The Springboks secured a vital bonus point en route to a seven-try 49-18 victory over Tonga in their final pool B Rugby World Cup game in Marseilles on Sunday night, allowing them to put one foot in the quarterfinals with one week left to play.
In one aspect, it was mission accomplished for the Springboks, whose first priority was to win the game and get the bonus point to put them top of the pool going into the final weekend. But with their fixtures now completed, they will have to sit back and wait for the result of the showdown between Scotland and Ireland to find out who tops the pool.
The Boks head pool B on 15 points and have a points differential of 20 better than Scotland, who are on 10 points. Ireland sit on 14 points after their victory over the Boks in Paris last weekend and have a better points differential of five over the Boks.
This basically means that the Scots will have to beat Ireland by 21 points and a bonus point to go past the Springboks on the log and oust them from the World Cup. Given that Ireland have won their last 16 games in a row, this seems a massive task.
✅ Match won
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 1, 2023
✅ Bonus point secured
The Springboks win a physical encounter against Tonga to move top of Pool B at #RWC2023
📺 Stream #RSAvsTGA post-match wrap live now: https://t.co/bDeiretgWP pic.twitter.com/dxA0JwZhGT
The Tonga game presented the Boks with a much tougher physical challenge than they were hoping for, but at least gave redemption in terms of goalkicking.
GOALKICKING WOES GONE
The Springboks kicked all seven conversions - four by Handre Pollard, who looked sharp for a player who had just had 30 minutes of rugby in the preceding five months while Manie Libbok stepped up for three conversions that were struck sweetly to dispel all the angst that has been filtering into Springbok fan conversations over the past week.
While that may have been the highlight of the positives, the Bok defence looked solid even though they conceded three tries for the first time in ages, and more than one try for the first time in a World Cup since their 2019 loss to the All Blacks.
Still, while Tonga were physical and full of fire and brimstone, they lacked the nuanced touch to rattle the Springboks and while they did have their moments, it never seemed as if the defending World Champions were going to be put off their goal of winning with a bonus point.
The biggest positive from the game was that the hooker experiment seemed to pay off, with Deon Fourie a tiger at the breakdown and the introduction in the second half of Marco van Staden - apart from a lost lineout - looked to have been handled without any disruption.
Add to that strong performances from Jesse Kriel - who replaced Makazole Mapimpi early in the game for a head clash, and most of the Bok pack and there was much to be happy about in the Springbok camp.
Mapimpi’s HIA meant he didn’t return to the field and it will be a concern if he is ruled out for a sustained period of time because of it. Post-match analysis suggested Mapimpi may have a fractured cheekbone and if that is the case, it may be that his tournament is over. More information is likely to be shared on Monday at the team’s press conference.
But the Boks know their work is now done and they can sit back and concentrate on a possible quarterfinal while waiting for the result of next weekend’s big match.
BOK DEFENCE SOLID
The Bok defence stood tall in the opening stanza as Tonga started with ferocious intensity and carried the ball into the Bok 22, camping there for the opening 15 minutes.
But all they could come away with for all their fire and bluster was a single penalty, despite putting the Bok defence under some of the biggest pressure they have been under this tournament.
The first time the Boks broke out of their half, they marched upfield and scored. The first try came from a lineout drive that led to a penalty, with Cobus Reinach eyeing an opportunity to break fast from the tap kick and went in untouched in the near corner to get the Boks on the board.
The second was a bit more fortunate, with a Bok attack pass bouncing off Vincent Koch’s shoulder (or so referee Luke Pearce ruled) and into the path of Canan Moodie, who scooped the ball up and ran in to score.
While the solitary replay looked a bit as if Koch may have got a finger to the ball, it was ruled okay and the Boks continued.
But Tonga struck back a few minutes later, thanks to a close-range battering ram run by 150kg Ben Tameifuna, who was one of the most industrious of the Tongan forwards on the night.
Deon Fourie went over at the back of a rolling maul shortly before the halftime whistle to give the Boks their third try.
After the break, the Boks looked to be more direct but struggled with their own attacking play at times, with a hallmark of the match being the chances they didn’t convert - something that has been an issue several times this season.
Nevertheless, Jesse Kriel added the bonus point by powering forward over the line from close range.
Tonga, however, were never going to go away. And some exceptional pick-and-go tactics, combined with sucking the Bok defence in, allowed acres of space out wide for Fine Iinisi to latch onto a halo pass out wide to score.
The Tongans weren’t going to make it easy for the Boks.
But their own mistakes would catch up with them as a knocked-on ball in their own 22 became costly, with the Boks turning the ball over and in a flash sending it wide for Willie le Roux, in his 90th test scooting in at the corner to extend the lead.
Marco van Staden powered over from close range to add his name to the scoresheet before the bounce of the ball went against the Boks as Grant Williams counter-attacked and a wayward offload found a Tongan hand, with Patrick Pellegrini chipping over the defence and grabbing the ball to score.
Kwagga Smith had the last laugh with a late try that gave the Boks breathing room, and a points difference that is likely to be a major talking point ahead of the Ireland-Scotland game.
SCORERS:
SOUTH AFRICA - Tries: Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, Deon Fourie, Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith. Conversions: Handre Pollard (4), Manie Libbok (3).
TONGA - Tries: Ben Tameifuna, Fine Inisi, Patrick Pellegrini. Penalty: William Havili.
