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Germany have caused the first major upset of the World Cup repechage
Germany belied their position as the lowest ranked team in the Rugby World Cup 2019 Repechage with an impressive 26-9 defeat of top seeds Hong Kong in the day’s second match at the Stade Delort in Marseille on Sunday.
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A powerful second-half display saw Germany triumph over a side who were ranked eight places higher than them in the World Rugby Rankings going into the match.
Canada also made a winning start to the tournament as they bid to preserve their record of having appeared in every Rugby World Cup, scoring 10 tries in a 65-19 defeat of Kenya in which winger DTH van der Merwe scored the first hat-trick of his test career.
Debutant Kurt Haupt and replacement Matthias Schosser scored second-half tries as Germany shocked top seeds Hong Kong in Mike Ford’s first game in charge of the team.
Raynor Parkinson converted both tries, the first coming while their opponents were down to 14 men, and kicked three penalties in addition to one from Christopher Hilsenbeck, while all nine of Hong Kong’s points came from the boot of fly-half Matt Rosslee.
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Hong Kong possessed the most dangerous individual on the pitch in winger Salom Yiu Kam Shing, and it was the first of his four clean breaks in the first half that led to Hong Kong taking the lead against the run of play in the 11th minute.
Yiu Kam Shing took a pop pass from Rosslee at pace in midfield and raced 40 metres before being brought to ground. Hong Kong kept the ball through several phases and eventually forced a penalty which Rosslee slotted through the posts.
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Soon after, Parkinson missed a straightforward attempt in front of goal, after Germany’s heavy pack had won a scrum penalty, but his next strike was much better, and the scores were level again with 23 minutes gone.
Power! @DRVRugby's Kurt Haupt shows serious pace and power to score this beauty at the Rugby World Cup 2019 Repechage in Marseille #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/oa9BymD45h
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 11, 2018
Another searing run from Yiu Kam Shing put Hong Kong into a good attacking position and Rosslee kicked the three points when the scrambling German defence was caught offside.
After a desperate last-ditch tackle by flanker Sebastian Ferreira had denied the lively Yiu Kam Shing, Germany kicked their second penalty in the 38th minute, Hilsenbeck stepping up in the temporary absence of Parkinson due to a facial injury.
Parkinson returned from the half-time break with tape wrapped around his nose, but the makeshift protection did not put him off as he kicked Germany into a 9-6 lead on 48 minutes.
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Rosslee replied in kind shortly afterwards but, by now, Germany’s heavyweight forwards were starting to take an even firmer grip on the contest.
Parkinson’s third penalty put them 12-9 up with an hour gone and the match swung further in their favour when Hong Kong lost replacement forward Kane Boucaut to the sin-bin for illegally collapsing another impressive German maul.
Last ditch tackle from @DRVRugby's Sebastian Ferreira stops the electric Salom Yiu Kam Shing from going over.
Get ready for an exciting half. Follow it LIVE here on Twitter, on Facebook/rugbyworldcup , or https://t.co/zptBY8jCkC pic.twitter.com/mmM8EbIEe1
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 11, 2018
Halfway through the sin-bin period, Germany struck the telling blow when Haupt, a powerful ball carrier throughout, handed off Thomas Lamboley and stormed over from 22 metres out, Parkinson converting to make it 19-9.
Hong Kong were unable to find a way back and Germany sealed victory in the closing stages when scrum-half Sean Armstrong gathered an overthrown Hong Kong lineout five metres out and Schosser crossed from a pick and go.
Germany captain Michael Poppmeier: “That was an extremely intense 80 minutes. The first 40 was a bit equal and then I think maybe our fitness got us towards the end, the last 20. Our subs came on and put in a massive effort. It was 100 per cent fight, as well as a little bit of belief and probably preparation.”
Reaction: @DRVRugby's captain Michael Poppmeier spoke after his sides clinical victory over Hong Kong at #RWC2019 repechage pic.twitter.com/NLq7b0FRGq
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) November 11, 2018
Hong Kong captain James Cunningham: “I am obviously really disappointed, we played some good rugby today but when it mattered we didn’t complete. We had a couple of knock-ons at crucial times in the game, we gave away too many penalties and that was all that Germany needed today to win the game. We can’t keep dwelling on this game, we have got to work hard for these next two games and see what happens with the other results. There were some really positive things that came out of the game and I’m really proud of the boys, but when push came to shove we just didn’t do what we needed to do to win the game.”
The action continues next Saturday, when Hong Kong will look to bounce back against Kenya
Source: World Rugby
Comments on RugbyPass
Should've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to comments