Warrior Corry can't wait to punish Boks

Those dark green jerseys have been stalking Corry for 12 months and lesser men would have buckled under the physical and mental pressure.

However, the Springboks chose the wrong man to intimidate in Corry, a true warrior who has turned disaster in a potentially historic rugby success.

As the 34-year-old prepares to deal with the physical demands of trying to shackle Schalk Burger at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday, he can take comfort from the fact there is only one more muscle-hurting battle to go.

One of the enduring memories of England's remarkable 2007 World Cup campaign is that of Corry standing on the pitch, wearily applauding the fans in Marseille after seeing off Australia in the quarter-finals.

As the rest of his team-mates started a lap of honour, the flanker remained where he stood, his legs spent.

A week later and Corry looked equally battered and bruised but this time his legs were in better shape despite having dealt with a fearsome semi-final against the French.

The adrenaline was still coursing through his body because he knew a personal dream had come true.

An unused replacement when England won the 2003 World Cup in Sydney, Corry will finally get to play on the big stage next weekend.

He said: "I said in 2003 that it was great to be a part of it, but I didn't have much of an influence. This time around, I would love to be able to influence the result."

A 25-14 defeat by South Africa at Twickenham in November last year cost Corry the England captaincy and Andy Robinson his role as head coach.

After a poor autumn international series, the Twickenham hierarchy handed the coaching role to Brian Ashton, who promptly installed Phil Vickery as his leader.

Corry knew what the consequences could be and admitted: "After the November Tests I went back to Leicester and they gave me four or five days off. It was then that I realised it had been pretty heavy going. That's why going off for a break and becoming a dad again was so important."

Rugby redemption came almost as soon as the short holiday ended, with Ashton making it clear he wanted Corry's experience and leadership skills in his Six Nations squad.

Corry responded with typically selfless displays, even agreeing to play in the second row. Inevitably, South Africa played a part in Corry's rugby life again when the 36-0 drubbing of four weeks ago left England's World Cup defence on the ropes. It was then that the real "warriors" in the squad took over and helped save the campaign.

With increasing incredulity, the rugby world has been forced to applaud wins over Samoa and Tonga, followed by the quarter-final miracle in Marseille and the defeat of hosts France.

And the end result of this sacrifice? Another battle with the Springboks!

"It's poetic that we are facing them again," Corry said. "However, this England is completely different."