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Jacques Nienaber expects Springboks’ semi to come down to ‘small margins’
By Finn Morton
With the quarter-finals having come and gone at the Rugby World Cup, the focus has already begun to shift to next week. Following on from South Africa’s thrilling win over France, head coach Jacques Nienaber was asked about their semi-final opponents England.
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England were written off by many coming into this World Cup, but Steve Borthwick’s men have overcome each and every obstacle so far on the sport’s biggest stage.
Led by fly-half George Ford, a 14-man England outfit blitzed Argentina in Marseille to open their campaign. England went on to finish pool play with four wins from as many games which saw them book a spot in the knockouts against Fiji.
It was close, tense and everything that quarter-final rugby should be. The Test was all square with 10 minutes to play but England pulled away to win 30-24 in Marseille.
Nienaber was following the England game ahead of the Springboks’ own date with destiny against tournament hosts Frace in Paris. The England game, just like their own and the All Blacks’ win last night, came down to “small margins.”
“Massive. I think it’s going to be a nice challenge,” Nienaber said when asked about England.
“In knockouts anything can happen, like tonight I followed the England game when we were on the bus here. Also they (England) had a healthy lead and then Fiji came back and then they also pushed it right to the end.
“I think knockouts are going to be small margins right to the end.”
Knockout
11 - 12
Final
6 - 44
SF1
15 - 16
SF2
17 - 29
QF1
24 - 28
QF2
30 - 24
QF3
28 - 29
QF4
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Playing in an all-time classic Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Sunday evening, the Springboks came from behind to knock the tournament hosts earlier than many expected.
Lock Eben Etzebeth scored a crucial try with just over 10 minutes to play which saw the Boks take the lead, and the defending World Cup winners showed their class to hold on in the dying stages.
South Africa burst into a frenzy as referee Ben O’Keeffe blew his whistle for full-time as the Springboks emerged victorious by the barest of margins, winning 29-28.
“Credit to the French first of all. We knew it was going to be this tight. I think everybody knew it was going to be a big battle,” Nienaber mentioned. “Two good teams and unfortunately, or fortunately for us, we were on the right side of things.
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“There was one point that separated it. I think the margins were marginal but no, credit to our players, they stuck in it to the end.”
Even without their MOM (B O'Keeffe) against France SA will beat us in the semis (not that difgicult if the truth be told) but NZ will lift the RWC this year.
South Africa should treat England with the same intensity as this weekend vs France. England might pitch up like in 2019 vs NZ and play their “final”. If SA match them with intensity, then at least it will come down to small margins. If SA completely bulldoze the English, at least we show we were much better. One game at a time.
It definately won’t come down to small margins
It will come down to the small margin of South Africa being an infinitely better team than England.