“Hie Kom Die Bokke…(Here come the Boks)” goes the chorus of a popular tune, but it doesn’t fully capture the terror that England are about to face.Bryan Habana raced a cheetah, Schalk “The Hulk” Burger can bulldoze a lion (excuse the pun) and Victor Matfield can outjump a Kangaroo.

The entire nation stands behind the green and gold of the Springboks, who face a team they had hammered earlier in the tournament, though as coach Jake White points out, that counts for nothing. But there is a sense of 1995 when Francois Pienaar and Co came home with trophy and united a nation.

Having already won the World Cup in 1995 and now made it to the final, South Africa's fear is that John Smit’s men might catch a bout of Protea Syndrome, choking when it counts. Graeme Smith's cricket team regularly fall prey to this illness. But the Boks are worlds apart in terms of capturing the affection of the entire nation.

They have a multi-racial team and no matter what the government says, each players EARNS his place on the roster. Habana is not a token player, but the biggest star in the team, and indeed the world. There has been talk of Mathew Tait being able to keep him in tow, but how do you catch someone who is out of sight in seconds? Good luck Mathew, diive for his shadow, you stand more of a chance.

In the first-round match, England were weakened by the absence of Jonny Wilkinson, the X factor behind the team's remarkable journey to the final. Jason Robinson is defiance personified; he worked himself back to fitness when most pundits had written off his 16-year career when he sustained a hamstring injury against the Boks. Tait should watch his back, Fourie Du Preez has amazing vision, pace and ability to find inconsistencies in any team and exploit them fully. Percy Montgomery has found his kicking boots, JP Pietersen might be slight in built, but that works to his advantage, and his pace will be a key, too.

The South African nation is covered in green and gold today and Paris will feel its effect. Go Bokke!