Both these teams are a level above. Obviously I want England to win it but if they don’t I’d like to see France win it. A team that hasn’t before. But I can’t see England getting past either of these.
Rugby Union 21/22/23 Discussion | RWC time!
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There is too much pace, power and skills.
England are massive underdogs but beating them in the World Cup is still a big deal.
France/South Africa vs England is a worthy semi-final imo.
SA's kicking out of hand has been incredible. Great kicks and great chasing. SA have put incredible pressure on the French players to make every kick contested.
Yeah incredible level to be fair.
I can't see the white text, but I'm assuming you just forgot to add it.
That Steff De Toit ACL anecdote is mental.
I’ve never seen that before
No try in 5 minutes. Crap game
Can anyone explain that?
I didn't realise the French had a 6-2 split on the bench. We'll need to be a bit ahead before they come on.
Another first, calling a scrum from a mark. Gonna scrum for a pen here
What happened there? I didn't understand
I think SA just explained it!
That's supreme confidence.
On a 22 kick you can choose to kick, play it by hand or a scrum.
Cmon Ginger! Stop it.
We definitely realize that we need to slow the game down. Going toe to toe with a fast pace game will play into Frances hands.
We definitely realize that we need to slow the game down. Going toe to toe with a fast pace game will play into Frances hands.
To play by hand you need to tap it to yourself so kinda a kick too
This might well decide the match
I really, really hope that's not a red
Sit down, Etzebeth!
No more then a yellow
This is going to kill us. Yellow. Feck sake.
If we can go into the break intact, I'll take it.
That half flew by, didn't even see the time.
If we can go into the break intact, I'll take it.
That half flew by, didn't even see the time.
True.
The bunker review has worked out really well. Speeds up decisions.
Should be yellow, he did try to dip
Can't believe that's a yellow, they really need to look at this rule after the world cup.
That can't be a red
Oh ffs. At some point, I might accept this... but these guys have gotta be borderline robotically good with their actions, consistently too.
No way that is a yellow card, natural clash of heads and shoulders in the collision.
One of the best first halves I can remember seeing in any code.
It is by the rules I think. Even though Mapimpi's injury wasn't deemed to be yellow, but that was more down to the ref than the rules.
Two electric (evening) QFs.
The standard is just off the charts.
The standard is just off the charts.
They finally gave Eben the yellow card they have been trying to give him all tournament.
Terrible call!
Terrible call!
You have to beat a big side or two at some point to win the World Cup. It doesn't matter whether you do it in the quarters, semis, or in the final.
At the end of the day, the final will most likely contain New Zealand, who've won it three times, and whoever out of South Africa/France who gets there will have to get past England, who've won it once and were beaten finalists in 2019. It's not like the entire competition will be devalued by this being the quarter. No one will say, 'Ah, France won it in 2023, but they only beat England in the semis, when it should have been Ireland - who've never even been in a semi before.'
The rules are pretty clear and personally having a quarter that isn't a cake walk makes the competition more interesting, does it not?
What has sucked a good deal of excitement out of the World Cup is not the organisers but how bad Australia have been.
Hopefully. A red would spoil an epic match. One of his knees was basically on the ground when he made the tackle. Definite effort to stay low.
I honestly think that’s the best half of rugby I’ve ever watched, or certainly up there with the best.
Hope lots of non-regular viewers are watching on a Sunday evening
Hope lots of non-regular viewers are watching on a Sunday evening
It may be recency bias, but I genuinely can't remember a world cup with 4 teams who could all beat each other. It's usually 1 top team into the world cup with a couple of outsiders.
40 minutes felt like 5 mins.
I don't know how we are going to contain that French team with 14 men. I think if we only give away 3/5 points, it will be a mini victory.
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