2023-10-15 19:28:16
Rugby World Cup 2023 in FrancedossierAt the end of a suspenseful quarter, England defeated the tough and valiant Fijians (30-24) on Sunday October 15 in Marseille, and reached the final four of the tournament. They will face the winner of the France-South Africa match.
After Ireland, is the curse of quarters infecting Fiji? After two failures at this stage in 1987 and 2007 (already in France), the colossi of the Pacific once again failed to reach the semi-finals, losing 30-24. And their English executioners have their revenge, after the humiliation suffered at Twickenham a month and a half earlier, when enterprising Fijians came to win the English arena without batting an eye (28-22). We felt them resentful: we only had to observe the English lads in the stands shouting their “Swing low sweet chariot” during the Fijian cibi to understand that this quarter in Marseille would have almost nothing to do with the rest .
Especially since the two selections, which ended their group phase on the knees, had both warned: one like the other was going to present a very different face than that which was theirs during the last day of the groups . It was true. Very early on, a first lesson emerges: the Fijians are never as dangerous as when they play without the label of favorite. Gone is the stereotypical game without flashes of genius displayed during their historic defeat against Portugal a week earlier. This Sunday, Levani Botia’s teammates played liberated, found passion, improvisation, singular gesture. In short, they tried at every moment. The very essence of their game.
Very daring
Major problem, however: opposite, cold of realism when it comes to matches that count, the XV of the Rose was certainly not the opponent most suited to the very enterprising game of the Fijians. And whatever we think of the English dynamic pre-World Cup and the low density of group D, the selection was not an outsider in this match, since it came to the Vélodrome undefeated in four games. All amputated half the time of his metronome, soul and thinking head: Owen Farrell, 109 caps, suspended two matches after a red card received during a preparatory meeting just before leaving for France, and perfectly replaced by George Ford, heroic against Argentina, lethal in his kicking game (92% success compared to 72% for Farrell).
The dilemma therefore animated all the talk shows, broadcasts and other interviews across the Channel: which of the two to line up in such a momentous match? Coach Steve Borthwick had to make a big choice. He made two, starting Owen Farrell and Marcus Smith at full-back, even though that is not his professional position, and Steward had started 29 of the last 30 games as a starter. Very daring. Smith suffered a lot in his lane at the start of the match, facing the punches of Semi Radradra, of much greater size.
He was not the only one, the rest of the troops too: in the straight line of their course in groups, the Fijians started very strong by showing themselves uncompromising in the game on the ground, recovering the balls in the rucks. But these English are fine tacticians, they constantly adapt. They know how to exploit weaknesses, even small ones, when they present themselves. They saw that the Fijians tended to leave their small side too open in the defensive phase, by wanting to anticipate too much the English swings towards the big one. This is how Manu Tuilagi flattened first. As the Fijians never do anything like everyone else, they responded by scoring their first try during their first moment in numerical inferiority: a school pass fake from Villiame Mata to score, after a pass in contact with Josua Tuisova.
Madness subsides quickly
More unexpectedly, the domination on the ground of the Fijians was reversed in the second quarter of the match, to the benefit of England, who took advantage of the numerous opposing errors to take advantage of the foot. The match was decided there: England have scorers ready to punish between the posts, not Fiji. Lomani gave up six easy points in the first period, when Farrell was quick to convert his own. 21-10 in favor of the English at half-time.
Same dynamic after the locker room, without the score really moving. At 24-10 with twenty minutes still to play, the spectators think the match is closed. Especially since the English perfectly resisted the Fijian assaults, which were then sorely lacking in inspiration. This was without taking into account the tenacity of the black and orange, who ended up breaking through the English block in quick succession, in five minutes via Botitu and Ravai. 24-24, a quarter of an hour to play. Madness. Quick fall, after a surgical drop from Farrell, eternal savior of the homeland, elected man of the match. Borthwick was right. Rogues, with the experience to make the minutes count, the 2003 world champions finish the affair on the foot. Not without trembling over a final interminable phase of the Fijians. They give themselves the right to face either the outgoing South African champion or the French enemy.
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