4th QF France v South Africa - Stade de France, Saint Denis

First topic message reminder :

France: 1. Baille, 2. Mauvaka, 3. Atonio, 4. Woki, 5. Flament, 6. Jelonch, 7. Ollivon, 8. Alldritt, 9. Dupont (cap), 10. Jalibert, 11. Bielle-Biarrey, 12. Danty, 13. Fickou, 14. Penaud, 15. Ramos.

Replacements: 16. Bourgarit, 17. Wardi, 18. Aldegheri, 19. Taofifenua, 20. Cros, 21. Macalou, 22. Lucu, 23. Moefana.

South Africa: Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Kolbe; Libbok, Reinach; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Fourie, Nche, Koch, Snyman, Smith, De Klerk, Pollard, Le Roux.

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe TMO: Brendon Pickerill

Assistant referees: Paul Williams (assistant), James Doleman (assistant)

Oooooo penalty, yellow card and a broken nose

Always a risk in a game of this speed and intensity.

Based on what we've seen in this WC, wouldn't expect it to be upgraded to red.

The speed of this game that could be huge. A red a year ago.

I think EE bent his nose on that tackle as well

He might be lucky and get away with YC here on current reviews

On current trends would expect yellow

An unbelievable half of rugby.

Gulp....England have to play the winner??!!

Are you not entertained?
I certainly am, pity it's not the final.

A game being played at this pace and intensity may just come down to superior fitness

Hard to say which side that will be?

carpet baboon wrote:I will need a nap and a slice of orange at half time

I went for the whisky option instead!

hugehandoff wrote:Gulp....England have to play the winner??!!

No, no, that can't be right. I'm sure the winner's prize from earlier is to *not* have to face either of these teams!

Seriously though, I think England's only chance is if the winner completely empties the tank in this one. Extra time would be nice...

hugehandoff wrote:Gulp....England have to play the winner??!!

We'll drag them down to our level then beat them with our experience.

Duty281 wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:Gulp....England have to play the winner??!!

No, no, that can't be right. I'm sure the winner's prize from earlier is to *not* have to face either of these teams!

Seriously though, I think England's only chance is if the winner completely empties the tank in this one. Extra time would be nice...

I think we'd need extra time and half a dozen red cards ...

Heaf wrote:

Duty281 wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:Gulp....England have to play the winner??!!

No, no, that can't be right. I'm sure the winner's prize from earlier is to *not* have to face either of these teams!

Seriously though, I think England's only chance is if the winner completely empties the tank in this one. Extra time would be nice...

I think we'd need extra time and half a dozen red cards ...

Plus a flu outbreak.

Staying at a yellow for Etzebeth. Going to be confusing after the World Cup when all the reds come out again.

Odd substitution ?

That's a pen surely. Then ball deliberately played on the floor another pen. Maybe the ref just wants a rest.

Duty281 wrote:Staying at a yellow for Etzebeth. Going to be confusing after the World Cup when all the reds come out again.

Previously they spent so long programming us to think everything was Red. This tournament has been a lottery. Curry very unlucky with the decision as I said at the time, a player landed on him. Farrell deserved the red and a ban prior to the tournament, did not deserve the witch hunt though.

25-19 France

But surely they will beed more than that to be safe in this crazy game

lostinwales wrote:

hugehandoff wrote:Gulp....England have to play the winner??!!

We'll drag them down to our level then beat them with our experience bore them to stupefaction.  

minor modification to what you wrote....

A shocking kick from Jialbert

A few untimely errors creeping in from South Africa now.

that fluffed line out could be costly

Yup, 6 pts was never going to be enough!

What a try by giant Etzebeth.

Surprised they didn't scrum off that penalty, but their choice was vindicated. Now France have to chase.

That was a bad call, hands on the grass first!

Yeah, rare bad call from this referee.

8 mins to go

1 pt game!

Wilkinson tried a similar drop goal v Samoa in 2003...his was successful.

De Klerk trying to buy a penalty. Ref having none of it. Good on him.

How did France get the put in though?

Pains me to say it, as I used to really dislike O’Keefe… he’s been the best ref at this tournament. Or maybe second best, to Wayne Barnes .

