The Springboks and All Blacks have affirmed their status as rugby heavyweights through their domineering performances at the World Cup, but the highly anticipated final showdown between them is not a given.
That's the opinion of former Springbok loose forward, captain and 2007 World Cup-winner Bob Skinstad, who expects an all-out assault from both England and Argentina in their World Cup semifinals this weekend to reach the last match in Paris on October 28.
Argentina will wrestle three-time winners New Zealand in the first semifinal at Stade de France in Paris on Friday, while the Boks and England meet up a day later at the same venue (both 9pm France and SA time).
Despite England being the only unbeaten team in the tournament, they are the underdogs against the Boks.
Many rugby enthusiasts have already been talking and salivating over the prospect of a dream final between rugby’s biggest rivals, South Africa and New Zealand, after they dumped France and Ireland out of the tournament. Both those victories came in epic quarterfinals, matches that have vied for the billing of greatest World Cup clashes ever among pundits.
So expectations that the Boks and All Blacks will progress this weekend and meet in a clash that might surpass last weekend’s undoubted classics have been understandably high.
“I was incredibly lucky to be in the stadium for both those games and I can say two things, one of which is they were probably two of the best rugby games I have ever seen,” Skinstad said. “I thought Ireland against New Zealand couldn’t be topped, and then South Africa and France almost did just that.
“The second thing is that no semifinal is won in the quarterfinal, and I think the Springboks are fully aware of that.”
Skinstad hopes the Boks, who have picked the same match 23 that knocked out the hosts to do duty against England, will not fall into the trap of thinking the Roses will be an easy — or at least easier — target after coming through a match where they had to stop a freight train against Les Bleus.
In the 2019 World Cup in Japan, England stunned the All Blacks to book their spot in the final where they lost to the Siya Kolisi-led Boks. So they are a team always capable of an upset.
The English side that fell at the final hurdle four years ago has gone through some changes. Then they were coached by Eddie Jones, who had a World Cup to forget with Australia this year. They came into this tournament in woeful form, ending their warm-up matches with a historic first loss to Fiji at Twickenham. England have stuck to their process under coach Steve Borthwick, and grown in confidence, winning all five of their World Cup games so far, including revenge against a fiery Fiji in the quarterfinals.
“England haven’t lost yet and they continue to build momentum. They get better each time they play and South Africa will be incredibly wary of them,” Skinstad said. “That semifinal [of the two] in particular will be very difficult to call. I think South Africa will prepare well and I think England will be waiting for them.”
Skinstad feels Argentina, who are looking for their first semifinal win in attempt No 3, will have a mental boost in the knowledge they defeated the All Blacks for only for the second time in history last year. It should be a mismatch but the Pumas, too, are buoyed from the confidence of a strong tournament and an eye-catching build-up to it.
If New Zealand are in that kind of imperious form, it will be difficult for Argentina
— Bob Skinstad
After losing their opening pool game against England, they beat Samoa, Chile and Japan and reserved their best outing for a convincing 29-17 quarterfinal win against then-unbeaten Wales, so the Pumas also have momentum and confidence.
“Not dissimilar to England, Argentina have been able to get through more under the radar than the other teams,” Skinstad said.
“They are now in a situation where they are taking on a team that they recently beat. They are taking on a team that they have started to build belief against. They are taking on a team that has allowed them into the sort of winners’ circle, so they would have much more confidence than they would have in the past.
“I think that adds to the spectacle of that semifinal because New Zealand were just absolutely amazing in that quarterfinal against Ireland. They had 100% carries record, five scrum put-ins and none to Ireland. I haven’t seen those kinds of stats in a match ever — it means they made zero handling errors.
“If New Zealand are in that kind of imperious form, it will be difficult for Argentina — but as we heard from the Argentina coaching staff ... and we know there’s a famous Australian [Argentina coach Michael Cheika] who likes to talk to the media every now and then, who just said they would love the opportunity to take on one of the best teams in the world.
“So it’s mouthwatering stuff in the next round of the World Cup.”
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