Photo: Photosport/INPHO/Shutterstock France vs South Africa. South Africa’s Kurt-Lee Arendse makes a break
2023 Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final, Stade de France, Paris, France – 15 Oct 2023
Springboks: Five tasty facts to share with your mates
The Springboks face England on Saturday in the Rugby World Cup semi-final. Here are five facts you didn’t know.
Photo: Photosport/INPHO/Shutterstock France vs South Africa. South Africa’s Kurt-Lee Arendse makes a break
2023 Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final, Stade de France, Paris, France – 15 Oct 2023
The Springboks face England on Saturday in the Rugby World Cup semi-final. Let’s scoop up some of the best facts & figures you can use to show off to your mates.
All facts via the Springboks official website.
Springboks vs England: Five Rugby World Cup facts
- It will be Eben Etzebeth’s 11th Test match against England, joining Tendai Mtawarira, John Smit and Joost van der Westhuizen all in second place. Four other Springboks are on a record 12 career caps against England.
- Handré Pollard has scored seven conversions (second place) in his six appearances against England but holds the record with 19 penalty goals.
- Kurt-Lee Arendse has scored 13 tries in 13 tests for the Springboks.
- This will be the fourth time the Springboks and England clash in a Rugby World Cup match in Paris, after the playoff in 1999 and two encounters in 2007.
- England have scored just one try across their five meetings with South Africa in the RWC – during their 25-6 pool win in 2003.
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SPRINGBOKS BOAST NEAR-PERFECT RECORD VS ENGLAND
Saturday’s semi-final will be the sixth RWC clash between the Boks and England. South Africa won in the 1999 quarter-final (44-21) in Paris; the pool game (36-0) and final (15-6) in 2007, both in Paris; and the final (32-12) in Yokohama in 2019. England won the pool game in Perth in 2003 (25-6). The Springboks boast an 80% win rate against their old foes at the world’s biggest tournament, and two of those four wins have come in the match that matters most of all. Fresh in the memory, of course, is that dazzling 32-12 win in Japan four years ago.
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CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Amazingly, this is the first time the Springboks have named an unchanged matchday 23 for consecutive games since 2018. This speaks volumes about the consistency in the World Champions’ performances leading up to and including the World Cup. There is also a special level of mutual trust in the camp between technical staff and players.
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Kickoff from the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday is at 21:00.
Meanwhile, hit up James Freemantle for more insights, analysis and love for the beautiful game of rugby.
Also, follow The South African on X for up-to-the-minute news updates.
