RWC Weekly Wrap: 2
Jean De Villers goes out on a high in what has become his last international rugby game
©PA
Welcome to TRU’s second weekly wrap-up of the Rugby World Cup and what a seven days it was.
Wales broke English hearts at Twickenham, stealing a gutsy 28-25 victory to keep Pool A wide open, New Zealand and Argentina showed their dominance in Pool C, whilst Canada were cruelly denied a deserved win against Italy.
Hits
The Springboks and Heyneke Meyer deserve a good measure of praise after their spectacular turnaround in seven days. Beaten by Japan in their opener, South Africa’s game against Samoa this past weekend was a knockout fixture, but the Boks rose to the occasion magnificently, turning in one of the best performances of the tournament so far and reminding everyone that it is way too early to be writing off the two-times winners.
Spare a thought for Canada, who despite going down 23-18 to Italy in Leeds, were brilliant in their second game of the RWC. The Canucks had no luck with refereeing decisions and have every right to feel aggrieved that they didn’t leave Elland Road with all four points. Referee George Clancy meanwhile was lucky not to make it onto our ‘Misses’ list…
The wingers have arrived at RWC 2015. After the position group failed to make too much of an impact in the first week of the tournament, they have been in fine form in the second. Nehe Milner-Skudder, Julian Savea, Juan Imhoff and Santiago Cordero excelled in the midweek matches, all grabbing braces, whilst JP Pietersen’s play for South Africa on Saturday, which included a hat-trick, was excellent. Drew Mitchell and Keith Earls also added braces of their own on Sunday.
It’s been a good start to the RWC for Scotland. They’ve been tested early on by Japan and the USA, but they have come on strong in the second halves of both those games, registering bonus point wins and taking the maximum of 10 points into the third round of fixtures. Their biggest challenges still loom in South Africa and Samoa, but Vern Cotter should be pleased with how the tournament is progressing for his charges.
Misses
Wales were officially warned by World Rugby this week for conduct which ‘breached the spirt of the game’ as they were found to be using players from outside their RWC squad in their practice sessions. World Rugby is confident that ‘no deliberate breach was intended’ and as such have not taken any tangible action against Wales or Warren Gatland.
The English breakdown has seemingly been a perennial problem since their halcyon days of 2003 and the team’s inability to keep their discipline at the contact area came back to bite them in the most painful way imaginable on Saturday night. England may have had the advantage in most areas on the pitch, but they could not stem the penalties of their pack, who were constantly going off their feet at the breakdown. It cost them the game and we’ll have to wait and see if it has cost them a place in the quarter-finals.
Jean de Villiers’ body. A fractured jaw suffered in South Africa’s 46-6 win over Samoa has ended the Springbok captain’s RWC and marks the third serious injury he has suffered in the last 12 months. He has since confirmed his retirement from test rugby. The player, and the man, does not deserve to go out like this, but such can be the cruelty of sport.
And Finally…
No one likes it when politics involves itself in sport, but that’s just what happened with the Springboks this week as South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula tweeted that victory was ‘non-negotiable’ against Samoa. It wasn’t quite the heartening, good luck message that the team might have hoped for before the game, but given the result, it may have had the desired effect.
