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Sir John Kirwan on the Springbok strength 'you can't measure'
The bright lights of the Rugby World Cup have once again proved to be a whole different challenge compared to any other stage in World Rugby. The teams with championship pedigree have progressed over an enthralling quarter-finals weekend in France.
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The Springboks are one of those teams. The reigning champs prevailed in a brutal contest against tournament hosts France, facing the might of the Antoine Dupont-led team and their uproarious fans in Paris.
There was just a single point in it after 80 minutes of gruelling action and in the end with that slightest of leads, South Africa backed their defence to finish the job.
Replacement halfback Faf de Klerk kicked the ball back to France in the 79th minute, a striking statement of just how confident the Springboks are in their ability to absorb pressure, even in the dying moments.
Former All Black Sir John Kirwan was impressed by the winning effort.
“You know what you can’t measure that the South African side are very good at? Pressure,” he told Sky Sport.
“They deal with it really, really well. They know it’s coming, we saw it in the last 20 minutes.
“I just think that it’s all planned out. I think they’re meticulous planners and I don’t know how they’re going to play against England because they might come out with another game plan.
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“I think their game plan against France was very different to what they play on other occasions, so they’ll have it all planned out.”
Knockout
11 - 12
Final
6 - 44
SF1
15 - 16
SF2
17 - 29
QF1
24 - 28
QF2
30 - 24
QF3
28 - 29
QF4
The Springboks’ semi-final clash pits the three-time champions against their 2019 Rugby World Cup final opponents, England.
There have been two heated Tests between the two nations since that final, with the record split one each. However, with a poor run of results to end 2022, England parted ways with coach Eddie Jones and the team has been forced to rebuild quickly, limiting expectations for their World Cup campaign.
“Pressure is an amazing thing. Who’s under pressure now? Not Argentina. Not England.
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“South Africa and New Zealand are under pressure as the incumbent one and two now. South Africa, incumbent world champions.
“So, England and Argentina go into it with nothing to lose and that makes it a little bit easier for you.”
The South Africans will be full of confidence having downed the hosts who were one of the leading favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in two weeks’ time.
Kirwan said it was a well-executed performance by Jacques Nienaber’s side.
“I think just their balance was way better, I’ve been critical of them in the past, sometimes using the boot too much but I think they got the mix incredibly right.
“The back three were bringing the ball back strong, their kicking game was a little bit shorter. Their first two tries came from errors from France.
“France were good early but South Africa just know how to finish those games off.
“A bit of controversy around the HIA with guys coming on and off, but that’s South Africa, they know how to use the rules and they know how to really put pressure on the opposition. So, you’ve got to say the best team won.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Though Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
1 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
69 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
1 Go to commentsActually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real speech. They claim free speech. The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
2 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
69 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
29 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to comments