France celebrate their win over the Springboks last year. Photo: Getty Images.
France coach implies Springboks should be ‘scared’ of them
Both France and Ireland have made big statements as they plot to take the World Cup title off the Springboks later this year.
France celebrate their win over the Springboks last year. Photo: Getty Images.
The Springboks will kick off a bumper 2023 season against Australia in Pretoria on Saturday, 8 July, in the opening round of the shortened Rugby Championship, which will be followed by clashes against New Zealand at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland a week later, and Argentina in Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 July. That clash against the Pumas will be their final match on home soil before the build-up to their Rugby World Cup defence starts.
They will then travel to Buenos Aires in August to take on the Pumas before facing Wales and the All Blacks in Rugby World Cup warm-up matches in Cardiff and London, in the final build-up to the extravaganza in France.
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South Africa will then kick off their Rugby World Cup title defence on Sunday, 10 September, against Scotland in Marseille. This will be followed by pool matches against Romania in Bordeaux (17 September), Ireland in Paris (23 September) and Tonga in Marseille (1 October).
Although the Springboks have a favourable overall record of results against Ireland, there is no denying that the northern hemisphere foes have evolved impressively over the last couple of years. The Irish are fully deserving of their ranking at the top of the World Rugby standings, while they have just wrapped up a Six Nations Grand Slam in some style.
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South Africa are down in fourth spot on the rankings, but they will be keeping a wary eye on fifth-placed Scotland, a team that looks increasingly dangerous. On their day, there is no doubt that Scotland can beat any team in world rugby.
Keep in mind that the Springboks realistically can only afford to lose one game in their World Cup pool phase, and even then, it won’t get any easier in the quarter-finals.
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The defending champions are expected to face either New Zealand or France in the quarter-finals.
France of course will have home-ground advantage at the World Cup, and after finishing the Six Nations with a comfortable win over Wales, France boss Fabien Galthie reckons they will be the team to beat at the global showpiece.
“I hope that teams are scared of us now,” Galthie told reporters in a statement that will certainly have the Springboks sitting up and taking notice. “We’re certainly the team to beat,” he added.
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Meanwhile, Ireland coach Andy Farrell also sent out a warning to other teams about their desire to take the World Cup by storm.
“I have just been saying to Johnny (Sexton) there is bigger fish to fry than this (Six Nations), so we are on to the World Cup … we are a good side that has nowhere reached its potential,” Farrell said at the post-match press conference.
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SPRINGBOKS FIXTURES IN 2023
Rugby Championship:
✈ 8 July: Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
✈ 15 July: Springboks vs New Zealand (Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland)
✈ 29 July: Springboks vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
World Cup warm-ups:
✈ 5 August: Springboks vs Argentina (Vélez Stadium, Buenos Aires)
✈ 19 August: Springboks vs Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
✈ 25 August: Springboks vs New Zealand (Twickenham Stadium, London)
Rugby World Cup:
✈ 10 September: South Africa vs Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)
✈ 17 September: South Africa vs Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)
✈ 23 September: South Africa vs Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris)
✈ 1 October: South Africa vs Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)
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Quarter-finals sequence of play is as follows:QF 1 — Winner Pool C vs Runner up Pool D
QF 2 — Winner Pool B vs Runner up Pool A
QF 3 — Winner Pool D vs Runner up Pool C
QF 4 — Winner Pool A vs Runner up Pool B
Semi-finals sequence of play is as follows:
SF 1 — Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF 2 — Winner QF3 v Winner QF4
Third place playoff:
Loser SF 1 vs Loser SF 2
World Cup final:
Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2
