Cape Town, Wellington, London (9/11 – 27)

South Africa has become the unequalled rugby world champion after winning the World Cup for a record fourth time on 28 October 2023. Before the 2023 edition, The Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, 2007, and 2019. Their closest rival is New Zealand, who has won the title on three occasions (1987, 2011, and 2015). Australia has two titles (1991 and 1999) and England has one (2003).

There are some interesting statistics about The Springboks’ success as the only team to have won the Rugby World Cup four times. South Africa has a 100% winning record in World Cup finals. They bested New Zealand twice (15-12 in 1995 and 12-11 in 2023) and England twice (15-6 in 2007 and 32-12 in 2019).

South Africa has won those finals despite only scoring two tries in total. Both of those tries came in the 32-12 win over England in 2019. The other 22 points for South Africa in the 2019 final came from two conversions (4) and six penalties (18).

In 1995, all of their points in the 15-12 win over New Zealand came from penalties (9) and drop goals (6). In 2007, The Springboks scored 15 points in the final against England only with five penalties. In their most recent triumph in 2023, four penalties from Handre Pollard ensured the narrow victory over New Zealand.

On the other side of the play, South Africa also does not allow their opponents to score many tries in the final. Beauden Barrett’s score in Paris on 28 October 2023 was the first time the Springboks had conceded a try in a World Cup final. Defense and set-pieces basically are South Africa’s main weapons.

“South Africa plays a certain style,” said former New Zealand player, Jeff Wilson. “Ultimately, when it comes down to it, defenses are still winning in the big games. Defenses are standing out, the set-piece is still the be-all and end-all. When push comes to shove, South Africa went to the front eight and just kept going. That’s how they win games and allows them to dominate in areas.”

South Africa could inspire other teams to do the same. The problem is that could as well be the killer of an entertaining rugby. Worth noting that New Zealand is arguably the most entertaining team in the last two World Cups because they always made the most tries.

The All Blacks always fell short in those two tournaments. A try in rugby is the primary way for teams to score points when playing the game. The strategies and maneuvers to execute a try are the main treat for fans.

When it is more and more difficult to score a try, potentially that would make rugby not fun to watch anymore. Fans will be seeing more kicks and one-pass carries with little action.

Another former New Zealand player, John Kirwan, says that the Springboks are boring to watch and insists that the governing body needs to enforce some changes. “I was bored during their game because it was stop-start. Now, the game needs to change. It’s an anaerobic game; we need to be an aerobic game,” Kirwan said.

The post South Africa, The Unequalled World Champion and A Potential Rugby Killer appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Paris, Wellington, Cape Town (29/10 – 18)

South Africa has produced another magnificent defensive performance, to win the 2023 World Rugby Cup final. The Springboks beat New Zealand 12-11 in a Saturday thriller at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, thus becoming the first nation to win four Rugby World Cup titles – after their previous triumphs in 1995, 2007, and 2019. Four Handre Pollard penalties gave the Springboks a 12-6 lead in the first half. By that time, New Zealand already lost captain Sam Cane, red-carded for a high tackle on Jesse Kriel in the 32^nd minute.

The All Blacks only managed to score two penalties in the first half, via Richie Mo’unga. Beauden Barrett touched down, to bring New Zealand to within a point, just before the hour mark. South Africa held firm under huge pressure, with an impressive defensive display. Over 80 minutes of play, The Springboks made 209 tackles, with an 81% success percentage.

The New Zealand is the one with the most tries throughout the tournament, with 47 in 6 matches before the final. That’s nearly 8 per game on average. The All Blacks made just one valiant try against The Springboks.

“They just know their game. They are strong and experienced. They’ve got the ability to play the game at their pace,” admitted All Blacks coach Ian Foster. “For us, it’s heart-breaking, and I look at the effort of our team. We gave ourselves a really good chance in that second half, especially after the damage that red card created.”

Since day one of the tournament, a masterclass defense has been South Africa’s best weapon. On 10 September, The Springboks took Scotland with an 18-3 first game win; their opponent, humiliated, could not register a single try point. With another shutout on 17 September, Jacques Nienaber’s team destroyed Romania, 76-0, in the second game.

