On 15 October 2023, the rugby world was treated to the greatest game in decades after the same tag was assigned to the match that occurred just 24 hours before.<\/b><\/p>\n
The atrocity of a far too early Rugby World Cup draw, based on outdated rankings, meant that only two of the best four teams at the tournament would progress past the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Only two of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and hosts France would have their hopes of hoisting the William Webb Ellis Cup carry on past the pool stages.<\/p>\n
It was the Irish who were the first to taste the bitterness of defeat as All Blacks legend Sam Whitelock pilfered over to claim a match-sealing penalty for New Zealand and, in doing so, handed arguably the greatest Ireland team ever assembled a quarter-final exit.<\/p>\n
It was a glorious fixture. One heralded as the best international in at least a decade, perhaps since the 2009 epic between the British and Irish Lions and Springboks<\/a>. There was serious needle and history as Ireland attempted to shake off their World Cup<\/a> \u2018chokers\u2019 tag and progress to the semi-finals for the time, while a battered All Blacks outfit, who were hammered by the Boks before the tournament and lost their opener to France<\/a>, attempted to prove the world that they are still the standard bearers.<\/p>\n Throw in the pressure that New Zealand\u2019s head coach Ian Foster was under two years prior, after Ireland sealed their first-ever series victory over the All Blacks on Aotearoa soil and backing that up a week later as well as the verbals that accompanied those matches.<\/p>\n When Wayne Barnes blasted the whistle for the final time at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on October 14 to make the 28-24 All Blacks victory official, many onlookers believed that they had just seen a game for the ages and one that would not be replicated for aeons.<\/p>\n France v Springboks epic<\/p>\n But boy were they wrong as just 24 hours later, the defending champions South Africa went toe-to-toe with the hosts France in a match that would usurp the notion that Ireland v All Blacks was the best game in at least a decade.<\/p>\n Another knockout match that was just too close to call. Two proud, passionate rugby nations on top of their game, battling it out to continue their pursuit of glory with the knowledge that only one could do so.<\/p>\n France were favourites with the bookies. A generational team at the peak of their powers, welcoming the return of their injured hero and inspirational leader, Antoine Dupont. Boks slight underdogs, a position they relish, colliding at the Stade de France \u2013 a rugby cathedral worthy of such an epic encounter.<\/p>\n Paris erupted as Cyril Baille charged over the line from close range, rounding off a majestic try that married sheer brutality with stunning hands \u2013 a trademark of Fabien Galthie\u2019s charges by now. The ever-accurate Thomas Ramos dissecting the posts from the touchline to open up a 7-point lead. That was almost extended moments later if it weren\u2019t for the intervention of Eben Etzebeth\u2026<\/p>\n While Maradona\u2019s Hand of God was blatant and clearly missed by the officials, Etzebeth\u2019s intervention is still debated two years on. The Bok lock shot up metres out from his own try line, stretched his arm out and depending on which side of the fence you sit, slapped Damian Penaud\u2019s pass backwards or forwards. Referee Ben O\u2019Keeffe delivered the first match-defining call, stating that it was backwards, a massive momentum swing as the Boks were reeling.<\/p>\n Hi Hugh \u2013 I was lucky enough to have ref comms. Ref immediately called it \u2018backwards\u2019 and was subsequently informed through the comms by TMO \u2013 who has access to all angles \u2013 that his call was correct.<\/p>\n \u2014 Matt Pearce (@MattP555) October 16, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n South Africa needed a response and got one as Etzebeth forced the error from Les Bleus\u2019 catchers from a box kick by Cobus Reinach, allowing the ball to spill loose, and Kurt-Lee Arendse sped away to hammer home the Boks\u2019 reply. Manie Libbok levelled matters and inspired the score that put South Africa ahead, with Damian de Allende latching onto the loose ball after Cameron Woki\u2019s spill, dummied Dupont before rounding off the score himself a phase later.<\/p>\n The opening 20 minutes were played at a breakneck speed with both sides throwing absolutely everything they had at one another, and there was no sign of it slowing down as Dupont took a tap penalty quickly and threw a pinpoint pass out to Peato Mauvaka, who scored France\u2019s second, meaning the scoreboard read: France 12-12 South Africa with the conversion to come.<\/p>\n Controversial charge down<\/p>\n It was clearly a match that was going to be won and lost on the finest of margins, the closest of calls and a bit of luck. The Boks engineered some of their own luck \u2018chasing lost causes\u2019<\/a>, illustrated by Cheslin Kolbe\u2019s insane chargedown of Ramos\u2019 conversion attempt of Mauvaka\u2019s try. Again, a call that is still debated today, whether the Bok flyer went early or not.<\/p>\n Law discussion: Was Cheslin Kolbe\u2019s charge down in the World Cup legal?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Clearest angle yet for that Cheslin Kolbe charge down. \u274c<\/p>\n Law 8.14 \u2013 The opposing team at a conversion: \u201cAll players retire to their goal line and do not overstep that line until the kicker moves in any direction to begin their approach to kick.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the kicker does this,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/x2ez9LA9SZ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) October 19, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Another small win that ultimately made all the difference. Kolbe was in the thick of it again as the Boks capitalised on a turnover as Etzebeth smashed the ball out of Dupont\u2019s hands with De Allende scooping it up before it was flung out to Jesse Kriel who spotted the space in the backfield and put in a deft grubber for the speedster to latch on to, which he did and scored South Africa\u2019s third try.<\/p>\n The madness continued with South Africa debuting a new tactic with Damian Willemse calling a mark in his own 22 after a long kick by France and opting for a scrum. The ploy was to get the French pack to do a bit more work, the Springboks later revealed. A bold, bold move that would ultimately paid dividends, but something that World Rugby quickly outlawed.