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How the rugby world responded to South Africa's ultimate flex against France
By Josh Raisey
South Africa’s epic 29-28 World Cup quarter-final win over France on Sunday had a lot going on. From a charged down conversion to a backwards penalty kick, it was a match that seemed to have it all.
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But one thing that is rarer than either of those two things is calling a scrum off a mark, so much so that many fans out there were not even aware that it is allowed. Opting for a scrum from a mark is so seldom seen that it would only really take a team like South Africa with all their scrummaging strength to go for it. Not many would expect them to do so in such a high-stakes game against a French pack who are not exactly pushovers.
When the Springboks’ fullback Damian Willemse received the ball in his own 22 with a few minutes of the first-half remaining, called for a mark and then called for a scrum, it caught many off guard. But then for the Boks to go on and actually win a penalty from the resulting scrum is one of the greatest signs of a team’s confidence in their own ability the game has ever seen, not to mention quite a flex.
Fans, pundits and players took to X as soon as the Boks pulled off this feat, and here are some of the responses:
“Scrum from a mark!? Penalty won! Know your strength and back it. Super from The Boks.”
Scrum from a mark!? Penalty won! Know your strength and back it. Super from The Boks. #FRAvsRSA
— Rob Webber (@robwebber2) October 15, 2023
“So Damian called for the mark, then took the option to scrum which resulted in a scrum pen. Talk about flexing your muscle!”
“One big takeaway from last night in particular: the Springboks have kept the faith of scrummaging even when it wasn’t being rewarded. They even called a scrum off a mark last night. And last night, they were rewarded for some brilliant scrummaging. The faith was justified.”
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“Imagine calling a mark and taking the scrum. The sheer audacity of it.”
“Didn’t even know you could call a scrum from a mark. Never seen it and then they demolished the French scrum.”
“Winning a scrum penalty after opting for a scrum off a mark is vintage South Africa.”
Winning a scrum penalty after opting for a scrum off a mark is vintage South Africa.
— Will O'Callaghan (@willocallaghan) October 15, 2023
“Calling for a scrum after that mark is pretty cocky. Is there a play coming from this set piece.”
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“The SA team are incredible. The call for a scrum from the mark is the biggest show of attitude, confidence and dominance I can ever remember seeing.”
“Never seen a scrum called from a mark. Unbelievable clarity from a team that knows what they’re about and how they want to achieve it.”
Hail South Africa! Fraudulent winners in a final in which both teams had already been beaten by Northern hemisphere teams. What a joke knock-out competitions are. Strange how the rest of the year we decide the best team on a league basis IN EVERY COUNTRY. Another question: why is it the noble sport of rugby attracts such majestically stupid fans? Asking for a friend.
So what was the advsntage of the scrum and penalty? It meant that it was a South Africa line out after the ball is kicked out from the penalty. A lot of hard work to win a line out!
James, you tit. It’s spelled rainbow. And I have to question your rhyming couplet just before the spelling mistake. Two lines of poetry of the same length that rhyme should complete one thought, no? Time to up your game, Shakespeare.
James you obviously have no idea about the actual final score, who won nor about the intelligence and effort that it took from Kolbe to chase down the conversion. By the way South Africa is the Rainbow nation so I would suggest that you enrol for some spelling and good manners lessons.
The true and lasting result in the minds of the sane will always be France 30-29 SA. Silly childish charge-downs taken into account. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so ridiculous as that twit running his heart out to ruin the skill of a brilliant kicker (Ramos never misses). Suck on the teat of your defeat, ye sentimental supporters of the ‘wain-bow’ nation! 😎
Damien is very comfortable of the scrum. He also didn’t want to kick away possession for the preceding lineout? Good to see something different.. Jacque’s and Rassie’s doing ?
Ref should have asked TMO to confirm that one.
Hang on a minute: haven’t European teams ALREADY BEATEN ALL the supposedly unbeatable Southern hemisphere teams left in the semi-finals? Yet they progress and we don’t! Knock-out tournaments are a farce. Bollix to them - and to the Haka, which I used to adore but now regard as a stupid parody of a dance. Ban it. Ban everything I don’t like.
I see nine morons have disliked my comment expressing my openly sour grapes at the ABs and SA’s victories over our great European sides. Nine pigtail-twirling let-the-best-team-win girlies! What’s wrong with you self-hating fair-play perverts? Kolbe should’ve been red carded for disgracing the spirit of the game with his silly febrile conversion charge down. Bloke gets on my tits with his silly goose-stepping running style. Give me Henry Arundell any day. As for another tedious AB and SA grind in the final; forget it. Big turn-off. Nor am I alone. No right-thinking European rugby fan will watch it (except the nine dolts as above). - and hang on a minute: haven’t european teams already beaten the supposedly unbeatable Southern hemisphere teams left in the semi-finals? Yeah, thought so. Knock-out tournaments are a farce. Ireland forever!
Kolbe played with him for two years and he knew how long he takes to kick. This was quoted by Kolbe himself.