Rugby World Cup 2023, Australia-Portugal and South Africa-Tonga

Victories as predicted, but with a completely different character, achieved today by South Africa and Australia at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. The reigning world champion Springboks beat Tonga 49-18 in Marseille in their final game of the first phase, finishing Pool B with 15 points and securing qualification for the quarter-finals, currently +1 ahead of Ireland, who will win in the final game against Scotland challenge (Saturday 7th in Saint-Denis), still in the race with 10. The most terrible version in the history of the Wallabies at the World Cup instead beat Portugal with a difficulty of 34-14 in Saint-Etienne and rose to 11th place. currently in second place in Group C: but considering that Wales (14) and Fiji (10) still have the comfortable games against Georgia (Saturday 7th in Nantes) and Portugal (Sunday 8th in Toulouse), These are less than unforeseeable disasters for the team of coach Eddie Jones (who despite everything has not yet resigned and would actually like a contract until 2027) the tournament ends today.

MARSEILLE

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William Havili gives Tonga the lead from a free kick in the 3rd minute, but two minutes go by and Cobus Reinach quickly takes a free kick alone a few meters from goal, the Tongans turn around and think about touching the ball, and so finds the scrum half His path is wide open to the flag. Canan Moodie’s lucky goal in the 21st minute: Handre Pollard shoots into the face of prop Vincent Koch, who hits him with the shoulder and invents an involuntary pass over the Tongan line into the middle, which catches it and flies under the post. The third goal in the 32nd minute was signed by hooker Deon Fourie to complete the stick’s work from five yards out. Before the break, however, it was Ben Taimefina who found the opportunity to break through after a scrum on the goal line and made the final score 8:21 leading into the break. The bonus was signed in the 49th minute by Jesse Kriel, who completed the strikers’ tiring pick-and-gos from close range (he converted Pollard), in the 54th minute Fini Inisi responded, thanks to Havili’s beautiful pass on the right The corner flag was freed, but the Springboks extended the lead in the 58th minute through Willie le Roux at the flag after Patrick Pellegrini lost the ball and in the 64th minute through Marco van Staden, who was just a step away after the full-back’s assist the line had to stretch out his arm. Pellegrini’s effort, sprinting from a lucky rebound, lifts Tonga’s morale a little, but as time expires it is Kwagga Smith who smashes under the post again after a final strenuous South African attack. The South African tries were all converted, by Pollard (4/4) and Manie Libbok (3/3).

SAINT ETIENNE

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After Ben Donaldson’s save in the 4th minute, the Portuguese embarrassed the Wallabies for a good ten minutes and crowned their dominance with a beautiful jump from Pedro Bettencourt to the flag (Samuel Marqeus converted). However, the center receives a yellow card shortly afterwards for a high tackle and Australia turns in superiority with tries from Richie Arnold, a break and offload from Rob Valetini, from Dave Porecki, the completion of the maul’s work and with the breakthrough from close range Angus Bell, all transformed by Donaldson. Fraser McRight’s try at the start of the second half, after a feint and an assist from Mark Nawaqanitawase, is worth the bonus, but the Portuguese are not demoralized, on the contrary, they are initially unlucky because hooker Mike Tadjer’s attempt narrowly misses (who drops the ball for a moment before crushing it), and then when they have two more men for the yellows: Matt Faessler and Samu Kerevi (the one from the middle, with a high elbow aimed at the opponent’s face , would clearly do that). (They get a red card, but for some reason they forgive him the TMO.) They score the well-deserved goal in the 70th minute through Rafael Simoes from the third row, who gathers at the foot of the scrum and breaks through (Marques converts). However, with the numbers level, Australia find their fifth try with Marika Koroibete, who, from the third row rather than as a winger, collects a ball in the backcourt and smashes it to the left flag.