2023-09-09 10:34:49
The Irish with their captain Jonathan Sexton. STEPHANE MAHE / REUTERS
With Ireland, South Africa but also Scotland, Group B promises spectacle and suspense. Decryption.
On paper, Ireland and South Africa are favorites for the final title and should qualify in the quarter. Until then, their course will deserve to be watched with insistence in particular, because it is this pool which will designate the opponent of the XV of France in the quarter-finals. It’s hard to know which team is best to take. First element of response this Saturday afternoon with the entry into the running at 3 p.m. of the last winners of the 6 Nations Tournament against Romania in Bordeaux (3 p.m.).
The South Africans are the reigning world champions and have never lost in the final phase of the World Cup against a team from the northern hemisphere. The Irish are number 1 in the world, they remain on a Grand Slam and their last defeat dates back to July 2, 2022, against the blacks. The South Africans and the Irish will meet on September 23, for their third match. The winner will have posed a serious option for qualification, but will surely leave feathers there. By innovating during the preparation matches with the bench with 6 forwards, the South Africans have clearly stated their intention of a frontal and direct game.
A surprise cannot be ruled out in this group with… Scotland
But a surprise cannot be ruled out as this hen is so dense. Blame it on a draw made in the midst of the Covid crisis, when some nations had not played since the last World Cup. As a result, three of the five best teams in the world will therefore compete for two places in the quarter-finals, since Scotland, 5th nation in the standings, plays the role of outsider here. They will need an exploit to dislodge the two huge favorites. The Irish have not lost to the Thistle XV since 2017 (27-22 victory for the Scots at Murrayfield). The South Africans, since 2010 (a rather improbable 21-17 defeat while the Scots were at their lowest). And yet doubt is allowed.
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The Scots approach this edition in much better conditions than four years ago, when they were eliminated by Japan, after a pathetic inaugural defeat against Ireland. They have the advantage of playing the Bocks in the first match. A difficult confrontation, but the result cannot seal the fate of either team. In case of defeats, the Scots can always qualify, for that they will have to beat Ireland in their last match. Conversely, a victory would not qualify them… Nor would it eliminate the Boks from the competition. Recall that the South Africans had a surprise defeat in England in 2015 against Japan, but managed to pull themselves together to finally be eliminated in the semi-finals, against the future winners of the All Blacks competition. When the Japanese returned home, despite having three group wins.
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The difference for the final classification could therefore be decided on points, if by chance the Scots manage to thwart the predictions against one of the two favorites. If the other two teams that make up this group have no chance of qualifying, they will have a decisive role. The Irish are not mistaken, because they line up among their big teams against Romanians who have not shown much for several years. “ They had fielded a B team against Samoa in a preparation match, and only won 17-13comments the former coach of the XV of France Philipe Saint-André. This is perhaps the weakness of this team, a fairly limited bench depth. »
The question of bonuses will be very important
The three big teams will look to fill up by adding an offensive bonus and taking care of the gaps. On the other hand, the fifth team in this group could be much more than a foil. Tonga have never qualified for a final phase of the World Cup, but beat France in 2011. This year, their workforce has been reinforced thanks to a change in the rules of international bodies. Players who have worn the New Zealand or Australian jersey like All Blacks ¾ center Malakai Fekitoa. But despite these reinforcements, this summer, the team finished last in the competition against other Pacific nations. They then beat Australia A and Canada. While they are unlikely to win more than one game, they will no doubt offer rough opposition, renowned as they are, for head-on play and their tackle often at the extreme limit of the rule .
In such a context, the two teams that will manage to get out of this pool will perhaps be the ones that have managed to avoid the biggest injuries. But a legitimate question arises for the rest of the competition: after such adversity in the pool, will one of these teams be able to finish world champion, especially since they will have to get through in the quarter-finals, i.e. All Blacks, or French. ” The Irish are favorites, but they are not used to stringing together more than two high-level matchesjudge Philipe Saint-André. During the Tournament there is always a week break. I think the sequence, South Africa, Scotland, then quarter-final will be very difficult for them. »
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