It’s full steam ahead to Yokohama for next weekend’s Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
England and the All Blacks kick things off next Saturday with Wales and South Africa clash 24 hours later.
According to England’s 2003 World Cup-winning scrum-half, Matt Dawson, look no further than the first semi between his homeland and New Zealand to who will be lifting the Webb Ellis silverware on November 2.
And ex-England No. 10 Stuart Barnes says a Wales win over the Springboks would be someth ing of a ‘shock’.
He labels Warren Gatland’s Six Nations winners the ‘best of the rest as opposed to the part of the top table’.
Here’s what the pundits are saying about the Wales v South Africa showdown next Sunday.
MATT DAWSON (BBC SPORT)
Rugby World Cup semi-final week – for a player – is different to all that has come before.
In 2003, the England teamI was part of had just squeaked pastWales, given the most enormous shock in the quarter -finals by those tries from Stephen Jones and Colin Charvis and all the rest that came with it.
Rugby now is even more intense than it was then. For Wales, in particular, the quarter-finals were exhausting, as much emotionally as physically.
Where do Warren Gatland and his backroom team think a Springboks team that ultimately cruised past Japan can be hurt when Wales struggled for so long to put away a France team that have done so little across the past four years?
The winner of the World Cup, for me, comes from that first semi.
I’d least want to be Wales. Have they got enough left in the tank, after how deep they had to go against France, when the Springboks could beat Japan at (%?)
And yet. They’ve been through their nearly moment. Not the best team on the park in their quarter-final but still through.
STUART BARNES ( SKY SPORTS)
They (England) are in great shape for the biggest test of them all …
In quite some contrast,Wales are surviving and not much more.There is no point pretending they were anything but fortunate against France.
Warren Gatland admitted the best side lost. Credit to Wales for hanging in there but on this performance they looked the best of the rest as opposed to the part of the top table.
They need Jonathan Davies back . His guile in attack and especially defense was missed. France ran through holes that usually do not exist when he plays.
I say ‘usually’ but with or without Davies, Wales are leaking tries in the World Cup. Short of hard carrying forwards, there are not sufficient platforms for them to create many tries. They have earned the right to be taken seriously with their sheer will to win and that old know-how but more, much more is needed come the semi-final.
South Africa were not that easy on the eye against Japan. Forced to defend for their lives in the first half, the hosts asked a few questions of them. To the Springboks’ credit they answered them with extremely well-organized defense. Their rearguard shapes up as the best in the competition and defences do have a knack of winning World Cups.
It will be a surprise, perhaps even a shock, if South Africa are not in the final.
BRIAN MOORE (DAILY TELEGRAPH)
Despite what World Rugby’s official rankings say, the world top four teams will contest the World Cup semi-finalsand they should both be satisfyingly tense.
The semi-finalists have distinctly different strengths and which style will triumph can be endlessly debated. Suffice to say, it will be interesting.
Asfor Warren Gatland, you can say that France,again, imploded and made inexplicable decisions at crucial points during their clash, but you cannot question his side’s obduracy. Had the French possessed a modicum of rugby nous, they would have put this game away by 15 points, but they do not.
It must be open to question whether Wales will be given this latitude by a powerful Springbok side and one who have individuals capable of making game-winning plays.
But, would you put your house on them not scrapping their way to their first World Cup final? I would not.
Before they take this historic step, they will have to deal with the Boks’ rush defense and the individual power that the South Africans bring to each
They cannot rely on counter-attacking chances given by poor South African kicking, of which I am sure there will be a limited amount.
For the Springboks, they might bludgeon Wales into submission, but could they do that to England or New Zealand? I doubt that.
It is time for them to enhance their boshing and add to it a bit more ambition.
BEN KAY (THE TIMES)
Wales will be really disappointed with that performance against France but I can tell them from experience that it will not matter come the weekend.
(Whatwill concern Wales was the ease with which Franceopened them up. Les Bleus had one of those games in attack. Their offloading was really good and it will have been a wake-up call for Wales, who missed Jonathan Davies on both sides of the ball.
South Africa were impressive against Japan. They absorbed everything and waited for the Brave Blossoms to punch themselves out before pulling clear to win.
They did all the things you would expect of the Springboks: they ran hard, hit hard and mauled a lot.
If they can make the semi-final an arm wrestle with bursts of electricity with players such as Cheslin Kolbe, they will be very difficult to beat.
The challenge for Wales is to stop them playing like that. Wales will be more comfortable against South Africa than Australia because they have a better record of making life uncomfortable for the Springboks, with their physicality at the breakdown, scrapping for everything, refusing to give up on a ball.
My concern is whether Wales can string together the two big displays they need to win the World Cup. I would lean 60 – 40 to the Springboks for this one and my pre-tournament tip for the title are looking in good shape.
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