Almost a month after the dramatic nail-biting final at the Stade de France in Paris, it is time to look back and review the 2023 edition of the Rugby World Cup. From the thrilling opener, where France blitzed the All Blacks 27-13 (New Zealand’s first ever loss in a Rugby World Cup Pool Stage), to South Africa’s hattrick of one-point victories, the entertainment never stopped. Whether it be Handré Pollard’s 77th minute match-winning penalty kick or Portugal’s victory over Fiji where they claimed their first ever World Cup win, each match had its moments of pure rugby beauty. Yet despite all of this, fans have complained, claiming that matches have been boring, or that the officiating and the TMO have been poor. Some have gone so far as to say that eventual champions South Africa bribed the referees so that they won their matches. As a British-South African however, I can strongly state that the country doesn’t have the money to bribe the officials.
What disappoints me most about this is the inability to celebrate such a brilliant tournament. There was so much to be celebrated, but instead, the rugby community has turned cynical. Why should a team winning by one point be lamented when they earned their place by clinching the victories with grit and determination? Why should the TMO be removed when it made correct calls and provided the ability to ensure that the games stayed safe and fair? Fans need to step back and realise why the World Cup was so great. Everything was on a knife-edge, and everything came down to the wire, pulling on fans’ heartstrings.
Ireland fought for 38 phases in a desperate, tired offence in order to break through the All Black’s lines, but the much-needed try never came. 24-28, another defeat in a quarter final for the boys of the Emerald Isle. The Ireland vs New Zealand quarter final was an instant classic, with many claiming it to be one of the best ever. Yet, the World Cup provided somehow an even better match when the hosts France battled South Africa, with two halves of completely different rugby. Six tries in the first, only one in the second, with Kwagga Smith making the crucial, match-winning turnover in a far more defensive, but equally as entertaining second half. The four aforementioned teams all deserved a semifinal spot, but only the two old enemies made it through, and they thoroughly deserved it. The same would’ve been said if Les Bleus and the Irish had won their respective matches, however it was not to be, and the French nation had to once again host a World Cup Final without their beloved home side. Argentina managed to stun Wales, turning a 10-0 deficit into a 17-29 victory, with brilliant defence from Matias Moroni to stop Louis Rees Zammit from scoring in the corner managing to turn the tide of the game. England proved doubters wrong by defeating fan-favourites Fiji 30-24, with Ben Earl having a stunning match and Owen Farrell capitalising on the Fijians’ ill-discipline by scoring five penalty kicks.
The semifinals were polar opposites, with New Zealand decimating Argentia, and England and the Springboks fighting to the very end. Argentina have lost form compared to last year, where they actually defeated the All Blacks 25-18 in New Zealand. With this loss, combined with a massive resurgence from the New Zealanders, it led to Los Pumas losing 6-44 in a brutal slaughter. On the contrary, England, who had been written off before the World Cup started, managed to lead 12-6 at half time against the Springboks, and seemed to be on the verge of making a second consecutive final. However, after Manie Libbok was replaced by HandréPollard, the tide started to turn, and the Boks managed to scrape their way into the final thanks to the 77th minute scrum penalty.
The final was one of glory and desperation, with the Springboks failing to score any points in the second half (partially due to Ardie Savea’s brilliant charge down of Pollard’s drop goal attempt), and New Zealand fighting back, overcoming the challenge of being down to 14 men thanks to Sam Cane’s red card. New Zealand performed their very best, and often do when down to 14, a total opposite to the side that had conceded its worst ever loss (35-7) in its history against the Old Enemy at Twickenham just eight weeks previously. Despite having 60% possession, the All Blacks only scored once, coming from Beauden Barrett, his second try in a Rugby World Cup final after scoring one in the 2015 edition, and as a result of this, the Springboks made an astounding 209 tackles. Twenty-eight of these came from Pieter Steph Du Toit, who won player of the match for his incredible performance, as well as a further twenty-one tackles from Deon Fourie, the oldest ever Springbok debutant (having made his debut aged 35 and 9 months in 2022), providing a warrior-like defence until the final minute. Both sides could have won the William Webb Ellis Cup, but after a missed conversion from Mo’unga, and a missed penalty from Jordie Barrett, it was Jacque Nienaber’s men in green and gold that took the trophy for the second time in a row (the second team to do so behind New Zealand in 2011 and 2015), and a record fourth time.
Overall, from the excellent Pool Stages to the dramatically close knockout matches, the 2023 Rugby World Cup has been one of the best possible adverts for rugby. However, copyright censorship by World Rugby (the sport’s governing body), and mishandling by French organisers put a slight dampening on the spectacle. Having been fortunate enough to attend South Africa vs Scotland, I saw the stadium run out of beer before the end of the first half, at the time a serious matter for many fans. But looking back, it’s possible to see the funny side, another great moment of what has been one of the greatest Rugby World Cups.
Without a doubt, RWC 2023 has been memorable and entertaining, and the spirit of rugby shone through the tournament. There was no boring moment throughout, and all in all, rugby was certainly the victor.