The second day of the Rugby World Cup seemed to be a copy-paste of the first for the two African representatives.
South Africa won, while Namibia lost, big time.Here’s a look back at the two teams’ performances.
Springboks show no mercy against Romania
You’ll have to get up early to get the crown on the South Africans’ heads. Yes, the defending champions are there, and they are defending their rightful place. In their second outing of the Rugby World Cup, the Springboks beat Romania in Group B on Sunday September 17. Final score 76-0. A show of strength against the poor, defenseless Romanians, who were run over from the 1st to the 80th minute. By the end of the match, the Springboks had scored 12 tries and 7 conversions. Cobus Reinach and Makazole Mapimpi each scored a hat-trick. It took the Boks 11’13 to score their first four tries of the game. Quite simply, it was the fastest attacking bonus-point in World Cup history. Perfect copy.
At the break, South Africa had already wrapped up the match with a 33-0 scoreline. An impressive feat, given that coach Jacques Nienaber decided to rotate the team for this match, making 14 changes from the 15 that started against Scotland. A perfect match for the defending champions. This victory is a strong signal to the competition and a date with the Irish. The Shamrock XV, the top-ranked nation in the World Rugby rankings, will be South Africa’s next opponents on Saturday September 23 for the third matchday. Oval ball fans are already licking their lips, as the two teams are considered to be the two big favourites for the competition, along with France.
Namibia crushed
Outclassed, crushed, humiliated…there’s no shortage of superlatives to describe Namibia’s rout of New Zealand on Matchday 2 of the Rugby World Cup 2023 in Group A. The Namibians lost 71-3 on Friday September 15. They suffered 11 tries in the match. No cause for optimism for the Namibians, who are looking for their first World Cup win in their 7th consecutive appearance. Knowing that their next opponents are France, the host country and one of the tournament’s designated favourites, the task looks set to be a complicated one. But then, the history of sport has shown that miracles can happen. Fingers crossed.