Rugby World Cup, Ireland beats South Africa 13-8 and takes first place

Ireland beat South Africa 13-8 in Saint-Denis, achieving their third victory out of three and booking first place in Pool B of the Rugby World Cup. A victory that is worth more for morale than for the final position, given that in the quarter-finals these two will cross the group with France and the All Blacks (or Italy…). After comfortable victories over Romania and Tonga, coach Andy Farrell’s team misses the bonus but takes the lead with 14 points, +4 over the reigning world champions, who had previously beaten Scotland and Romania. South Africa will return to the field on Sunday 1st October to challenge Tonga in Marseille, Ireland instead only on Saturday 7th again in Saint-Denis with Scotland, who in between will face first Tonga (tomorrow in Nice) and then Romania (Saturday 30th in Lille ).

Errors

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In the first attack, the Irish refuse a comfortable place in favor of touch, but they have the ball stolen, Faf de Klerk kicks it away, opening a South African counterattack which is stopped by another foul, then the South Africans decide to go for the posts and Manie Libbok unlocks the score. The South Africans are fouled, Jonathan Sexton always goes into touch, but Ireland finds themselves in the 11th minute with the fourth wrong touch out of four. The enormous pressure causes many errors but also many turnovers, South Africa would have a huge opportunity in the 25th minute with a scrum 5 meters in front of the posts, three-quarters triggered quickly, but Jesse Kriel’s breakthrough is miraculously stopped by Caelan Doris a few centimeters away from the goal. and in the 33rd minute Ireland scores: Sexton tries to do everything alone but is stopped half a meter away, James Gibson-Park quickly releases the ball to his right where the two wingers are positioned, with James Lowe who is very fast frees Mack Hansen’s run towards the goal, converted by Sexton. And at 7-3 we also go to half-time.

Mischie

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In the 47th minute Faf de Klerk tries a free kick from 56 meters but hits the post, then on the ball recovered by the South Africans, the Irish defense manages to defuse the dangerous attack by caging the giant Eben Etzebeth. But 4 minutes pass and from a scrum 5 meters away moved to the right the South Africans dominate the push, de Klerk collects and opens, then Libbok with a long pass catches Cheslin Klobe all alone on the left for the overtaking (the opening however then misses the transformation). The situation reverses for the first time in the 58th minute, with the Irish scrum causing the opponent’s scrum to collapse just outside the 22, granting Sexton a comfortable and central position for the 10-8, then again in the 64th minute, when the South African pack he redeems himself by winning the free kick which however Libbok (from a more angled position) sends just wide. Immediately afterwards de Klerk tries again from 50 meters but he too sends it out. And in the 71st minute a touch 5 meters out for the South Africans was thrown awry by substitute hooker Deon Fourie: a sensational wasted opportunity. On the other side, a 5-metre scrum won by the Irish allows Jack Crowley (who replaced Sexton) to kick the comfortable 13-8. With time running out the Springboks return to throw a touch close to the 5 meters mark, everyone pushes into a maul, but the defense holds, the ball falls forward and the game ends like this.