IT’S NORTH VERSUS SOUTH (HEMISPHERES) IN JAPAN
New Zealand and Springboks hold a big edge over their rivals, writes Joe Ritchie in Yokohama
The Rugby World Cup will hold its semi-finals this weekend, and the cream has risen to the top. The four semi-finalists’ results in the pool stage and quarterfinals have them rightfully ranked Nos.1 through 4 on the official World Rugby rankings.
Of the major pre-tournament contenders, only Ireland, who had the misfortune of having to face New Zealand in the quarter-finals, have been eliminated.
The Irish also were the first elite victims of the inspired host team from Japan, who eventually lost a physical quarter-final against South Africa.
The semi-finals each match a top team from the Southern Hemisphere against one of the best in Europe.
Today, New Zealand, the two-time defending champions, face a powerful England team that is hitting on all cylinders.
Wales will play South Africa tomorrow. Both games are at the Yokohama International Stadium.
New Zealand hold a big edge over England all time (33-7-1) and in the current decade (7-1), but the teams have met only once in the past five years, a hard-fought 16-15 New Zealand victory in London last November.
In a news conference on Tuesday, England coach, Eddie Jones, called New Zealand “one of the greatest teams ever,” but added that the All Blacks’ pursuit of a World Cup three-peat has put added pressure on the team.
He also said England had a better team now than the one that lost to New Zealand a year ago.
“Steve Hansen has run good World Cup campaigns before, the best campaign,” Jones said, referring to the New Zealand coach.
“We know they’ll be well prepared, but certainly we just have to look at how our team has developed since then. We’re a much more rounded and aggressive team than we were then.”
“We’ve got nothing to lose, that’s the exciting thing for us. We can just go out there and play our game.”
Thirteen members of the current England squad played on the 2017 British and Irish Lions all-star team that went to New Zealand and drew a three-match series, 1-1-1.
“They’re human,” Jones said. “They bleed, they drop balls, they miss tackles like every other player. It’s our job to take the time and space away so that we put them under pressure.”
England and New Zealand had relatively easy wins against well-regarded opposition in the quarter-finals.
The English defeated Australia 40-16 with Jonny May scoring two tries and the All Blacks demolished Ireland 46-14.
The other quarter-finals were tougher. South Africa led Japan by only 5-3 at half-time.
The Japanese had a huge edge in possession and territory but failed to capitalise thanks to South Africa’s relentless defence.
The Springboks turned things up in the second half to come away with a 26-3 victory.
Wales had an even more difficult time. France led by 19-10 nine minutes into the second half and was 10 yards from the Welsh try line when Sebastien Vahaamahina, the scorer of France’s first try, was ejected for elbowing Aaron Wainwright in the head, forcing the French to play the rest of the game a man short.
It proved to be the turning point of the match, and Wales came back to win, 20-19.
That event led to an embarrassing postgame incident in which the South African referee, Jaco Peyper, was photographed with a group of Welsh fans and appeared to mock the elbowing incident by posing with his elbow raised into the chin of one of the Welsh fans.
Peyper has apologised and admitted the photograph was inappropriate. World Rugby is investigating the incident, and Peyper will not referee any of the semi-final or final matches.
The head-to-head between South Africa and Wales is skewed heavily in South Africa’s favour, with the Springboks holding a 28-6-1 edge. But the Welsh have won five of the last six meetings.
Faf de Klerk, the South Africa scrumhalf who was player of the match against Japan, conceded that Wales may have a statistical edge.
“But we probably have our best team and best structure we’ve had in a few years,” he said. “Looking back at 2016, when I last played them, we had a completely different way of playing and attacking.”
The last time South Africa did beat Wales was four years ago in London, in a World Cup quarter-final.
Ken Owens, the Wales hooker, said he was not thinking much about the recent head-to-head record.
“They’ve definitely improved over the last two or three years,” Owens said. “They’ve got a pretty settled squad. Fortunately, we’ve won the last four against them, but form goes out of the window and records are there to be broken and all the rest of it.”
Owens seemed more concerned about the size and power of the South African forward pack. “Hugely physical” is how he described the Springboks.
“Everyone has spoken about that being bred in them. They’re a quality outfit. You can see the growth in their squad over the past couple of seasons under coach Rassie Erasmus. They’re a very well-coached team.” ©2019 NEW YORK
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