Rugby World Cup 2023: After a marginally close defeat by the South African Springboks in front of over 80,000 fans, the host nation is now ousted from the tournament.
South Africa, ranked number two globally, played their cards close to their chest for this hotel-contested quarter-final.
First: Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber sprung some surprises in naming his matchday squad on Friday the 13th.
In the backline, the big news was that Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach were chosen for the first half over Handre Pollard and Faf de Klerk as the starting half-backs while, in the forwards, Duane Vermeulen took over from Jasper Wiese at number eight.
But, the mind games began a week ahead of the quarter-finals. South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus accused France’s players of ‘simulating’ ahead of their quarter-final clash.
Even though French captain Antoine Dupont was warned that he risked more damage by playing against South Africa, the scrum-half and captain was named to start against the Springboks at the Stade de France in Sunday’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final.
Dupont suffered a fractured cheekbone vs Namibia on September 21 but has remarkably recovered after surgery.
South Africa withstood the French onslaught under the bright lights in Paris on sunday night to win by a point in a ferocious and breathtaking quarter-final. South Africa, who faced England in the semi-finals, prevailed 29-28 thanks to tries by Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth and the kicks of Mannie Libbock and Handre Pollard.
Some Springboks fans were critical of the standard of refereeing after France crashed out of their home World Cup. But it was France who fired first towards the match officials…Antoine Dupont was critical of referee Ben O’Keeffe after France’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to South Africa; “I don’t want to be a bad loser and moan about the refereeing, but I’m not sure the level of refereeing was up the level of the game today”
Earlier in the day, England beat Fiji 30-24 in Marseille to secure their place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-finals, where they will face defending champions South Africa.
Is this déjà vu?
The 2019 Rugby World Cup final match was played on 2 November 2019 at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. It was played between England and South Africa, a 2007 Rugby World Cup final rematch.
The 2019 rugby finals match saw South Africa claim their third Rugby World Cup title with a 32–12 victory, with tries from Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe adding to six penalties and two conversions from Handré Pollard.
Meanwhile, in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final match, played on Saturday, 20 October 2007, at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris- South Africa beat England 15–6.
And 16 years later, England had to do it again at the same venue and this time in the semi-finals against the defending champions.
For BGTN I am Ben Rikhotso
