South Africa have pipped England to advance to the final of the Rugby World Cup, where they'll face New Zealand's powerful All Blacks. I notice England fans are criticising the New Zealand referee, and claiming their side was better.
That's not how I saw the match. England lacked creativity and relied on their defense while on attack they were kicking all the time. Their defense held well, but they ended up giving away possession, so while they often held field position, they were unable to capitalise on it.
South Africa were clearly the better team, but they were their own worst enemy at times. When in possession they'd often cough the ball up, giving England the ball. Thus, when you look at the game stats, you'll see England had more possession, but South Africa made the clean breaks, and beat defenders.
Crucially, South Africa scored the only try. This came after they brought on replacements which actually improved their team performance. They got better with replacements, while England got worse with theirs.
Another factor must be fatigue. It has been a long tournament with many days between games. South Africa have had tougher games, while England have had an easier run. South Africa looked tired.
Will this matter in the final? New Zealand have an extra day's rest, and their semi-final was a stroll in the park. They should be fresher and have had the advantage of seeing what South Africa bring. Clearly, the final will be a tough encounter, but NZ must go in as favorites given they don't appear so tired.
South Africa 16 v England 15
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