Rugby
Boks turn their attention to dangerous French─── MORGAN PIEK 09:20 Mon, 09 Oct 2023
“It will be a battle, like all the other games are a battle. It’s a hurdle and if you want to get over the hurdle you must put in some hard yards and be successful and be good in all the departments.”
The Springboks will tackle France in Paris on Sunday in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.
The quarter-finalists were confirmed on the weekend following the Pool games. The French finished at the top of Pool A, while the Boks finished in second in Pool B after Ireland convincingly beat Scotland 36-14.
The Irish in turn have a tough task of going up against the All Blacks in the last eight and to break their quarter-final hoodoo will take an extraordinary effort from the world's top ranked team.
The way the quarter-finals panned out, means that only two of the world’s four top-ranked teams will make it through to the semi-finals.
The one thing that the Springboks know is that they are going to be in for a tough battle against the French, especially up front.
The French are one of the most, if not the most dominant pack in world rugby at the moment, but this certainly is not a battle the reigning world champions will shy away from.
The Springboks scrum guru, Daan Human, from the Free State, who spent the majority of his playing career in France, said they are braced for what will be a tough battle in front of fanatical support at the crown jewel of French rugby, Stade de France.
“They are the most dominant pack in world rugby at the moment,” said Human.
“It will be a battle, like all the other games are a battle. It’s a hurdle and if you want to get over the hurdle you must put in some hard yards and be successful and be good in all the departments.”
The former Cheetahs prop, Trevor Nyakane, who now plays for Racing 92 in France, said the home support will be hostile and intimidating.
“The crowd will be there and will be loud. We all know the French crowd is very passionate, even if you play against the team that’s 14th in the Top 14, when you go there it’s actually hostile. It’s loud and it’s intimidating.”
Sunday’s massive quarter-final between the French and Springboks at Stade de France kicks off at 21:00.
In the other quarter-finals - Wales will play against Argentina in Marseille at 17:00 on Saturday, while at 21:00 Ireland will play against the All Blacks in Paris.
On Sunday at 17:00, England will be in action against Fiji in Marseille.
Morgan Piek OFM Sport
