Rugby World Cup: South Africa Ends French Dreams in Epic Quarter-final Battle

A Historic Clash at Stade de France

South Africa crushed France’s hopes of a maiden World Cup title in a furious and vintage quarter-final, emerging as 29-28 winners. The contest proved to be one for the ages, beginning as a scintillating display before developing into an intense battle.

Match Highlights

The hosts made a brilliant start with an early try from Cyril Baille, but struggled with high kicks as Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian de Allende scored to give the Springboks a 12-7 lead. The intensity continued with France’s Peato Mauvaka scoring, followed by Cheslin Kolbe’s try, and Baille securing his second try.

The defending champions South Africa secured their semi-final spot after Eben Etzebeth’s powerful try in the 67th minute proved decisive in a match that showcased drama and intensity of the highest order.

French Heartbreak

The defending champions displayed exceptional resilience to eliminate the highly rated French team from their home World Cup, disappointing nearly 80,000 fans at Stade de France. As France flanker Charles Ollivon expressed, ‘For all the support we’ve had, it’s heartbreaking’.

Looking Ahead

The victory sets up a crucial semi-final clash, with the Springboks scheduled to face England on Saturday, while New Zealand will take on Argentina in Friday’s first semi-final. South Africa’s quest continues as they aim to defend their title, having previously claimed championships in 1997, 2007, and 2019.

As Springboks captain Siya Kolisi reflected on their performance: ‘We scrambled a lot, especially when we were short of numbers. We talk about chasing lost causes as a group, we don’t give up until they put the ball down over the try line. If we hadn’t done that, we would be going home tomorrow’.