Familiar foes ready to 'rip heads off'

Namibia captain Jacques Burger (L) waves to supporters after losing their Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Wales at Stadium Taranaki in New Plymouth September 26, 2011. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel

WEYBRIDGE, England (Reuters) - Amid the platitudes and mutual respect for each other coming out of the New Zealand and South Africa camps this week, both know their World Cup semi-final on Saturday is as cut-throat as it gets on the international stage.

A rivalry stretching back to 1921 has produced many epic encounters down the years, not least the 1995 final won by the Springboks, and their Twickenham showdown has all the ingredients of another classic.