Wednesday 7 October 2015 22:18, UK
South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer expressed his pride for Bryan Habana after he became the joint-highest try-scorer in Rugby World Cup history, alongside the great Jonah Lomu.
The 32-year-old scored a 19-minute hat-trick as the Springboks crushed USA 64-0 in their final Pool B game at the Olympic Stadium, setting up a juicy quarter-final against either Australia or Wales.
Habana's three tries took him to 15 in World Cups - the same as All Blacks legend Lomu - but Meyer simply expressed his relief at the winger coming into form at the right time.
Meyer said: "I didn't even know he had got the record - I was more focused on the game - but I'm so proud of him.
"He is a great ambassador for South Africa and I hope he has peaked at the right time. He will need to score more tries as well but I'm pleased for him.
"He is always the guy who comes through in big games. He didn't have a good off-season and couldn't get going. Now he is getting momentum. He is looking forward and getting the ball in his hand.
"But first and foremost - and it sounds corny - but the one thing we are getting right now is that it's better for the team than the individual."
Wales or Australia will be a cracker of a game and it doesn't matter what happened before. We are looking forward to it, the confidence is there but we have to stay humble as we haven't achieved it yet.
Meyer is also relieved that his side's shocking opening-game defeat to Japan is firmly behind them, and they can now look ahead to the knockout stages and run for the trophy.
"The great thing after we played Japan was that we changed the gameplan," he said.
"Wales or Australia will be a cracker of a game and it doesn't matter what happened before. We are looking forward to it, the confidence is there but we have to stay humble as we haven't achieved it yet.
"I know we are better prepared and we will face one of the best two in the world. We have to be more clinical and use every opportunity, on their day any team can beat any team."
