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Les Françaises arrachent leur place en demi-finale du Hongkong Sevens
La Nouvelle-Zélande s’est inclinée 26-21 face à la France lors de son dernier match de poule, mais les deux équipes se sont qualifiées pour les demi-finales du Cathay/HSBC Hongkong Sevens, où elles affronteront respectivement l’Australie et les États-Unis.
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Les championnes de Hongkong en titre se sont ressaisies en battant le Canada 26 à 5, tandis que la France n’a fait qu’une bouchée de l’Irlande en s’imposant 31 à 7 en quart de finale.
Les États-Unis se sont imposés 33-7 face aux Fidji, mais l’Australie a dû redoubler d’efforts pour s’imposer 12-0 face à un Japon déterminé, ce qui lui permet de se préparer à affronter les Black Ferns Sevens dans le cadre d’un derby attendu.
Ainsi, les États-Unis, le Canada, l’Irlande et les Fidji rejoignent l’Australie, la Nouvelle-Zélande et la France pour confirmer leur place à la Grande Finale de Madrid.
La huitième et dernière place sera attribuée à Singapour, mais la Grande-Bretagne, actuellement huitième, rencontrera le Brésil, neuvième, demain lors de la finale de la neuvième place, dans un match crucial pour cette place à Madrid.
La France bouscule la Nouvelle-Zélande
La France a remporté le match décisif de la poule A face à la Nouvelle-Zélande sur le score de 26 à 21, après avoir remonté un déficit de deux points à la pause. Trois essais ont été marqués de part et d’autre, mais la France a marqué un essai de plus en fin de rencontre grâce à Séraphine Okemba, ce qui a entraîné la première défaite en phase de poule de la Nouvelle-Zélande cette saison. A l’inverse, la Grande-Bretagne a remporté sa première victoire du week-end en battant le Brésil 17 à 12.
L’Australie n’a fait qu’une bouchée de l’Afrique du Sud en s’imposant 28-0 dans la poule B, ce qui lui permet de remporter trois victoires sur trois à Hongkong. Les Fidjiennes se sont imposées 21-5 face à l’Irlande grâce à un doublé d’Adi Vani Buleki, mais les deux équipes se sont tout de même qualifiées pour les quarts de finale.
Le Canada a assuré sa position en tête de la poule C grâce à une victoire serrée 12-5 sur ses voisines, les Etats-Unis, qui ont pris une avance de 7-0 à la mi-temps grâce à un essai de Fancy Bermudez en fin de match. De son côté, le Japon a battu l’Espagne 19-12 grâce à un essai de Wakaba Hara et s’est qualifié pour les quarts de finale, assurant ainsi son meilleur résultat de la saison et conservant l’espoir de se qualifier pour Madrid.
Les Eagles dans le dernier carré
Les Etats-Unis se sont qualifiés pour les demi-finales grâce à une victoire sans appel sur les Fidji (33-7). Kristi Kirshe a ouvert le score pour les Etats-Unis, mais Ana Maria Naimasi a rapidement remis les Fidjiennes à égalité. La marqueuse d’essai a ensuite été sanctionnée d’un jaune, ce qui a mis fin à l’aventure des Fidji à ce stade, qui ont désormais perdu leurs six derniers quarts de finale, car les États-Unis ont trouvé le chemin de la victoire quatre fois de plus pour s’imposer largement.
La France s’impose grâce à un doublé de Ciofani
La France a continué sur sa lancée en battant l’Irlande 31-7 pour se qualifier pour sa première demi-finale à Hongkong. Anne-Cécile Ciofani a ouvert le score pour la France, mais Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe a rapidement passé la ligne à l’Irlande pour égaliser.
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La France, cependant, prenait une avance de 19-7 à la pause en trouvant le moyen de contourner la défense irlandaise, d’abord par Séraphine Okemba sur la droite, puis par Ciofani une fois de plus dans le coin gauche. Montserrat Amédée a augmenté l’avance de la France peu après la mi-temps, mais c’est le cinquième essai du week-end de Joanna Grisez qui a permis aux Françaises de se mettre à l’abri, grâce à sa vitesse sur l’aile gauche.
