In a nail-biting World Cup quarter-final, South Africa clinched a 29-28 victory against France, securing their place in the semi-finals. Coach Jacques Nienaber acknowledged the intensity of the contest, where the defending champions managed to outscore the French by four tries to three.
Nienaber praised the French team for their performance, acknowledging the expectation of a fierce battle. He commented, “There were two good teams, and fortunately for us, we were on the right side of things.”
The turning point in the match came with a series of early second-half substitutions that neutralized France’s advantage. South Africa capitalized on the opportunity after Eben Etzebeth received a yellow card and was sent to the sin bin. The South African team rallied and turned the tide after France took a 25-19 lead with a penalty in the 54th minute.
Nienaber credited the experience within the South African squad for finding solutions during challenging moments. The replacements off the bench played a crucial role in outmuscling the tiring French side, eventually taking the lead and holding on to extinguish home hopes.
Captain Siya Kolisi commended the impact of the substitutes, emphasizing their significant contribution to the team’s victory. Man-of-the-match Bongi Mbonambi highlighted the collective effort of the team, acknowledging the challenge of playing the host nation on their home turf.
The Springboks now advance to the semi-finals and will face England in Paris on Saturday. Nienaber emphasized the magnitude of the upcoming challenge in the knockout rounds, where small margins can decide the outcome.
Mbonambi cautioned that the defense of the World Cup title is not complete, with two more games to go. South Africa remains focused on their quest for success in the tournament.
