- Mon Oct 23, 2023 10:14 am
#64110
England came out with fire in their bellies. The effort was undoubted.
Much is being made of the close finish, less of the fact that SA were way off their best. The selection policy seemed wrong, but was swiftly corrected early in the second half, and the bench was much more effective than England’s . Pollard in particular was a game-changer.
England’s scrum fell apart after Marler and Cole were changed, and if the game had gone on longer the score difference would have been larger.
Faz must learn some manners around Sir, but I wouldn’t see that as a problem, because like a good half of the squad he’s surely due to quietly stand aside. Eddie and those in the RFU who supported him have a lot to answer for, and Borthwick will surely now be making fundamental changes to the squad.
The bronze play off could be close, and frustrations could be evident. Probably well worth a watch.
As to the final, it looks to me to be a cracker. The AB’s have found something from somewhere, and look good in all departments. Can SA overcome match weariness and regain their mojo, will Mbonambi be sanctioned (I doubt it, but the press are not going to let it go) and is Tom Curry really that bad a bloke?
The major lesson for World Rugby is to sort out the timing of pool allocations and draws for next time. The quarter finals shouldn’t have been the highlight of the tournament.