The Springboks produced a gutsy, gritty second-half performance to march on at the Rugby World Cup, using their bench to come back from six points down to edge France 29-28 in a game for the ages.
When rugby is played in this sort of intensity, with this sort of passion and with this level of talent, then it is almost as if there shouldn’t be a winner.
But as in all sport there has to be one. And the fact that France and Ireland are now out of the tournament, despite being on par with the best in the world, is testament to how World Rugby got the draw so wrong.
Because this game was worthy of a final. It was worthy of every superlative that there is out there in sport. It was gut-wrenching edge-of-your-seat stuff. This certainly wasn’t a game for the faint-hearted.
It had all the elements. Six first half tries were the most that were ever scored in a first half of a World Cup playoff game.
The Springboks move one step closer to defending their title 🏆
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 15, 2023
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FRENCH CROWD BAYING FOR BOK BLOOD
And there was drama galore. In front of a crowd of 79 486, most of whom were baying for Springbok blood and urging Les Bleus on with every move, the Springboks were always going to be up against it.
And for the majority of the game, it seemed that France would do it. They dominated the collisions, kept the Springboks on the back foot and kept them away from their strengths. There was only one first half lineout and three Springbok first half scrums for the Boks to launch from.
So many times France threatened to take the contest away from the Springboks, so many times they looked set to fulfill their promise of being the next Rugby World Cup champions.
But they underestimated the grit, the guts and the inability for this Springbok side to take a step back.
Even in the second half, where the Boks looked out on their feet, where France surged to a six point lead and looked as if they were on the verge of planting the knockout blow. Without Eben Etzebeth, who missed the first 10 minutes with a yellow card, the Boks dug in. They didn’t concede a point in the third stanza, even though they teetered on the edge. They held firm.
The stats tell a one-sided story: 41 per cent possession and 37 per cent territory is not a position you normally win from. But they did.
And there were heroes galore.
KOLBE’S CHARGE-DOWN CRUCIAL
Possibly the biggest hero - in retrospect in a one-point win - was winger Cheslin Kolbe, who came out of nowhere to charge down Thomas Ramos’ conversion after the second try. The desperate sprint saved two points, and in a one-point game, that was worth Kolbe’s weight in gold.
Cheslin Kolbe is just rapid ⚡️#RWC2023 | #FRAvRSA pic.twitter.com/mMIy85MyOC
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 15, 2023
But there were others. Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende were giants in the midfield, the pint-sized wingers grew in stature as Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse made the French wingers look almost fallable. Before the game Damian Penaud was on course to equal the World Cup try-scoring record. With Kolbe defending him, he never had a chance.
Franco Mostert put in 14 tackles, Kriel and Frans Malherbe 13 each. Everywhere you looked the Boks were desperate, and while they were beaten time and again in first-up tackles, missing 42 tackles on the night. In the end it didn’t matter. The ones they made counted double for them.
Considering the exceptional start that France got to the match, stunning the Boks by almost scoring in the opening minute, and then opening their account in the fourth when a clever Penaud kick to the corner set up a maul that led to Cyril Baille going over from close range.
The Boks knew they were in for a fight.
FIRST HALF SLUGFEST
Six tries in 40 astonishing minutes ⏱️
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 15, 2023
We've just witnessed the most tries in the first half of a men's Rugby World Cup knockout match ever#RWC2023 | #FRAvRSA pic.twitter.com/eaVL9kB4NB
But they were happy to make it a slugfest, going toe to toe and caught France with an up and under that bounced perfectly for Kurt-Lee Arendse to poach and run 30 metres to score.
Another up and under worked out perfectly again for the Boks as this time Cameron Woki knocked the ball into the hands of Pieter-Steph du Toit, with Damian de Allende powering up close to the line and then getting his hands on recycled ball shortly afterwards to go over for the try.
Impressive French hooker Peato Mauvaka scored after Antoine Dupont sent him around the corner on the overlap to go in at the corner. Kolbe’s charge-down proved crucial.
And Kolbe got himself onto the scoresheet when a beautiful turnover ball was toed through by Kriel into his hands and behind the defence for the winger to dot down.
Baille got over from close range to bring the French level again and they went into the lead when Eben Etzebeth was yellow carded for head contact just before the break.
With Etzebeth off the field, and the French making inroads with every carry, it seemed almost impossible the Boks wouldn’t concede a point. But every time they held firm.
At times they were lucky as referee Ben O’Keefe, who had an excellent game, gave them the leeway instead of submitting to the baying crowd. But they held firm.
BENCH MADE THE DIFFERENCE
"Most importantly the people back at home."
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 15, 2023
This message from Siya Kolisi to South Africa 🥺🇿🇦#StrongerTogether | #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/IxrDp6Rd3h
And then, when it mattered, they started to take control. With the bench in form, the scrum started to dominate. And the turnovers started to come. A particularly good one in their own 22 was powered upfield by Kriel, and toed ahead. Du Pont was caught in no man’s land and gave up the penalty.
And from the tap, Etzebeth powered his way over two phases later.
Despite being on the ropes, the Boks were in front. A penalty each followed and France pressed hard.
But the experience of the Bok team would never let their grip go. They strangled France in the final moments and pressed their advantage home.
This was a game for the ages. It was one of the most brutal, intense 80 minutes of rugby a World Cup has ever seen.
It was a game where heroes stood up to be counted.
And it was a game where the Boks laid down a marker. They are two steps away from a title defence of their 2019 crown.
It’s going to take some fight to take it away from them.
SCORERS
France - tries: Cyril Baille (2), Peato Mauvaka. Conversions: Thomas Ramos (2). Penalties: Ramos (3).
South Africa - tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2), Handre Pollard. Penalty: Pollard