England, South Africa tactics for World Cup final
TOKYO, (Reuters) Expected tactics of England and South Africa in today's Rugby World Cup final at Yokohama International Stadium:
ENGLAND
Speed, pace, urgency, quickness of thought and deed, and selectivity in when to engage in the physical battle.
England had all of that from start to finish against New Zealand and they will need it again, perhaps even more so, to knock South Africa out of their stride in the final.
England's speed of recycling, a result of Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Maro Itoje and Co sprinting into rucks, meant New Zealand's defence always seemed to be scrambling by the time twin playmakers George Ford and Owen Farrell were fizzing passes left and right.
England's try after 97 seconds saw half a dozen examples of quick ball, rugby's holy grail, but the sweeping move retained its pace because the likes of hooker Jamie George and prop Kyle Sinckler did not slow it down when they
South Africa Training - Arcs Urayasu Park, Urayasu, Chiba, Japan November 1, 2019
got involved.
England will want more of that for 80 minutes today, working the big South African side back and forth again and again hoping to run the legs off them and then penetrate the gaps when they appear.
The contrast with how South Africa played against Wales in their semi-final was extraordinary -- the Springboks were never in a hurry to go anywhere.
England will try to disrupt that by making a nuisance of themselves at
rucks, but they will be selective, knowing that they could waste precious energy trying to shift some enormous Springboks forwards for often no real benefit.
Instead they will back themselves to deal with the aerial assault they know is coming.
Wingers Jonny May and Anthony Watson have shown themselves brave and effective jumpers, while fullback Elliot Daly knows this is the day when he will have to prove the doubters wrong over that
aspect of his game.
George Ford will also be bracing himself for the most important defensive test of his career. Having seen how South Africa successfully targeted the channel of Wales flyhalf Dan Biggar, Ford knows what is coming.
Coach Eddie Jones has backed him to stand his ground, however, resisting any temptation to return to the meatier midfield option he went for in the quarterfinal with Owen Farrell at 10.
ARCADIA, Calif., (Reuters) - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will look to claim a record-extending fourth Breeders’ Cup Classic with McKinzie at Santa Anita Park today although victory for the favourite is far from guaranteed.
Baffert won the Classic in 2014 with Bayern, in 2015 with American Pharoah and in 2016 with Arrogate but said the colt McKinzie holds a special place in his heart.
The chestnut son of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense is named after Baffert’s longtime friend, the racing executive Brad McKinzie, who died of cancer in 2017 at age 62.
McKinzie, who has seven wins in 13 career starts, has earned more than $2.2 million and the normallystoic Baffert said he gets emotional when he watches the horse compete.
“I think we’re all living through this horse, thinking about Brad. He’s got a lot of friends,” Baffert said this week.
“I feel a little extra pressure on me when this horse runs because I know we’re all thinking about him.”
In a surprising move, Baffert chose to replace Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who has ridden McKinzie in all of his previous starts, with Joel Rosario after the colt earned four second-place finishes in six starts.
“It’s one of those things where I go with instinct, my gut feeling,” Baffert told reporters.
“I was very frustrated and I just felt maybe I had to make a change. Like a (baseball) manager, have to take the ball from an All-Star pitcher.”
Although McKinzie is expected to be the favourite among the 11 horses competing in Saturday’s $6 million Classic, the field is considered one of the more wide open in the race’s history.
Among those expected to push McKinzie is Code of Honor, a colt with an excellent resume but who drew the outside post.
Trainer Shug McGaughey said he is happy with how the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup winner, who will be rode by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, moved on the track this week.