[ad_1]
Three-time Rugby World Cup winners South Africa and New Zealand both have the opportunity to claim their fourth title on Saturday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, a suburb just outside Paris. It’s a fated matchup between two long-standing rivals from the Southern Hemisphere, each with different trajectories in the 2023 competition.
Issued on:
4 min
South Africa’s mythologised “bomb squad” will be unleashed once again in their World Cup final against New Zealand on Saturday. The squad, made up of specifically selected replacements, earned its moniker because of its ability to change the game’s trajectory or strengthen the Springboks’ grip on their opponents.
The brains behind the bomb squad, South African Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus, was quick to draw on his secret weapon in the quarter-final match against France. The squad started to take to the field in the 45th minute. It didn’t take long for them to influence the course of the match. Prop forward Ox Nche came on in the 51st minute and played an essential role in the scrums. The situation repeated itself a week later in the semi-final against England.
Eager to assert their physical dominance in the final, the Springboks have swapped in second-rower Jean Kleyn and back-rower Jasper Wiese to their eight replacements. In total, seven forwards will be on the bench, including prop forward Trevor Nyakane, who makes his return to the squad. The one back on the bench, the versatile Willie Le Roux, is capable…
[ad_2]
