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Ce qu'il faut savoir sur le match Afrique du Sud - Tonga
Après avoir été appelé au sein de l’effectif après la blessure de Malcolm Marx, pour qui la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2023 est terminée, Handré Pollard est titulaire en 10 contre les Tonga à Marseille, dimanche. Il fêtera ainsi sa première sélection avec les Springboks depuis août 2022.
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Pollard fait partie des 12 changements apportés à la composition après la défaite 13-8 contre l’Irlande. Seuls Eben Etzebeth, en deuxième ligne, le capitaine Siya Kolisi, qui fêtera son 50e capitanat, et Jasper Wiese, en troisième ligne, conservent leur place. Toute la ligne arrière change.
Duane Vermeulen, habituellement troisième ligne centre, débutera au poste de 7 pour la première fois depuis le match contre la France en novembre 2018 et pour la troisième fois de sa carrière en 72 sélections.
Semisi Paea passe au numéro 8 pour les Tonga, du fait de la suspension de quatre matchs de Vaea Fifita, au sein d’un XV qui subit trois changements par rapport à celui de la défaite contre l’Écosse. Le sélectionneur Toutai Kefu tente de trouver la bonne formule pour débloquer le potentiel offensif de son équipe. Il a aussi placé Anzelo Tuitavuki et Fini Inisi aux ailes.
Le trio en première ligne – Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Paula Ngauamo et le capitaine Ben Tameifuna – reste le même pour le troisième match de suite. Ils comptent 15 matchs en Coupe du Monde de Rugby à eux trois et tenteront de donner du fil à retordre au talonneur « débutant » de 37 ans des Springboks. Mais les piliers sud-africains ne l’entendront certainement pas de cette oreille.
HISTORIQUE
Le premier match entre les deux nations, joué à Newlands en 1997, s’est soldé par une victoire 74-10 de l’Afrique du Sud. Le deuxième, lors de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2007, n’a pas du tout pris la même tournure.
MATCH MARQUANT
Les supporters de l’Afrique du Sud conserveront toujours de beaux souvenirs de la Coupe du Monde de Rugby 2007 en France. Ils avaient battu l’Angleterre à deux reprises, une fois en poule et une fois en finale, et avaient soulevé le Trophée Webb Ellis pour la deuxième fois de leur histoire.
Mais une semaine après la victoire 36-0 contre les Anglais pour le compte de la Poule A, une équipe des Springboks remaniée – avec tout de même John Smit, Victor Matfield, Juan Smith, Bryan Habana, Frans Steyn et Percy Montgomery sur le banc – avait failli s’incliner contre les Tonga, à Lens.
Le score final – 30-25 pour l’Afrique du Sud – ne fait pas état de la passe diagonale au pied interceptée et qui aurait conduit à l’essai de la victoire pour les Tonga quand le jeune Wayne Barnes avait sifflé la fin du match.
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POINT-CLÉ
Le retour de Pollard, qui n’a joué que 30 minutes avec Leicester il y a plusieurs semaines. Il se peut qu’il soit en réussite au pied, mais arrivera-t-il à animer le jeu aussi bien que Manie Libbook ? Risque-t-il de payer son manque de temps de jeu ?
LE DUEL
Deon Fourie contre Paula Ngauamo. Fourie, joueur sud-africain le plus âgé à faire ses débuts au niveau international contre le pays de Galles à Bloemfontein en juillet 2022, un peu avant son 36e anniversaire, fêtera sa première titularisation au talon à Marseille, à l’âge de 37 ans, contre l’expérimenté Tongien.
LA STAT INCROYABLE
L’Afrique du Sud est la seule équipe à avoir concédé moins de 20 points sur cette Coupe du Monde de Rugby – 16 en trois matchs, dont 13 contre l’Irlande. Les Tonga, avec 104 points encaissés en deux matchs, sont l’une des quatre équipes à avoir encaissé plus de 100 points avec le Chili, la Namibie et la Roumanie, elle aussi dans la Poule B.
L’ARBITRE
Luke Pearce (Angleterre). Il est l’un des arbitres les plus à cheval sur le hors-jeu dans cette Coupe du Monde de Rugby. Pearce a sifflé neuf hors-jeu sur ses deux matchs arbitrés. Seul Karl Dickson (10) en a sifflé plus.