La Nouvelle-Zélande poursuit la défense de son titre
La Nouvelle-Zélande s’est relevée de son faux pas en phase de poule pour battre le Canada 26 à 5 et conserver l’espoir de défendre son titre à Hongkong.
Le Canada, qui n’avait pas battu la Nouvelle-Zélande à ce stade depuis neuf ans, est arrivé avec de minces espoirs et a été mis à mal en première période, un doublé de Shiray Kaka et un autre de Jorja Miller permettant aux Néo-Zélandaises de mener 21-0 à la pause.
Mahina Paul a ensuite porté l’écart à 26 avant que Shalaya Valenzuela ne trouve enfin le chemin de l’en-but pour le Canada, mais il ne restait plus de temps pour remonter la pente.
L’Australie en demi-finale
L’Australie a battu une équipe japonaise tenace pour se qualifier pour la demi-finale grâce à une victoire 12-0. Le Japon n’avait jamais battu l’Australie et n’avait jamais gagné un quart de finale, mais la première période a été très disputée, les outsiders se défendant avec acharnement contre les leaders de la série SVNS, jusqu’à ce que Tia Hinds finisse par débloquer la situation.
La deuxième mi-temps a été du même acabit, les Japonaises empêchant les Australiennes de se créer des occasions et voyant Sariah Paki expulsée pour un en-avant volontaire. Cependant, une équipe australienne habituée à jouer à six s’est imposée, Teagan Levi s’imposant pour donner à son équipe la marge de manœuvre nécessaire pour remporter la victoire.
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Comments on RugbyPass
BOKS had a great side in 2011 and were in kicked out by a NZ ref and Nz were very lucky to win in final against France.
30 Go to commentsBarrett's try came from a forward pass, and perhaps the Bok game plan would have been different had the ABs remained with 15 on the pitch. We will never know. But if we are living in a world if what if's, then go back to the France v Bok game. France dominated the WC, and had they gotten past the boks, would have easily beaten the ABs in the Final
30 Go to commentsRehashed articles. But this piece does not do justice to how good the Boks had to be to win that tournament, and how immense some of their players were in that final. Peter Stef du Toit played one of the greatest games by a loose forward ever. All Blacks played well but not well enough and came up short. There are a million ‘if’s’ and none of the ‘if’s’ that don’t happen will win you a footy match.
30 Go to commentsSour grapes/ face it the allblacks aren't that good anymore LoL!!!
30 Go to commentsDear Internet, This is what sour grapes look like… It wont make any difference in down playing the SA win. The scoreboard is the ultimate statistic. I agree with Johnz, I would have liked a full 15vs15 for the whole game. Could have been even better or worse. What we as rugby supporters got, was a fantastic game where the result could have gone either way. It was great.
30 Go to commentsben loser smith. I haven't read the article. Just saw the headline and knew it was him. Rugbypass surely you can do better than this clickbate loser.
30 Go to commentsIf if if….If my aunt had balls she would be my uncle
30 Go to commentsBen is right, the RWC should be taken from SA and awarded to NZ. Rugby matches from now on will not be decided on points but rather on who deserved to win the most. This will be decided by 1 journalist sitting in a bunker.
30 Go to commentsThat's quite a wind up Ben. I'm an all black fan, and admittedly the loss felt a little hollow, given how well the boys played once Cane left the field. But that's finals footy, sometimes it's cruel. Let's look at the reality though. This was a team that spent an entire year thinking about how to beat Ireland, and did so magnificently. Come final time, they started the match looking overawed, fearful and unprepared. This led them to getting behind on the scoreboard, and chasing the game, which is never a good position to be in a final. SA started better, were confident and assured. That, in the end, was the game. The comeback led by Savea was phenomenal, but not quite enough. That's how comebacks often go. The real questions should be why they looked so unprepared? Why we needed to get behind and lose our so called leader to start playing? And why the best player against SA from a month or two before wasn't even in the team? Plus give some credit where it's due, PSD was quite phenomenal and instrumental in keeping SA ahead, a performance for the ages.
