We should just not make the mistake of underestimating the Poms. The same intensity as the France game, should be applied from the beginning….they can be slippery customers, especially with Dirty Boy playing. Ben Earl is playing good Rugby atm…so they will be tough.
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France defence coach Shaun Edwards outlined the brutal reality of being knocked out of a home Rugby World Cup after Les Bleus were sent packing by the Springboks.
The fourth quarter-final was a spectacle through and through as the defending champions fought to a 29-28 win over the hosts in a clash that had everything.
Suddenly at home
It is one of the harsh aspects of a World Cup, at the end of it there can only be one team left standing and it was not to be for the talented French side who were hoping for glory on home soil.
In a piece for the Daily Mail, Edwards spoke of the contrast from spending an extended period together as a team working towards a goal to suddenly being all alone.
“It’s weird. We spent four months together preparing for the biggest challenge of our lives, living together like a family. Within 14 hours you’re at home on your own,” he wrote.
“At the end of every campaign there are people retiring or moving on and there were a few handshakes and the old ‘keep in touch’. But I didn’t even see all the players before I left because there was only one flight available.
“It will take a long time for all of us to get over this. These players won’t get another chance at a home World Cup in their careers and it came to a premature end because of the smallest margins.
“It was total devastation in the changing rooms afterwards. Silence. Fabien Galthie spoke to the guys about the journey over the last four years but we were all hoping it would end differently.”
Tactically astute
In such a tight game the finest of tactical decisions can make the difference and Edwards believes the Springboks were astute in how they used the high ball against Les Bleus.
“The thing we didn’t handle was their old up-and-under. South Africa put the ball up in the air and it’s 7-7 instead of 14-0. They did it twice and got two tries. We struggled with it against Australia and Rassie Erasmus obviously noted that. It’s a huge part of the modern game now, like a third set-piece, and they won it.”
With typical class, the Englishman praised South Africa for their performance on the day.
“It was a match worthy of a final,” he continued. “I watched New Zealand against Ireland on Saturday night and the standard was off the scale. New Zealand had two turnovers the whole game which is incredible.
“Against us, South Africa brought on the bomb squad and that had a big impact at the scrum. Ox Nche was outstanding and I give them every credit for being a brilliant team.”