LES ÉQUIPES
AFRIQUE DU SUD Willie Le Roux ; Grant Williams, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi ; Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach ; Ox Nche, Deon Fourie, Vincent Koch; Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie ; Siya Kolisi (capitaine), Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese
Remplaçants : Marco van Staden, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Jaden Hendrikse, Manie Libbok, Jesse Kriel
TONGA Salesi Piutau ; Fine Inisi, Malakai Fekitoa, Pita Ahki, Anzelo Tuitavuki ; William Havili, Augustine Pulu ; Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, Paula Ngauamo, Ben Tameifuna (capitaine) ; Halaleva Fifita, Sam Lousi ; Tanginoa Halaifonua, Sione Talitui, Semisi Paea
Remplaçants : Sam Moli, Tau Koloamatangi, Sosefo Apikotoa, Adam Coleman, Sione Vailanu, Sonatane Takulua, Patrick Pellegrini, Afusipa Taumoepeau
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Comments on RugbyPass
hit on Lynagh was defo late and card-worthy. The other 2 are bang on OK. Hurts you at Test level if youre timing is off and the nostrils are flared. Jerry C knew when to lean in on one, Finau just needs to keep his discipline and head straight.
5 Go to commentsSlade was exceptional against Gloucester. Not only was he doing the classic Slade stuff of running amazing lines and timing passes to perfection to put his wingers into space, he was kicking goals, flying off the line smashing people and crashing into rucks like a flanker… his hair even looked on point. 😍
1 Go to commentsThat’s really sad, hope everyone involved is ok. At least he had pants on.
1 Go to commentsTo be fair it was nowhere bear the Leinster first team (for which, btw, Leinster copped nothing like the outrage that Jake White did for sending a rotated team to the UK). But it’s fun to watch the Stormers doing their thing. They are attracting big, diverse crowds of young fans, and deservedly so. Great to see.
1 Go to commentsIt might be legal but he’s sailing pretty close to the wind. Not a lot needs to go wrong for Finau to end up in the bin. Was it late? Not quite, but borderline. High? A couple of CM within the laws, no room for error with that one. Did he wrap the arms? There was a token effort to wrap one arm, the intent was clearly to hit with the shoulder. So yeah, it’s legal, just. But as we all know, a very slight change in the dynamics could easily have him seeing red. Hopefully not when it really matters.
5 Go to commentsCan we also show some love for Tane Edmed’s fantastic draw and pass? Put his body on the line and committed the defender before letting go of that pass. Flawless skill.
5 Go to commentsYou forget this is Rassie Erasmus who is still holding the Springbok keys. Even with Felix Jones orchestrating a really tight RWC SF last year. It still wasn't enough to get England past their particular Springbok Monkey in world cups. The reason is FJ was going off of what they did in 2019 not necessarily adapting to current Springboks. So yes, Australia can get passed England because let's be honest, England have a one track strategy, Springboks do not. Even with rush defense I wouldn't be surprised if Rassie continually tweaks it. Also bear in mind Rassie is happy to sacrifice a few mid year and inter World Cup matches to pin point how opposition plays and how to again tweak strategies to get his Springboks in peak performance for the next World Cup. As much as most teams like to win games in front of them and try to win everything, Rassie always makes sure to learn and train for the greatest showdown International Rugby has to offer. Tbh, most people remember World Cup wins and ignore intermediate losses as a result but will remember also WC losses, Ireland, even if they won games in the interim. So even if games are won against the Springboks, it's likely Rassie is just getting a feel for how opposition is moving and adapt accordingly…in time. For Rassie, a loss is never a loss because he uses it as a chance to learn and improve. Sometimes during a game, again like the England match in last year's Semi Final.
7 Go to commentsDanny don't care. He pretends to care but he don't. He says all this stuff to justify his reasoning but no one can claim that legitimately. He knew exactly what he was doing and wondered if his old team mate would overlook it, which he did. Ref has got to be sidelined or properly trained. It's one thing for refs to move up the ranks but if it was me I would require refs to either have played in different clubs or not at all having the temptation to bias in high stakes games like this. This has got to be stamped out. But then again World Rugby is so destroying the game of rugby in an attempt to be more “safe” and “concussion free”. What they are doing is making it more infuriating for the fans and more difficult for the refs to officiate evenly and consistently. It's fast become Australian Rules football. If guys don't want concussions, they should have played chess. Stop complaining you oldies of the game. When they played the game was vastly heavier hitting than it is now but of course they can't see that.
2 Go to commentsJa, why do Bulls get flack for not bringing their best but Leinster never bring their best and it goes “unnoticed”?
3 Go to commentsIt’ll be very interesting to see how Razor’s AB’s handle the new England rush D. It’s basically the Bok recipe they copied, so if England goes well then we know most likely the Boks will go well too. If England cops a hiding then we’ll have to study and adapt.
7 Go to commentsTypical trait of an australian is to moan. Goes well with there lack of humbleness as evident by the Reds bench on the weekend.
5 Go to commentsSBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
12 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
7 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
5 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
7 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
7 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
7 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
12 Go to comments