There are always a million little things happening in a rugby match. And, when it ends with a difference of only one point, as was the case of the quarter-final of the World Cup lost by the XV of France against South Africa, Sunday October 15, all these details seem, in hindsight, decisive. But if the Springboks managed to win, it is in particular because they were tactically and athletically superior.
South African coaches are fond of video analysis and clever tactical plans. They had perfectly identified one of the weaknesses of their opponents: their brittleness under high-footed plays. This weakness was no secret. During the opening match, the New Zealanders had already – but without much success – tried to drive this wedge into the French defensive armor.
The Boks imitated them with much more success and we only had to wait forty-three seconds to see the first candle go towards the arms of fullback Thomas Ramos, who then managed to catch it perfectly. But twice, in the first period, the Blues were unable to do so.
In the 8th minute, Springbok scrum half Cobus Reinach fired a shot at the exit of a group on the halfway line. Ten meters further, Gaël Fickou fails to properly recover the ball which bounces towards the French camp. South African winger Kurt-Lee Arendse seizes it and goes to score his team’s first try. The timing is ideal: the Boks equalize immediately after the first French try.
The same scene takes place ten minutes later. Flying half Manie Libbok lifts the ball into the air at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis), more than 45 meters from the French goal. Below, Cameron Woki gets confused and the ball ends up in the arms of center Damian de Allende, who breaks through before being caught just before the line. During the following playing time, the same player only has to bend down to flatten his team’s second try (18th).
With these two opportunities, the South Africans increased their score. They also did it by spending very little time in the French camp, unlike the Blues who spent a lot of energy for almost as many points.
Springboks perhaps fresher
However, this energy may have been lacking as the final whistle approached. The French did not sin in the fight and the confrontation: with more than 80 crossings of the defense with the ball (more than what they achieved against the very weak Namibia), the forwards clearly dominated their screws -notice. It was rather on the athletic dimension that the South African players had the best, particularly at the end of the match. The Blues had increasing difficulty in repositioning themselves and in particular in supporting their teammates in attack, thus letting their opponents thwart any offensive attempts. This is perhaps explained by the physical freshness of the Boks, who had five additional days of rest compared to the Tricolores, before the meeting.
The South African substitutes were also more decisive than their counterparts. The coaches had chosen to start an unusual hinge: she was able to be replaced very early (45th) by the 2019 world champion duo, Handré Pollard and Faf de Klerk. Valuable experience and know-how, the first city passing a penalty more than fifty meters away (69th), bringing his team’s lead to six points ten minutes from time. The first line also contributed to the victory. Reinforced by the entry of Vincent Koch and Ox Nché and facing a French hooker, Pierre Bourgarit, for whom it was the first scrum, she obtained a penalty under her posts (65th). From there, the South Africans push into the French camp to score a try (67th), allowing them to overtake France on the scoreboard. Definitively.