Classic South vs North
Oct 20, 2007
IN a battle for World Cup supremacy, the torch bearer of Northern Hemisphere rugby has turned out to be England with South Africa carrying the torch for us all in the Southern Hemisphere.<br>
IN a battle for World Cup supremacy, the torch bearer of Northern Hemisphere rugby has turned out to be England with South Africa carrying the torch for us all in the Southern Hemisphere.
Today’s match-up will be Northern power versus Southern skill.
The Springboks have breezed past all their opponents including England, while their rivals nents have peaked at the right time, defeating two highly rated opponents Australia in the quarters and France in the semis.
The Wallabies without Steve Larkham were toothless as the English completely took their key players out of the game and destroyed their scrum. France tried to defend their lead but forgot the English are strong in the last quarter of the game.
It is still shocking how the All Blacks, who were seemingly in total control of the quarter final against France, stupidly conceded a needless sin-bin that brought the French back into the game — some dubious refereeing notwithstanding.
A rabid All Blacks’ fan who now thinks the English will win still mourns: “Mr. Barnes, why did you miss the forward pass to Frederick Michalak? New Zealand would’ve saved us from English braggadocio about retaining the World Cupâ€.
The Springboks on the other hand have consistently scored over 25 points in each game besides boasting of Fourie Du Preez and Brian Habana, who are candidates for MVP.
The million dollar question is can the Boks beat the Poms twice in one World Cup?
Today’s match-up will be Northern power versus Southern skill.
The Springboks have breezed past all their opponents including England, while their rivals nents have peaked at the right time, defeating two highly rated opponents Australia in the quarters and France in the semis.
The Wallabies without Steve Larkham were toothless as the English completely took their key players out of the game and destroyed their scrum. France tried to defend their lead but forgot the English are strong in the last quarter of the game.
It is still shocking how the All Blacks, who were seemingly in total control of the quarter final against France, stupidly conceded a needless sin-bin that brought the French back into the game — some dubious refereeing notwithstanding.
A rabid All Blacks’ fan who now thinks the English will win still mourns: “Mr. Barnes, why did you miss the forward pass to Frederick Michalak? New Zealand would’ve saved us from English braggadocio about retaining the World Cupâ€.
The Springboks on the other hand have consistently scored over 25 points in each game besides boasting of Fourie Du Preez and Brian Habana, who are candidates for MVP.
The million dollar question is can the Boks beat the Poms twice in one World Cup?