South African vice-captain Victor Matfield said the Springboks will be on the alert for any attempt by Wales to illegally slow the ball at the breakdown in their opening Pool D World Cup match in Wellington on Sunday.

Matfield, speaking to the media on Wednesday, said Wales were very successful at slowing England's ruck ball in their 19-9 victory in Cardiff last month, which prompted South Africa to review their own options for countering the tactic.

"We've been targeting the breakdown," Matfield told the media scrum.

"We need to be accurate and we'll also probably talk to the ref about that to see what we can do there to keep them within the laws," he added.

"But that's something we want to sort out ourselves, as well."

Matfield's long-time second row partner, Bakkies Botha, could normally be relied upon to police the rucks himself with his trademark vigorous clean-outs, but the 32-year-old is sidelined with an ankle injury and has only a remote chance of being fit for selection.

Matfield was forced to miss training again on Wednesday, because of a hamstring strain, but believes he will be fit in time for Friday's team selection - when a final call on his fitness would be made.

The 34-year-old said South Africa had been focusing on the match against Wales for some time and they can't wait for Sunday.

The 2007 World Cup-winner added that the mood in the Springbok camp was no different from France four years ago.

"No, it's the same thing. We've come out here to win it again," Matfield said.

* Meanwhile Matfield insisted he was not spending that time thinking about what he would do when he retired after the tournament.

"I haven't thought about that [retirement from rugby] yet," Matfield said.

"We are all just focussing on the game and it has really been a long week. It feels like we can't get to the game fast enough now."

Early indications were that he might follow in Bob Skinstad's footsteps, becoming a sports presenter, while his knowledge of line-out play would be also be a highly sought after skill.

"I think everyone just wants to get into the games now and we will handle all the personal stuff after the World Cup - now everything is about the team," he said.

Having already lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy once was not detracting from the great spectacle for Matfield, who, if declared fit to play this weekend, would extend his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 107 caps.

"The World Cup is the biggest stage you can play on as a rugby player, so there will be a little bit of extra nerves, but every team has got that so it is just how you handle that and how you go out there and play," he said.

In contrast to the Welsh, who underwent two gruelling pre-season camps in Poland, the Springboks used the Tri-Nations tournament for their fine-tuning.

Part of their plan to ensure all the players were fully fit by the time the World Cup kicked off, involved a group of 23 players being absent from South Africa's away leg of the triangular competition.

During that time, they attended a rehabilitation camp in Phokeng, near Rustenburg, which meant, effectively, that the team had only two full dress rehearsals leading up to the World Cup.

Matfield felt certain the approach the Boks took in their build-up was the right one.

"I think the preparation is very important," he said.

"We have had a good three weeks together now as well so we just want to get to the game and start getting into it, and I think everything will then fall into place again."

RNS & SAPA