World number one South Africa lost to Ireland by a shameful 8-13 in the third match, on 23 September, only scoring once from many tries. In the last match of the pool stage, on 1 October, while Tonga made three tries, South Africa bested them 49-18.

In the quarter-finals and semifinals, The Springboks eliminated two former champions, France (29-28) and England (16-15), scraping through with the smallest of margins. England did not score a single try in the semifinals. In the final, The Springboks won their third consecutive game by a single point. Those three results show their skill at edging out close encounters.

“I think the main thing was just the strength of the squad,” South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber said. “They’re experienced, they’ve been in a final before, and some of them were playing a third World Cup. So I think the experience just pulled it through. They’re an amazing bunch of guys, all warriors. We’ve come a long way with these players; we’ve planned for this since 2018,” added Nienaber.

“The last three games were really rough. Each one we played like a final,” said South Africa flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, named “Man of the Match” with 28 tackles in the game. “Each one we won by one point, so it was quite tough for us,” he concluded.

The post South Africa, now a Record Four-Time Champion, Wins 2023 Rugby World Cup, with Masterclass Defense appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Paris, Wellington, Cape Town (23/10 – 33)

History is arising on the horizon, as New Zealand and South Africa, two ancient foes, clash in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final on Saturday 28 October. New Zealand smartly swept Argentina aside, 44-6, in the first semifinal on 20 October. After their embarrassing defeat 13-27 at the hands of France in the first pool match, The All Blacks are now on a fantastic run.

Will Jordan and Co. destroyed Namibia 71-3, Italy 96-17, and Uruguay 73-0 in the remaining pool matches to the knock-out phase. Ian Foster’s team overcame the world number one Ireland 28-24, smacking them with a scintillating performance in the quarterfinals before dismantling Argentina in the last four. “We came here wanting to be in the final and then we obviously want to go and win it,” said Foster, who will leave his job after the World Cup.

New Zealand are under immense pressure after an underwhelming run of form last year. But, The All Blacks are now aiming to become only the second side after South Africa to win the World Cup after losing a pool match.

South Africa are a worthy adversary for New Zealand in the final. The Springbok definitely have a champion-seeking mentality.

The defending champion triumphed over Scotland 18-3 and Romania 76-0 in the first two pool games. They responded to an 8-13 loss to Ireland with a 49-18 win over Tonga in the last pool match. And then came the exhibition of South Africa’s mental power in the first two knock-out matches. They won those two matches by the narrowest of margins.

In the quarter-final, in a battle that could well turn out to be the best match in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, The Springboks defeated the world number two – and host – France, in a thrilling 29-28. In the semifinal, Jacques Nienaber’s team rallied to win 16-15 over England.

“One has to commend the strength of this team for the way they find a way to get a result,” said Nienaber. “It took us 70 minutes to get a foothold in the match, and the players refused to give up and fought until the end. I’m very proud of them for that.”

Now a historical final awaits New Zealand and South Africa. Only one of them will seize a record fourth World Cup title. This match is a rerun of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, also the first meeting for The All Blacks and The Springbok in The World Cup.

South Africa won 15-12 in the 1995 final. The two teams went on to meet – four more times – in the World Cup. New Zealand had the upper hand in the last three meeting in the World Cup, with a 29-9 win in the 2003 quarterfinal, 20-18 in the 2015 semifinal, and 23-13 in the 2019 pool stage. But at the last meeting in the World Cup warm-up match on 25 August 2023, South Africa knocked them sideways with a 35-7.

Overall, New Zealand collected 62 wins in their 105 meetings with South Africa. The Springbok won 39 times and 4 other matches ended in a draw. After their narrow wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal, South Africa know that their work is cut out for them in the effort to prepare themselves.

“New Zealand are really playing an explosive game, punishing teams from all over the park,” said The Springbok’s fly-half, Handre Pollard. “We’ll have to do homework for that.”

On the other hand, The All Blacks are aiming for another defensive masterclass. “History shows often a team that is defensively one of the best will end up winning the World Cup,” New Zealand captain Sam Cane confidently stated. “There are a few guys in our team who are incredibly passionate about it. We have a system we really believe in.”

