Wales must record consecutive wins over South Africa for the first time if they are to reach the World Cup semi-finals. That’s the learning – and if Wales put that into action on Saturday, they can make the semi-finals.
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“We actually initially went for the penalty from the scrum, but during the week we noticed that their number nine was covering more behind the scrum and that opened a few space”, Du Preez told reporters after the game.
After 40 pool matches of spectacular upsets and watershed performances, the 2015 Rugby World Cup’s quarter-finalists have been decided.
Meyer’s side had a longer rest ahead of the match than Wales, who had battled through the “Pool of Death”, and the South Africa coach believes that could have made a difference, along with his side’s strength off the bench.
Vern Cotter must decide if he is going to rejig his Scotland side with just 24 hours to go before facing Australia after forwards Ross Ford and Jonny Gray received a World Cup reprieve.
It’s worth pointing out that recent clashes between the two have been close affairs – South Africa winning by one point in the pool stages four years ago, and Wales being denied victory by a last minute penalty try in summer 2014.
“And the beauty of that is that we’d be here until the end of the tournament as well”.
“We did that against Ireland in 2011 and changed the way we wanted to play”.
For their part South Africa have spent the entire tournament trying to prove to the world that the result against Japan was a freak one-off – but that’s proved impossible for them.
No real surprise as Dan Lydiate returns to the Welsh loose-trio with the breakdown being an area that Wales will feel they can challenge the Springboks.
“And looking back at a game that got everyone talking about at this World Cup was the South Africa-Japan match”.
“Having conducted a detailed review of all the evidence, including new submissions from the players and their representatives, along with all available camera angles, the appeal committee dismissed the finding that the players had committed an act of foul play, as the player had not been dropped or driven and therefore the tackle was not risky”, the judicial panel said in its findings. I am always the optimist.
It’s a bit of a cliche that anything can happen in a one-off game but I think that it’s the kind of game where a young centre could really be thriving.
How important is last November’s win over South Africa for the Welsh confidence going into this game?
Inspirational captain and 115-Test lock Paul O’Connell’s worldwide career is over due to a hamstring injury and blindside Peter O’Mahony (knee) is also out of the tournament following a brutal win over France.
Gatland, asked what he expected from South Africa this weekend, said: “Same old, same old”. We could have lost three times in a row and been the worst Springbok team of all time.
Habana is poised to break two records soon – he is now the joint leading try scorer in Rugby World Cups and just five tries away from becoming the leading try scorer in Test match rugby.
“He’s truly inspirational”, said Meyer.
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Thomas, who won 23 caps between 1996 and 2000 despite being just 5ft 9ins and tipping the scales at 12 stone, has questioned whether players of his stature can still command a jersey in the Test arena.