Wow. Ireland and France on top for such a long time in world rugby, both dispatched by SH teams. NH found wanting, badly, at another World Cup. Come on England!

What a game, great effort South Africa, a special unit of players. Congratulations. That game had it all

NH found wanting? Ireland loses by a hair and France by less than that? Looks like a great bunch of games to me.

Not sure I would go that far Mikey.
But my word what a game.
Good luck next week England

Outstanding from both teams. An amazing weekend of sport. Three games decided by a solitary score.

The champions find a way through, despite losing the territory and possession battle. France would have destroyed virtually every team in world rugby with that opening 30 minutes, but South Africa managed to stay in the fight and then pinched it towards the end. Phenomenal.

Heading for a NZ v SA final.

And one point it is

I thought last nights game was good, but this was another level!

Well done Boks

Commiserations to France!

Why was this a quarter final?

This game was nuts. Just a great freakin' game of Rugby.

Stunning game, with some exceptional play from both sides. A shame someone had to lose. England will have their work cut out for them next week.

BigGee wrote:And one point it is

I thought last nights game was good, but this was another level!

Well done Boks

Commiserations to France!

Why was this a quarter final?

Aye, indeed. I thought this would be the final, until Ireland beat South Africa...and this shows how stupendous that Irish effort was to beat South Africa. Really, there's not much between these top four teams and this weekend showed it.

BigGee wrote:And one point it is

I thought last nights game was good, but this was another level!

Well done Boks

Commiserations to France!

Why was this a quarter final?

Can't see it would have been any better if it hadn't been?

Poorfour wrote:Stunning game, with some exceptional play from both sides. A shame someone had to lose. England will have their work cut out for them next week.

That first half was stunning, but it was interesting that neither team could sustain that performance into the 2nd. France had control at the start of the 2nd half but slowly SA won it back with the use of their rolling subs.

It really isn't that England have no chance but SA have been a real tough opponent for us for a while, because we have not got the muscle to match the SA forwards (who does?) or the guile to sidestep them, but it is still a one off game so who knows.

mikey_dragon wrote:Pains me to say it, as I used to really dislike O’Keefe… he’s been the best ref at this tournament. Or maybe second best, to Wayne Barnes .

Nika Amashukeli the Georgian ref has been brilliant this tournament. He and Barnes are a step above at the minute.

This game was epic, a great watch. The South African defence just scrambled brilliantly on the rare occasions it looked like it might break.

This and the Ire vs NZ game were two of the highest standard and most entertaining games of rugby I've ever seen. The SA vs Ire game was on a par with them too. Incredible stuff.

Heartbreak for France to lose so narrowly in a home RWC. They threw everything at it but it felt like the SA bench had a bigger impact. Taofifenau and Wardie aside it didn't feel like the France bench shifted the dial much. Whereas I thought Ox, Snyman, Smith and Fourie all added to the forwards. Whilst Faf and Pollard were composed at halfback.

An incredible match. I was honestly rooting for France as I was hoping this RWC would give us a new winner. Plus Dupont is just an astonishing player. It wasn't to be though. It's a fairly young French side that should be well set to have another crack in 2027.

doctor_grey wrote:NH found wanting?  Ireland loses by a hair and France by less than that?  Looks like a great bunch of games to me.  

I’m not sure if Ireland or France will be this good in 4 years time, arguably both had their best teams in history, then of course there was Wales’ embarrassing loss against Argentina.

BigGee wrote:Why was this a quarter final?

Good question. Apparently it was Wales’ fault.

Duty281 wrote:

BigGee wrote:And one point it is

I thought last nights game was good, but this was another level!

Well done Boks

Commiserations to France!

Why was this a quarter final?

Aye, indeed. I thought this would be the final, until Ireland beat South Africa...and this shows how stupendous that Irish effort was to beat South Africa. Really, there's not much between these top four teams and this weekend showed it.

South Africa beat France, Ireland beat South Africa, New Zealand beat Ireland and France beat New Zealand. These 4 sides just seem like you could end up with different results every single time they play. The games have been incredible too.

mikey_dragon wrote:

BigGee wrote:Why was this a quarter final?

Good question. Apparently it was Wales’ fault.

Goes without saying