'Training' Boks thrill army of fans
The Springboks gave the word "training" a new meaning yesterday. They used nearly four hours on the train from Newcastle to London to recover from the exertions of their 34-16 World Cup win over Scotland at St James' Park at the weekend.With only four days between that match and Wednesday's Pool B meeting with the US, the Boks have an almost clean bill of health, aided by their travel planning.The team caught the 11am from Newcastle Station to King's Cross, which took just under four hours.It gave hundreds of South African fans on the same train a chance to mingle with their heroes on the platform before departure."We travelled by train because it's quicker, but also because, from a recovery perspective it's better for the players because they can walk up and down the train more freely," Dr Craig Roberts said. "It was always part of our strategy."It was a treat for the guys because the station was full of supporters in Bok jerseys and there was an impromptu signing and selfie session on the platform. But we had our own carriage."Part of the World Cup is interacting with our fans."Roberts said that there were only minor niggles but that was part of the game.Recovering Victor Matfield (hamstring) and Schalk Burger (pectoral) will be assessed today...
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