The post History Awaits a Record Fourth Glory in The Rugby World Cup appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Paris, Wellington, London (16/10 – 45)

Two former champions are showing their strength, as New Zealand and South Africa are through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup semifinals, at the expense of the two best teams in the world. New Zealand and South Africa – the pair ruining Ireland and France’s dreams of becoming a new champion in this tournament. Ireland and France tried their best, but the pedigree of New Zealand and South Africa as former champions could not be denied.

On Saturday at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, three-time champions New Zealand prolonged Ireland’s quarter-finals curse. Before this year’s tournament, Ireland had never been able to get through to the semifinals. Andy Farrell’s team looked unbeatable as they cruised past the pool stage with a total of 17 successive victories since last year. The world number one must be thinking that 2023 would be their year.

On the other hand, New Zealand suffered humiliation in their first pool stage match when they were defeated 13-27 by France. But, New Zealand regrouped after that defeat and they showed what they were made of. In the quarter-finals, The All Blacks withstood three comebacks from Ireland.

The Irish, always on the backfoot, trailed 0-13 and 10-18 in the first half, and by 17-25 in the second half, before a penalty try made it a one-point contest with a little more than 15 minutes left. The All Blacks held out for an astonishing 37 phases in defence in a thrilling finale to their victory. The game ended 28-24 with New Zealand’s triumph.

“This was a special day for us. I’ve lost my voice. I think the world’s been talking about these two quarter-finals for two years,” said New Zealand’s Coach Ian Foster, mentioning the clash of the titans between France and South Africa in the other quarter-finals.

“Sometimes the sweetest victories are those when your opponent tests you to the limit. What an incredible finish to a Test match. It’s pretty clear defence won us the Test match,” said New Zealand’s Captain Sam Cane.

In the semifinal on 20 October also at Saint-Denis, New Zealand will face Argentina, who eliminated Wales 29-17 in the other quarter-finals on Saturday.

On Sunday, another blockbuster match that was worthy of the Final itself was contested between the world number two France and defending champion South Africa. The hosts’ hopes of winning a maiden Rugby World Cup title were crushed as South Africa won 29-28, in a nail-biting and spectacular contest at the Stade de France. None of them deserved to get knocked out, given the breathtaking display of rugby.

The Springboks withstood a Paris storm and trailed 19-22 at half-time. They twice came from behind with a try by Eben Etzebeth, as a Handre Pollard penalty sealed the narrowest of wins for the title holders.

“It was a hard game. We knew how tough it was going to be with the French team at home and honestly, I just want to say well done to them for what they’ve achieved and how hard they’ve worked,” said The Springboks captain Siya Kolisi.

“Credit to the French. We knew it was going to be this tight. I think everybody knew it was going to be a big battle. Two good teams and unfortunately, or fortunately for us, we were on the right side of things,” added Jacques Nienaber, South Africa’s Head Coach. In the last four on 21 October at the Stade de France, The Springboks will meet another former champion, England. England through to the semifinals, after a 30-24 win over Fiji.

The post The Pedigree of Champions; New Zealand and South Africa Through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup Semifinals, with Blockbuster Performance appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Dublin, London (9/10 – 25)

The pool stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France reached its final day on Sunday. The eight quarter-final contenders who will compete on 14 and 15 October are now confirmed.

Host France are the Pool A winner, followed by three-time champion New Zealand. Italy finished third in Pool A, neatly qualifying them for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

From Pool B, current World Number One Ireland are flexing their muscles with a perfect record: four wins out of four matches makes them Group Winner. Defending champion South Africa finished second, with Scotland managing third place.

Wales are the Pool C winner with Fiji through to the quarter-finals as the runner-up. Australia finished the pool stage in third place in Pool C with 11 points, the same as Fiji. But The Wallabies got knocked out because of their inferior record in the head-to-head against Fiji.

England conquered Pool D with perfect results, leaving Argentina in second place and Japan taking third. In the quarter-finals, Wales will face Argentina at Marseille, and Ireland are up against New Zealand in a blockbuster match at Saint-Denis on 14 October. The next day, England play Fiji at Marseille and France will try to eliminate South Africa at Saint-Denis.

