2023-10-01 22:07:22
The victory, the offensive bonus and an almost river score (49-18): the South African world champions entered the quarter-finals of the 2023 Rugby World Cup on Sunday in Marseille by winning once morest valiant ” Tongan sea eagles.
Mission almost accomplished for the teammates of Siya Kolisi, who celebrated his 50th captaincy in 80 caps, even if they had to wait until the 49th minute to sign the fourth try synonymous with the bonus by center Jesse Kriel.
The Tongan But the final score, certainly severe, is far from the 74-10 of 1997, during the first duel between the two teams, in Cape Town.
To set their second foot in the final phase, the Springboks will have to wait a week and the result of the clash between Ireland and Scotland on Saturday at the Stade de France.
The three-time world champions, who have now played their four group matches, returned to the top of group B, with 15 pts, ahead of the Irish world No. 1 (14 pts) once morest whom they lost 13-8 ago. a week, and Scotland (10 pts).
And their very comfortable goal average (+117) should prevent them from having nightmares, even in the event of an improved Scottish victory once morest the XV du Trèfle, which might put the three teams tied at 15 pts and force them to decide between them with the difference of points…
Return of Pollard
South Africa flyhalf Handré Pollard hits a conversion during South Africa’s victory once morest Tonga at the Rugby World Cup, at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, France, on October 1, 2023
AFP
Before diving into these apothecary calculations, Jacques Nienaber, the South African coach, was able to observe the return to the opening of Handré Pollard, conductor of the “Boks” crowned in 2019 in Japan. And the results are rather positive.
Recalled in disaster among the 33 South Africans, thanks to the injury of hooker Malcolm Marx, the 2022 French champion with Montpellier demonstrated that he had lost none of his qualities once morest the posts, with 4 transformations out of 4 during his 50 minutes on the pitch, including three in the corner.
Enough to reassure the Springbok staff, desperately looking for a scorer following the failures of fly-half Manie Libbok and scrum-half Faf de Klerk once morest Scotland and Ireland, each time dropping 11 points to foot.
Absent from the South African XV since August 2022 and returning to competition barely 15 days ago, with his English club Leicester, Pollard was however less fluid in the conduct of the game. Thus, in the 20th minute, it It’s only luck that deflects his pass into the shoulder of pillar Koch and allows young center Canan Moodie to run for the try.
Trickster try from scrum-half Reinach on a handball penalty (5th), try from hooker Fourie on a penalty (32nd): until the bonus try, the “Boks” were quite messy.
And they were surprisingly fragile in defense, conceding three tries, as many as in their last nine World Cup matches. But nothing to worry Jacques Nienaber: “Sometimes you concede tries, and the only thing to do is watch and applaud. The Tongans were brilliant.”
Tonga prop Ben Tameifuna during the lap of honor wrapped in a flag of his country, following Tonga’s defeat once morest South Africa at the Rugby World Cup, at the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille, France, October 1, 2023
AFP
But the Tongan defense also ended up giving in, and Toutai Kefu’s men never seemed able to win, not like during the last World Cup in France, when they pushed the “Boks” to their limits ( defeat 30-25).
Almost qualified for the quarter-finals, the reigning world champions now have 15 days to prepare to face France or New Zealand. Unless an improbable Scottish exploit with a victory by more than 20 points once morest the Irish might eliminate them.
For Jacques Nienaber, the scenario of a possible “arrangement” between the Irish and the Scots to eliminate them is in any case unimaginable: “It would be cheating, rugby is clean, it would be very disappointing”.
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