2023-09-11 05:14:59
The reigning champion has put his foot in the dish. As soon as they entered the competition, the Springboks asserted themselves as more than serious candidates for their own succession, on October 28, by getting rid of Scotland this Sunday in Marseille with a margin that the final score does not really reflect ( 18-3).
The Blues, other logical contenders for the crown, convincing defeaters of the All Blacks two days earlier at the Stade de France (27-13), must now count on the success of the South Africans, on September 23 against Ireland, to be sure not to find them on their way in the quarter-finals in mid-October.
The Scots and South Africans had, however, started by making common cause by arriving early at the Vélodrome stadium, thus sparing themselves the problems of access the day before, when thousands of Englishmen had shown up less than an hour away. sending, sometimes remaining stuck for half an hour before being able to reach their place. No worries this time, the tensions were exclusively on the ground. No elastic team, air gap, handbrake like during an England-Argentina (27-10) at a very low level.
Brilliant blind foot pass from Libbok
The Springboks got into the thick of things as expected. Serious, solid and dynamic at the same time. They logically took the lead and were heading towards continued and logical domination when a grain of sand slipped into the mechanics. A thistle rather. And hefty at that: around 900 kg on the scale. Because, to everyone’s surprise, it was the Scottish pack which took the upper hand in the closed melee. To the point, at the very last minute of the first period, of lifting and pushing his opponent (6-3). For a Springbok, the thing is humiliating to a point that is difficult to imagine. It is even inconceivable.
Siya Kolisi and his team returned from the locker room galvanized by this scathing slap which raised the ambient temperature (28°C) a few more degrees. It didn’t take long for them to get their house back in order. Two minutes to take their revenge in a closed scrum. Five more to send third row Pieter-Steph Du Toit, best player in the world 2019, into the Scottish goal after a series of impressive charges. And three more to end any suspense with, this time, an absolutely brilliant blind foot pass from fly-half Manie Libbok for winger Kurt-Lee Arendse. Solid. Complete.
Dots
South Africa: 2 tries from Du Toit (47th), Arendse (50th), 1 conversion from De Klerk (50th), 2 penalties from Libbok (12th, 26th).
Scotland: 1 penalty from Russell (40th).
#Rugby #World #Cup #South #Africa #impresses #Scotland