By Lucky Maree
While that cringeworthy title of “The Pool of Death” is often used to label Pool B at Rugby World Cup 2023, this time it may just be the right description.
It is nothing short of a tragedy that one of these three great teams will not progress beyond the pool stages, but it also sets up a great three-way contest.
➤ Scotland:
On The Final Whistle, Swys de Bruin and Jonathan Makoena agreed that Scotland would be the team to drop out at the pool stages and they are probably right — but you better believe that Gregor Townsend and his team are not ready to bow out gracefully. Scotland will go down fighting and it will be a bloody affair.
In their last five matches, they have shown that they are a winning team. Their preparation has been just about as good as they could have hoped for.
They comfortably beat a tough Georgian side and twice beat Italy by substantial margins. But more significantly, they beat France by four points at Murrayfield and lost to them by only three points in Paris.
They play their rugby as a team, avoiding the emphasis on individual players, but they have (at least) three players who can snatch victory for them when it matters. Finn Russell is one of that rare breed of rugby player who can be described as a natural flyhalf.
Their two South African-born wings, Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Steyn give them match-winning potential out wide on both sides of the field — and Russell will find a way to get the ball to them.
➤ Ireland:
Ireland coach Andy Farrell has guided his team to the World Cup with a focused, no-nonsense attitude. Their commitment is unwavering — and even a little scary.
In their last five games, they swept Italy aside twice, did the same thing with ailing England, and — very significantly — comfortably beat Scotland by 22-7 when it mattered most: in their Six Nations match.
They have one of the few packs of forwards that can match the Springboks and they have backs like Jamison Gibson-Park and Jack Crowley who can turn matches around. Controversial but inspirational Jonathan Sexton has been appointed as captain.
➤ South Africa:
The Springboks could not have come to the World Cup in better shape. The strategy of rotating players between matches seemed wild at times, but it has resulted in a squad that is virtually injury-free with every one of the players worthy of their place in the squad.
While they lost to the All Blacks in New Zealand and beat Argentina by a single point, they then went on to beat Argentina comfortably, did a demolition job on Wales and made New Zealand look clumsy in their last warm-up match. Their preparation could not have been better.
To highlight any players is probably not fair, but Manie Libbok is the perfect example of a player who has been coached to be an excellent flyhalf at the very point when it matters. Canan Moodie is peaking at the right time and Siya Kolisi is the captain every other team wants.
The forwards, whether with a 6-2 bench, a 7-1 bench or just a full pack of eight forwards have to be the best in the business right now.
The slogan “Stronger Together” has come to symbolise a team and a nation that is united and ready for the World Cup.
South Africa vs Scotland Sunday 10 September at 5.45 pm
Ireland vs South Africa Saturday 23 September at 9 pm
Scotland vs Ireland Saturday 7 October at 9 pm
Pictured above: The Springboks
Image source: Springboks