<\/p>\n The game\u2019s governing body would close the loophole known as \u2018Dupont Law\u2019 to force players to retreat during kicking battles, but that was accompanied by the removal of the scrum option<\/a> from a free-kick.<\/p>\n In the 30th minute, Baille grabbed his second for Les Bleus as the teams continued to trade blow-for-blow. After arguably escaping punishment for his intervention on his tryline, Etzebeth would visit the sin bin for a head-on-head collision before the half-time break, with Ramos opening a three-point lead for Les Bleus. The marksman extended that lead in the 53rd minute, and after a first half, the second was much more of an arm-wrestle, though it was played at the same frenetic pace.<\/p>\n Analysis: Eben Etzebeth\u2019s masterclass as Springboks stun France in Rugby World Cup classic<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Trailing by six in the final 20 minutes, it was Etzebeth who rose to the occasion again for the Boks as he powered through two tackles and over the line to score the all-important try, setting up a nail-biting finish.<\/p>\n Handre Pollard nailed the conversion and a penalty, controversially won by Kwagga Smith, to make it a four-point lead, but France would cut that to just one with less than 10 minutes to be played. Ramos dissected the posts. With time up on the clock, France went in search of the winning score but were robbed of that opportunity as Faf de Klerk ripped the ball out of Reda Wardi\u2019s grasp.<\/p>\n O\u2019Keeffe blasted the whistle for the final time as Kolbe sent the ball flying into the stands and, in doing so, crushed the hopes that France would finally end their wait for a maiden World Cup title and do so on home soil, but also kept South Africa\u2019s dream of becoming the second nation to win back-to-back World Cups alive.<\/p>\n Damian de Allende: \u2018People forget what France did to host the World Cup\u2019<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n As Nkalakatha blasted through the stadium\u2019s speakers, Les Bleus players flung to the floor in despair, some in tears, while the South Africans raised their fists to the sky.<\/p>\n Backlash<\/p>\n The air of disappointment and delight was palpable in the post-match as well, with Dupont pointing to the officials as part of the reason for his team\u2019s defeat.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you think from the outside? It\u2019s hard to say because there\u2019s a lot of disappointment and frustration. We want to see the images again \u2013 which will give us even more disappointment and even more frustration \u2013 but I think some clear and obvious things weren\u2019t whistled,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if the match was lost at that point, but at crucial moments, we could have had a penalty. When you\u2019ve gone forward 60 metres and you\u2019re slowed down in the rucks, it\u2019s pretty easy to whistle. I don\u2019t want to sound bitter, moaning about the refereeing because we lost the match, but I\u2019m not sure the refereeing was up to the challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t take anything away from the South Africans\u2019 great game, who got on top of us at the breakdown. They played a great game.\u201d<\/p>\n World Rugby match officials boss hits out at Antoine Dupont for post-World Cup remarks<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Coach Galthie added, \u201cHe\u2019s [referee Ben O\u2019Keeffe] not on his own. The TMO and the referees have time to review the images like us and have the right to officiate. I ask my players to be brave at times like this because I understand their frustration. But I won\u2019t comment on it personally.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d rather congratulate them [the players]. We\u2019ve worked hard with them, and we\u2019ll continue to work with them. I understand the players\u2019 position, because there are a lot of emotions that are not easy to digest.<\/p>\n \u201cBut above all, congratulations to South Africa and their staff. Respect and fair play \u2013 may they continue on their way for as long as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about his thoughts on the match officials\u2019 performance, Bok captain Siya Kolisi said: \u201cFrom our side, all we can do is play rugby. We can\u2019t control the decisions the ref makes. We will have to look at the game, but the communications with him and the calls he made were fair. I would never discredit the referee. Obviously, Antoine has his own opinion.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an amazing game, it was tough, physically it flowed. The way the two teams played outshines everything else. It was an amazing atmosphere. The French team have been building for four years, so we knew it would take something special for us to win this game.<\/p>\n \u201cFor a leader like Antoine to come back and play like he did, we give credit to him and France and all the French people who made this World Cup so special. When we heard the anthems, we knew how loud it was going to be. The people of France can be proud of their team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a one-point game. Things like the charge-down from Cheslin [Kolbe], you don\u2019t see that every day. \u00a0It was going to take something special for us to win. The French team and Antoine can hold their heads up high.\u201d<\/p>\n The French public\u2019s disappointment was also stark as they lashed out at Bok scrum-half Reinach, who plied his trade at Top 14 club Montpellier at the time, as his family received death threats in the aftermath, with the same being true for referee O\u2019Keeffe.<\/p>\n While that blighted the entertainment that was produced, it\u2019s worth remembering one of the greatest Rugby World Cup encounters of all-time on the two-year anniversary of the fixture, particularly with the two proud nations preparing to face off again at the same venue this November.<\/p>\n A grudge match that we can only hope delivers half the drama and entertainment as two years ago.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Damian de Allende: \u2018People forget what France did to host the World Cup\u2019<\/a> <\/b><\/p>\n\n
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