With Australia out, there are only three former champions left in the knock-out round of the 2023 Rugby World Cup: New Zealand, South Africa, and England. The possibility of the emergence of a new champion in the Rugby World Cup automatically clicks upward.

The betting odds at the end of the pool stage suggest that this time around, a new country will snatch that Webb Ellis Cup on 28 October. Most betting houses are stacking odds for Ireland and France, as two of the three favorites to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup. They are indeed the worthy ones.

Since their win over South Africa in Pool B, Ireland are practically the new tournament favorite. Johnny Sexton and Co. haven’t lost a test match since February 2022. Andy Farrell’s team also came into this year’s World Cup by winning their third Grand Slam.

Home advantage has been a huge factor for France, as they bid to win their first-ever Rugby World Cup. Since day one, when they humiliated New Zealand in the tournament opener, Fabien Galthie’s team look pretty solid and are brimming with confidence.

France suffered the loss of their star, with the injured Antoine Dupont on the sidelines. But without their mercurial scrum half, France destroyed Italy 60-7 in the last match of Pool A. The demolition of Italy may have shown that France are peaking at just the right time for the knock-out stages.

“After a first ‘World Cup final’ against New Zealand, our match next weekend will be a second ‘World Cup final’, clearly,” said Galthie. “South Africa are world champions and have clearly been preparing to win back-to-back titles and on the other side is the number one team in the world,” he continued. “The draw is what it is, and it’s up to us to do our job.”

Interestingly, given their track records in the tournament, Ireland and France are each burdened with a “curse” that can derail them in their quest to become the champion. In nine appearances at the World Cup, Ireland has never succeeded in reaching the semifinals. They infamously have never been able to get past the quarter-finals. On the other hand, France have never been able to reach World Cup glory as their best finish was runner-up in 1987, 1999, and 2011.

The quarter-finals will furthermore test the credentials of Ireland and France. As if it was destined, the two strongest candidates for a new champion will clash with two former winners. If they can get past New Zealand and South Africa, it looks like nothing will stop Ireland and France from going head-to-head at the final to determine who is the new champion.

“We’re in the quarter-finals against the toughest opposition we could get,” said Sexton. “The way the draw was made three years ago turned out to be a bit unfair, but it’s the hand that we were dealt and we have to be ready for New Zealand next week,” said the 38-year-old, who is due to retire after this tournament.

The post In Their Quest for the Championship, Ireland and France Face Their Curse appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Paris, Dublin, London (24/9 – 32)

Undefeated in 17 games in the last 15 months, Ireland has beaten every rugby union world champion, three of them twice – just for humiliation. Historically, the Irish never got past the last eight of a Rugby World Cup. In this year’s tournament they are on fire: fans have faith that Ireland will finally seize The Webb Ellis Cup on 28 October, final day of the struggle.

Low-scoring but epic: a 13-8 win over the defending champion South Africa in Pool B of the 2023 Rugby World Cup on Saturday – a brutal statement from the Irish. Poor flummoxed South Africa never knew what hit them: they had only conceded 3 points from their previous two games in Pool B (creaming Scotland and Romania). Not only did the Springboks not concede tries in those two games – in fact, they only conceded two tries in their last eight Rugby World Cup games.

Ireland managed to breach that defense with Mack Hansen’s try, the second time in the last 15 months that Ireland has walloped South Africa: a 19-16 win when the two sides met in Dublin on 5 November 2022, with tries from Josh van der Flier and Hansen.

Hansen succinctly declared what the win to his team means: “They are the defending champions and they know exactly what it takes to win this World Cup”. “To get a win over them is as good as it can get really. It gives us a lot of strength and a lot of belief.”

Ireland has every right to assume this year’s tournament will be theirs: hey, they are the current world number one, on a burning winning streak since July 2022. What a campaign: Ireland shellacked every rugby union world champion, three of them twice. Johnny Sexton and Co. whomped New Zealand 23-12 and 32-22 on July 2022.

