Monthly Archives: October 2023
Kenny Rogers’ late 1970s country and western hit The Gambler comes to mind regarding the Springboks coaching group for this one as they have weighed up holding or folding and decided instead to push all their chips into the middle.
When South Africa’s team selection landed on Thursday morning, it was not the decision to rip out and replace the half-back partnership – normally a call that would have dominated discussion – that seemed brave.
Instead it was the balance of the bench. Willie Le Roux is on one end – the only back riding the pine – while the other is weighed down with seven forwards.
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The phoney war is almost over.
England are the only team through to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals with a 100% record, progressing with five wins from five games.
They are unbeaten, but not undoubted.
Victories over Argentina, Japan, Chile, Samoa and Fiji have kept England’s campaign purring steadily forward. Not all the wins have been convincing, but on each occasion they have ended up on the right side of the scoreline.
The caveat is that they have also been on the right side of the draw.
On Saturday night, the velvet rope drops and they bash shoulders with the tournament’s big rollers.
Scotland’s starting lineup shows 5 changes from the side that lost 7 – 22 to Ireland at Murrayfield back in March with Blair Kinghorn, Darcy Graham and Ali Price in for Stuart Hogg, Kyle Steyn and Ben White in the backs plus Grant Gilchrist and Rory Darge replacing Jonny Gray and Matt Fagerson in the forwards. In total, 14 of the 23 featured against Ireland during the Six Nations.
The Irish XV only shows 2 changes to how they started earlier this year – Iain Henderson for James Ryan and Jamison Gibson-Park for Conor Murray. 18 of the 23 (including all of the starting XV) played some part in that most recent victory for Ireland over Scotland.
South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard says his return to international rugby at the World Cup will be “a big jump” that will not be “perfect”.
Pollard, 29, who was a late injury replacement to the squad, will start his first game since May against Tonga.
The fly-half has only played 30 minutes for Leicester Tigers on 15 September since sustaining a calf injury.