2023-10-22 16:24:04
It must be written well since it must be resolved: in the absence of the Blues, which the French supporters are still struggling to digest a week after the “drama”, the World Cup final, Saturday October 28, promises the most beautiful poster. New Zealand against South Africa, the clash of the two monsters of the Southern Hemisphere, a great oval classic.
Not really a surprise, but almost a curiosity as the course of the tournament offered false leads and upset certainties. Like these slightly improbable semi-finals, the result of a draw from another time (November 2020). What wasn’t said before the competition about these half-hearted All Blacks, with playing intentions as softened as their conquest, a generation below the previous ones? As proof, this rather lackluster start to the World Cup against the triumphant Blues, confirming their placement on the podium in the predictions behind France, Ireland and South Africa.
Black tornado and South African realism
Except that the black tornado has since devastated everything in its path. Ask the Argentinian Pumas who were turned upside down by the maelstrom on Friday October 20, struggling and struggling again but carried away by the New Zealand gusts: 44-6, 7 tries to nothing, a walk in the park completed at 14 on the Blacks side, the coach Ian Foster believes it is useless to bring back one of his men who has served a temporary suspension on a yellow card for the last five minutes. Sin of pride? Still, the Argentines suffered the most severe defeat of a team in a World Cup semi-final since the Welsh were exhausted by the same All Blacks in 1987 (49-6). A slap. And New Zealanders who, as a result, regain the favorite costume that we no longer imagined on their broad shoulders.
Because, in the other semi-final this Saturday, October 21, the experts announced that the English were promised a similar correction by the South African big guns. This XV of the Rose without thorns for months, the same one that the Blues had wrung out in March 2023 at Twickenham (10-53), qualified without genius in the last four, how could it resist the reigning world champions scorers of the XV of France?
He did it playing in the English style, in an all-British rain, the leather breaking the clouds by being sent up there (41 kicks in the whole match), the needy forwards barely clearing the pitch. he fell to the ground. Minimal strategy but maximum efficiency. The English only gave in two minutes from the end, on a mammoth penalty from Handré Pollard, 16-15 for South Africa which, realistic as hell, went by one more point – as against France (29-28) a week before –, but passes.
An unprecedented four pass
They will therefore defend their title, these Springboks, but it was a ric-rac and the bookmakers could rather bet on their best enemies for the final. The dynamic is dark at the end of the marathon competition, like the trend in the World Cup in recent years.
The South’s first duel was the South Africans who won at home in 1995, for this final whose beauty was more symbolic than sporting (15-12). Four years later, it was for third place that the Boks still imposed their law (22-18). But, since then, the last three confrontations of the two nations in the World Cup have always gone in favor of New Zealand. Without discussion in 2003 in the quarter-final (29-9), more bitterly in 2015 in the semi-final (20-18), and for nothing in 2019 in the group (23-13), the South Africans won the title finally.
Since then, the two teams have faced each other six times, for a perfect tie (three victories everywhere), the last in a test match at Twickenham resulting in a severe defeat for New Zealand (7-35), responsible for the skepticism around the Blacks in start of the World Cup. But Ian Foster’s men are no longer the same, their morale of steel and their newfound rage to win. Like their desire to play. Will the South Africans be able to clip their wings? This will be one of the challenges of the final.
In a competition where plans programmed in advance and strategic options have often made the difference, the ultimate showdown, with its traditional opposition of style, does not necessarily promise an unbridled spectacle. The weather, predicted to be rainy, could also arbitrate the debates, more in favor of the Springboks.
South Africa (1995, 2007, 2019) and New Zealand (1987, 2011, 2015) each have three world crowns. Certainty: in a week, a single nation will dominate the oval with a fourth coronation. New for now.
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The Blues offer themselves an exploit in New Zealand
Stories in blue ink are often written to the point at the moment. The Blues offered consolation to French rugby by winning for the first time in New Zealand this Saturday, October 21, 18-17 in Wellington, during the first day of the WXV, a new international women’s rugby competition which takes place in October and November. For the Blues, it’s a great revenge a year after their defeat against the same Blacks Ferns in the semi-final of the World Cup 24-25. Next meeting on October 28 against Australia.
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