2023-10-21 23:28:39
The 2023 World Cup final, Saturday October 28, will be a repeat of that of 1995 between South Africa and New Zealand, then won by the Springboks. Unlike the All Blacks who easily negotiated their semi-final against Argentina, the South Africans had to draw on their reserves to overcome an English team which led for almost the entire match.
Published on: 10/22/2023 – 01:28
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Twenty-eight years after their first home title, the South Africans will have the opportunity to become the first to sew a fourth star on their jersey (after 1995, 2007 and 2019), a quest that the New Zealanders are also pursuing ( 1987, 2011 and 2015). They broke in: South Africa, defending champion, will defend its world crown against New Zealand on October 28 at the Stade de France, after having forced the lock of a padlocked semi-final against the England (16-15).
“We are in the final, that’s all that matters,” said colossal second row Eben Etzebeth at the end of a match where the Springboks were trailing for 78 minutes. Because before hoping to lift the Webb-Ellis trophy again, on October 28, the Springboks had to pass a real personality test against a surprising and rediscovered England team.
“The strength of this team is to never give up and find a solution, even if it doesn’t go our way, even if we don’t play well. It took us time, it took us 78 minutes but they refused to give up. They fought until the end,” smiled their coach, Jacques Nienaber.
Because, against the Boks, the Rose stung from the start, and hard: first with four penalties (3rd, 10th, 24th, 40th) and a drop (53rd) from Owen Farrell but above all by taking the Springboks to their own game, in scrum (two won) as well as in touch (four touches lost).
The men of Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, who had eliminated the French a week earlier (29-28) with their heads held high, in fact missed their meeting. In the Dyonisian rain, the Boks experienced an extremely complicated match, like their hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi in touch (two throws not straight, one blocked) or their opener Manie Libbok, released after only 31 minutes.
Handré Pollard decisive
By responding to the South African physical impact and playing – a lot – on the feet, while relying on a steely defense, the English played with their weapons. And it almost worked! For seventy minutes, the Boks seemed incapable of responding to the problem posed by England. Until the saving try of the second line RG Snyman (69th), in short.
“It’s frustrating that we weren’t at our best tonight, especially in the first half. We knew we still had a lot to give but I think England put us under pressure at the right times. We need them take our hat off. But, damn, we never gave up!”, summarized Handré Pollard.
“The fighting spirit we showed, the fact of never giving up, that’s what characterizes us as a team and as a nation,” added the former Montpellier player.
Thanks to a stifling last ten minutes and the decisive penalty from Pollard (78th) at the very end of the match, the South Africans, trailing throughout the game but qualified with forceps, overturned their opponents to go for themselves. a fourth planetary finale.
They will find the legendary All Blacks there, whom they have not beaten in a World Cup since 1999 and the match for third place (22-18) of the Welsh edition. New Zealanders who will have an extra day of rest after their easy victory in the semi-final against Argentina (44-6). Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, the brains of this courageous and experienced South African team, now have a week to put things right after a match where nothing seemed to go their way. Until the 78th minute.
With AFP
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