2023-10-15 23:02:20
South Africa qualified for the semi-final of the World Cup on Saturday October 15 thanks to a victory against France by a small point (29-28) at the end of a suffocating match. She will face England on Saturday, victorious over Fiji (30-24). The other semi-final will be a southern hemisphere duel on Friday at the Stade de France, between New Zealand and Argentina.
Published on: 15/10/2023 – 23:02
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The 2023 World Cup will now be concentrated in a single sporting venue for the last four final phase matches. The semi-finals will take place on October 20 and 21 at the Stade de France.
New Zealand / Argentina
Friday October 20 at 9 p.m. at the Stade de France
We should never bury the All Blacks! Beaten in the opening match of the World Cup by the Blues (27-13), the New Zealanders regained momentum throughout the group matches, taking advantage of the return of senior players like their captain Sam Cane. He set an example during the quarter-final win against Ireland (28-24), with an impressive series of devastating tackles. The entire New Zealand team was exemplary in defense, including the incredible six-minute final sequence during which the Irish tried, in vain, to cross the All Blacks’ try line.
For their ninth World Cup semi-final, the New Zealanders will face a new opponent, Argentina. The Pumas experienced a similar journey in this World Cup, with an opening defeat against England (10-27). Facing a messy Welsh side, the Argentines were able to win their quarter-final (29-17) in the last 20 minutes, while they were trailing 12 to 17 in Marseille. A first try from prop Joel Sclavi put them back in the match in the 68th, with substitute fly-half Nicolas Sanchez taking charge of sealing the fate of the match in the 77th with a second try scored following a fine interception. As in 2007 and 2015, the Argentinians managed to reach the last four.
South Africa / England
Saturday October 21 at 9 p.m. at the Stade de France
The reigning world champions did not fall on Saturday October 15 at the Stade de France. They managed to beat a French team (29-28) at the end of a very competitive match. South Africa resisted the unleashed Blues in the first half to return to the locker room with a single point behind. They imposed their physical domination in the second half and gradually gained the upper hand. They ultimately won this showdown and qualified for the semi-finals. They will face England on Saturday October 15 at the Stade de France. These two teams played in the final of the last World Cup, with a large victory for the Springboks (32-12).
Given its results this year in the Six Nations Tournament (4th with 3 defeats) and its difficult preparation for this World Cup, including a defeat against Fiji at Twickenham (22-30), the XV de la Rose was not expected in the last four of this competition. He relied on his conquest to beat Argentina from the start, with 27 points scored by George Ford (27-10), and thus overcame a major obstacle. The rest was not easy, however, with England being particularly scared against Samoa (18-17). But the English were able to continue their progress and they also held on against Fiji in the quarter-final. While they seemed to be in control of this match, they saw their opponents come back in the last quarter of an hour and once again relied on their scorer. This time it was Owen Farrell, author of 20 points and great architect of the victory (30-24).
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