The defending champions, South Africa, commenced their Rugby World Cup 2023 campaign with a triumphant start, securing an 18-3 victory against Scotland at Stade de Marseille on Sunday.
During the first half, both teams were evenly matched, with the Springboks holding a slender 6-3 lead courtesy of two successful penalties by Manie Libbok, complemented by one from Scotland’s fly-half, Finn Russell.
Nevertheless, the second half witnessed the sheer pace and strength of South Africa’s game coming to the forefront. Pieter-Steph du Toit bulldozed his way over the try line from close quarters, followed by Kurt-Lee Arendse capitalizing on Libbok’s precision cross-field kick to score in the corner.
Reflecting on his performance, Libbok, awarded the Mastercard Player of the Match, remarked, “I saw the open space on the flanks, knew my plan, and executed it perfectly. I put in a lot of practice on such moves, so it’s satisfying to see them pay off. I’m thrilled that our first game unfolded the way it did.”
Head coach Jacques Nienaber acknowledged that the match was more closely contested than the final score might suggest, stating, “We held a narrow 6-3 lead at halftime despite having some dominance. Scotland is a resilient team, and credit to them for their effort. We had to work hard for this victory.”
At the end of the weekend, South Africa sits in second place in Pool B, trailing Ireland, who defeated Romania the previous day. Scotland now enters their bye week with room for improvement.
“We’re giving everyone a three-day break, a chance to clear their minds of rugby,” explained head coach Gregor Townsend. “Following that, we’ll embark on a ten-day preparation for our upcoming match against Tonga, which promises to be a demanding challenge. We recognize that we need to raise our performance level significantly compared to today.”
Captain Jamie Ritchie concurred, emphasizing, “Under pressure, we couldn’t execute our game plan effectively. We take pride in capitalizing on opportunities, and we must do better in that regard. We need to regroup and remind ourselves that the hard work we’ve put in still holds value; we have plenty left to strive for.”