In November 2022, Ireland snatched a 19-16 win over South Africa, a feat that they repeated last Saturday. In the same month, Ireland was triumphant 13-10 in a match against Australia. This year, Andy Farrell and his team managed to defeat England twice: 29-16 on 18 March at the 2023 Six Nations Championship and 29-10 on 19 August, for good measure.

The victory over South Africa leaves Ireland clear at the top of Pool B, aiming them at host France or New Zealand in the quarterfinal. Ireland already did the job on France at a humiliating 32-19 last February, at the 2023 Six Nations Championship.

Ireland glows with an aura of invincibility – but they’re on their guard. “It doesn’t get any easier at all. We’ll take this win and enjoy it for now, then it is straight on to the next,” said Hansen, pointing out that his side will switch their focus to Scotland on 7 October, to ensure their place in the knockout stages. “We have a tough week against a really good Scotland side and if we get the win there, and everything goes well, it’s either France or New Zealand.”

“We are glad to keep rolling and get another four points on the board, but we have to dust ourselves off now and remain focused on Scotland in two weeks’ time,” added Farrell. “As the competition goes on we’ll need to be better,” he concluded.

Yeah, win the battle but don’t lose the war.

The post An Aura of Invincibility: Ireland’s 7 Wins over every Champion in 15 Months appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.

Paris, Dublin, Johannesburg (20/9 – 15)

The 2023 Rugby World Cup will contest what will arguably be the grandest game in the Pool Stage this weekend. On Saturday night, 23 September 2023, South Africa and Ireland go head-to-head in Pool B, at Stade de France, Paris: the world number two against world number one. All will witness a reigning world champion versus a team with a winning streak extending from July 2022.

Both teams dive in with two wins from their opening games. The Springboks won 18-3 against Scotland – and then obliterated Romania 76-0. Meanwhile, Ireland have been barely tested, as they got an 82-8 win over Romania and 59-16 over Tonga. This will in fact be the first time that Ireland and South Africa have met at a World Cup.

But in the last meeting between them on 5 November 2022, Ireland won 19-16. Johnny Sexton scored 9 of Ireland’s 19 points in that game. Sexton is still Ireland’s main man in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, having scored 40 of Ireland’s 141 points with 3 tries, 11 conversions, and 1 penalty.

In his last performance against Tonga, Sexton became Ireland’s all-time top points scorer with 1090. “I’m very proud to do it, but tonight it was more important getting the win and moving on to what is such a massive game (against South Africa) this coming week,” he said.

With Sexton and company on fire, Ireland have already scored 141 points, the top number so far in this year’s World Cup.

South Africa doesn’t have a “Johnny Sexton” in their ranks, at least in the first two matches. Makazole Mapimpi, Cobus Reinach, and Damian Willemse share scoring responsibility, with 15 points each. The Springboks are basically unpredictable.

Against Romania, South Africa made 14 player changes to a team that ran on for an opening 18-3 win against Scotland. That is naturally a prime concern for Ireland. “They are the type of guys who come up with new plans and tricky little things in new games,” said Ireland’s scrum-half Connor Murray. “So you have to be prepared for everything.”

Defence is another strength of the defending champion.

The Springboks only conceded 3 points from two games, against Scotland and Romania. In fact, South Africa only conceded two tries in their last eight games at the tournament. Their current run includes shutouts against Namibia, Italy, Japan, England, Scotland, and Romania.

Their points aggregate across those eight games marked 343 scored and 47 conceded. “This team has always prided itself on defence, so I am extremely happy,” The Springboks’ head coach Jacques Nienaber said in the wake of the 76-0 victory over Romania.

The winner of this massive match will be in the driver’s seat of Pool B, with a possible matchup against New Zealand in the next round. The loser will likely claim second place in Pool B and potentially face France in the first round of the knockout stages. “It will be a big game, in terms of who finishes one and two in the pool, but there are still games to play after this match,” said Nienaber. “I don’t want to get too far ahead. If it’s Italy, if it’s France or New Zealand, it’s going to be a tough quarterfinal, it doesn’t matter who we play.”

The post Biggest Pool Stage Game at 2023 Rugby World Cup – Solid Defence Counters Fierce Attack, South Africa and Ireland Collide appeared first on Ankara Haftalik.