the praise we won't be in the right mental state to play.
"I's a tactic. I don't think he'll be saying that behind closed doors to his team. And you can see that in the wee comment that came from their young lock [Lood de Jager]. He said while they don't fear us, they respect us [but] it's not very much.
