Rugby World Cup 2023: Ireland and France lead the way among European teams – Phil Gifford

OPINION

Phil Gifford runs through seven talking points from the warm-up tests ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Daylight is mid-table

Ireland and France lead the way among the European challengers for the World Cup,
Scotland lie third, then it’s daylight fourth, followed by England and Wales.

After the round of games this weekend, it’s clear that England, well-beaten 29-10 by Ireland in Dublin, feature a grim combination of leaden-footed forwards and boring, kick-happy tactics.

The shambles that Eddie Jones left behind doesn’t appear to have been rectified by new coach Steve Borthwick. To be fair to Borthwick, he’s been forced into a rush repair job. Jones should have been sacked a year earlier.

Red lights flashing

After the flood of bad publicity the Owen Farrell red card affair generated, it almost defies belief that another Englishman, this time No 8 Billy Vunipola, is facing the prospect of a lengthy ban for a shoulder charge (calling it a tackle would be way too kind) to Irish prop Andrew Porter’s head.

It’ll be fascinating to see if the Six Nations disciplinary panel ties itself in the same sort of knots to excuse Vunipola that somehow allowed them to initially let Farrell off scot-free.

The key issue in the Vunipola charge is how he braced his shoulder and didn’t raise his right arm. It would have been an illegal tackle if he’d hit Porter in the chest. That he hit his head surely means a lengthy ban.

Irish eyes should smile

Ireland weren’t perfect. But, as the first-ranked team in world rugby, they showed in Dublin why they deserve to be going to France for the World Cup as favourites.

The good news for their fans, and rugby lovers in general, is that they have the desire, and the ability, to win with tries, not by boring the opposition into a state of torpor and winning with kicks (think South Africa in 2007 and England in 2003).

A 38th-minute try for Irish centre Garry Ringrose in Dublin was a thing of beauty; wing Mack Hansen providing a perfectly weighted kick-pass for Ringrose to run on to. And wing James Lowe’s 54th-minute try was set up with a beautiful, pinpoint, cut-out pass by first-five Ross Byrne.

He’s ready

There were suggestions in South Africa that even if their inspirational captain Siya Kolisi wasn’t fit enough to play, he should still be included in their World Cup squad.

But just four minutes into South Africa’s 52-16 thrashing of Wales in Cardiff, Kolisi, who hasn’t played since a knee injury in April, showed he’s ready to lead the Springboks on the pitch. He fed a beautiful ball to hooker Malcolm Marx, who plunged over for a try. From then on, until he was subbed at halftime, it was as if Kolisi had never been away.

One they’ll miss

When the Boks won their World Cup title in 2019, Handre Pollard kicked six penalty goals and two conversions in their 32-12 victory over England.

Pollard has never been the most dynamic runner, but his goal-kicking prowess is matched by his calm in key games. A calf injury means he won’t be in France, and the harsh reality is that Manie Libbok is not the goal-kicker, or the commanding first-five, that Pollard is.

You write a Springboks team off at your peril, and history shows that a fourth-string kicker, as Stephen Donald was for the All Blacks in 2011, can win the Cup for you.

But despite the power of their forward pack, and as electrifying as wing Cheslin Kolbe is with the ball, the Boks are not quite as formidable without Pollard.

A year too soon?

The scoreline didn’t tell the whole story of the test in Cardiff. The Welsh team have too many raw and inexperienced players to threaten the likes of South Africa.

But there’s promise to burn, and as a prime example, keep an eye on Welsh wing Rio Dyer. It’s just his second year of test rugby, and at 84 kilograms he’s no giant. But his speed is startling, he’s fearless, and he’s much stronger than his sprinter’s physique would suggest.

Appointment viewing

The All Blacks’ test at Twickenham against South Africa on Saturday morning won’t give definitive answers, but after the way the Boks played in Cardiff, it’ll be a fascinating watch.