Rugby World Cup 2023: Nice entry of RSA in the tournament. They emerge victorious against Scotland
The opening clash of Pool B, widely regarded as the toughest group in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, certainly lived up to expectations on the turf of Marseille’s stadium this Sunday, September 10th.
Defending champions South Africa struggled but managed to secure a hard-fought victory against Scotland, who were still the fifth-ranked team globally and embraced their underdog status in the competition.
Scotland put up a brilliant resistance in the first half before facing a tough challenge at the start of the second half.
They conceded two tries (courtesy of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kurt-Lee Arendse) within just three minutes after halftime.
After two penalties from Manie Libbok, who had some kicking difficulties (two out of five; Faf de Klerk didn’t fare much better) in the first half, Scotland had their first genuine try-scoring opportunity just before the half-hour mark.
Scotland displayed strength and power, notably in the scrum, earning them their first points just before the halftime break (6-3).
The match was marked by Eben Etzebeth’s injury exit, with RG Snyman impressively taking his place.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup continues; South Africa is set to face Romania in Bordeaux on September 17th, while Scotland will have two weeks to prepare for their next encounter against Tonga on September 24th.
Steven K
