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Irish TV pundit clips up 12 incidents where Boks beasted All Blacks
By Grant Constable
In the aftermath of what was another epic contest in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, there has been plenty said about how the Springboks edged the All Blacks 12-11 at the Stade de France in Paris.
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While New Zealand lost their captain to a red card, they lifted their play and had multiple opportunities to score and even take the win, despite trailing all match.
Some fans and pundits have been quick to focus on referee calls, or even the missed Jordie Barrett penalty, as reasons why New Zealand lost, so it was refreshing to come across the views of former Leinster stalwart and Ireland hooker Bernard Jackman, who has looked at things from a defensive point of view.
He’s perfectly illustrated how South Africa’s well disciplined and well executed defensive strategies are what actually won them the match, putting pressure on New Zealand and in a lot of cases, putting an immediate stop to their attacking efforts.
Led by workhorse flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, who famously made 28 tackles in the final, the Springboks showed that it’s clearly not always attack that wins big matches.
“It was beauty and the beast – the best attacking side that went into the world cup against the best defensive side,” said Jackman on RTE Sport.
“They (the Springboks) pressure everything. They just make you make mistakes through their physical presence, through the speed that they come at you, and it’s phenomenal.
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Jackman takes us through a selection of clips from the final, displaying how the rush defence forced errors from the usually very slick All Blacks side, who a week prior had easily beaten Argentina by forty points.
“The All Blacks had no handling error against Ireland, and they had seven or eight in this game, and it’s not by chance, it’s not down to the weather. It’s down to the pressure.”
Had a chance to breakdown one of the best defensive displays I have ever seen for @RTEsport this week on #againstthehead . Can’t wait to see what Jacques Nienaber does with the Leinster Defence #RWC23Final pic.twitter.com/dzPmRavq96
— Bernard Jackman (@bernardjackman) November 1, 2023
The analysis appears to have been appreciated by both South African and neutral fans alike.
Bernard. Thank you for your unbiased comments and pointing out the obvious. It is a delight to listen to someone like yourself, obviously someone with character and integrity with loads of rugby experience. 🏉
— Marius Coetzer (@MariusinDubai) November 2, 2023
Another great piece mate! Nice to see a pundit highlighting a key area where the game was won and lost, and not talking shite about the referees or something else irrelevant.
— Darren Cave (@darrencave13) November 1, 2023
It’s going to be very interesting to see how quickly Jacques Nienaber’s influence is felt at @leinsterrugby. Toughening up the defence was apparently the main reason for recruiting him.
— Kevin Coughlan (@KevinFCoughlan) November 2, 2023
Latest Comments
The writer here ignores the fact that, following on from not taking the penalty kick, the All Blacks did manage to score a try a few minutes later. Not directly from the penalty awarded, but it is speculation to say that had they opted to take the koi they would have won. Even if they kicked it, which was no guarantee, they would still be trailing and would have had to start again at half-way.
Go to commentsI would be surprised if Sales Opoku Fordjour and Northampton’s Tommy Freeman are not in the team, Anthony Watson is also one that could go on the wing. One thing I must say is that the front 3 will get destroyed against a team like South Africa.
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