FRANCE expect a brutal clash with South Africa in their World Cup quarter-final, but strategy will probably play a more important part at the Stade de France. Both teams know that sheer power will not be enough to win them a place in the semi-finals, which start on Sunday.
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber was surprised when he selected a lighter, more mobile version of the team that started the tournament to face France. He retained the side’s core that beat Tonga but added winger Cobus Reinach and No. 8 Duane Vermeulen to replace Jasper Wiese and the injured Cobus Louw and chose a more traditional 5-3 split of forwards to-backs.
But the main change is the inclusion of Antoine Dupont at scrumhalf for the first time since his fractured cheekbone kept him out of the final defeat to Ireland. The Springboks’ backline is packed with experience, with all eight starters in the XV having played in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
As is usual for the two sides, most of the selection talk will revolve around the big players in the front row, with France captain Fabien Pelous promising that “we won’t hide from a physical battle.” But that battle could be won or lost in the backline, where a couple of tactical tweaks might make the difference.
The key to the game will be the breakdown. Defending champions South Africa have built their success on a robust and skillful pack, but the loss to Ireland showed they are vulnerable when their opponents get a grip on the breakdown. Against the Irish, Siya Kolisi, Pieter Steph-du Toit, and Jasper Wiese were pushed off the ball at the breakdown, while Antoine du Pret and Faf de Klerk struggled to get their weight into the contest.
Both coaches have opted for more than the average six-man bench in an attempt to counter the other’s strength, with the French selecting Pierre Bourgarit, Reda Wardi, Dorian Aldegheri, Romain Taofifenua, François Cros, and Sekou Macalou on the bench. Maxime Lucu and Yoram Moefana also come into the squad.
For the first time, the French are playing a match against a top-ranked team they have not previously faced. And that makes the game even more intriguing. Despite losing to New Zealand in the group stage, Les Bleus are in a much better position than they would have been without the bonus point wins against Tonga and Scotland that enabled them to finish second in Pool A and qualify for the quarter-finals. But, as the French coach Fabien Galthie says, they are still a long way from winning a third World Cup, which will take a lot of work against the defending champions. They will need to be at their best. They must also be tactically astute to avoid repeating the mistakes that cost them dear in their 13-8 defeat to Ireland.