30 Go to commentsMy only response is “Check the Scoreboard” nothing else matters. Ben you will not wind me up pal. Boks are 4 times RWC Champions.
30 Go to commentsThere is no place to hide in the front row. You win or lose each time and it selects for hard men/women and those who enjoy combat
7 Go to commentsThey might have won several different areas on the field but the one that ultimately counts is on the scoreboard. Ben Smith’s nonsense is still shown up for what it is following criticisings by his team’s coach claiming similar nonsenses and several other players as well. I am not an expert but I know All Blacks know that the game is won by the team with more points on the board than the opposition. Also the red card on Sam Cane is entirely his own fault. If they were aggrieved for having one less player on the pitch, that was their own fault, their own captain who possibly in a moment of forgetfulness tackled too high but either way it is a RWC Final, you cannot be having lapses of forgetfulness in a match like that. The fact that they were down a man for 64 minutes was their fault. And even if they did dominate the second half for 35 minutes, they had crossed the whitewash twice, they had several kicks at goal, the fact is they didn't maximize on all the opportunities they were given. The one try was disallowed, the two kicks at goal were missed, the opportunities not taken. Every tackle was made by the Springboks with so much more fervour than anyone had seen even in the Semi Final the week previously. Whatever Ben Smith says, most of what he says can be chalked down to a spoiled sport who has nothing better to say than whine and moan because ultimately the team he supports lost when it mattered most.
30 Go to commentsThere’s plenty I could write on this, I won’t stop if I really get going, so i’ll make just 2 important points. Don’t forget that SA didn’t have a hooker, don’t discount that fact. I would have taken MBONAMBI fit for the game over a yellow to Frizelle. Also you forget that NZ had the luxury of playing without pressure once the red came. Noone expected them to win and they could always fall back on 14 men if they lost. I’d also have taken 15 men NZ and MBONAMBI on the field over what transpired.
30 Go to commentsSome people in France say that JB Lafont have some problems with alcohol….
2 Go to commentsThis is awesome news. I hope he goes well.
1 Go to commentsI get that Ben's role is to attract SA readers with controversial clickbait, but what about respecting the rivalry of over 100 years? The Boks won, we lost. The Boks have now won 4 world cups since their inclusion back into international rugby, and in that time the rest of the world combined have only won 4! It's an incredible achievement. Show respect, and then hope we win 2-0 in SA later this year. But don't be a whiner; it means you don't understand the rivalry at its essence. Winner takes all when NZ plays SA. Sport in it's purest form. Long may it continue.
30 Go to commentsU Nz never ever use to be such a bunch off whining girls,now this so sad that u got this aasss writing some crap
30 Go to commentsBeautifully written.
7 Go to commentsYou can be a dominating team and still lose. The Boks know that if the ABs are a man down, they play as if they have another two players on the field. The ABs did attack, they did apply pressure, they built more plays but they did not add more points to the board. The ABs are still the most dominant team in sports today as the ABs will go for a win in every game they play. Rassie and Jacques have used the time between World Cups to build squad depth. They were also the last tier 1 nation to start playing rugby after COVID restrictions were eased and still won the series against The B&I Lions. Ben may write to persuade the reader that the Boks are not worthy of the trophy or worthy to be the best in the world but Ben, since you enjoy stats so much, you forgot the most important statistic….the score! That's the one that matters most.
30 Go to commentsNot a fan of Penney to be fair as I don’t see him able to perform at SR level. However he has stepped into a bit of a mess with so many long service players leaving. No matter how good a coach us he can’t wave a magic wind and turn young pups into Crusaders in 5 mins. Wheaven to accept this is a complete rebuild of players and culture. Have some patience just as the other teams have had in years gone by
29 Go to comments