Springboks' big bet spices powerhouse World Cup final
Springbok fans have elevated Ox Nche to cult hero status following his vital contribution in turning the tide of South Africa's semi-final victory over England. The upcoming 2023 Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and South Africa will take place at Stade de France in Paris on Saturday, 28 October with kick-off at 20:00 BST. For those unable to attend, commentary will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sport website and app will provide text updates.
During the previous Rugby World Cup held in France in 2007, England entered the final stage with an unexpected team anthem.
After a span of sixteen years, the Springboks have made a decision to put all their efforts into the game instead of deciding to quit. It is the Springboks that have taken the call now and not their opponents.
On Thursday morning, when the South African team's selection was announced, the bold decision that caught everyone's attention was not the usual one of changing the half-back partnership.
Rather, the bench was unevenly composed. Willie Le Roux was the sole back among the substitutes, whereas the other end consisted of seven forward players.
Back in 1968, substitutes were initially introduced to rugby as a backup plan for injuries.
Despite the potential for injury, the subs in South Africa were chosen.
There is no backup available for the key positions on the field that hold the most power and influence.
The matchday squad only has Faf de Klerk as the scrum-half and Handre Pollard as the fly-half. If Damian de Allende or Jesse Kriel need to be replaced, there is no one who can carry the ball in the midfield. To add to this, the team is depending on Deon Fourie, a 37-year-old back-rower, to cover the number two shirt, despite him believing he had abandoned his hooking skills a long time ago.
It was quite remarkable when South Africa pulled off a similar feat against Ireland during the preliminary round. It was considered a display of dominance that they could easily do without in a game where they could allow themselves to suffer defeat.
When it comes to the ultimate show in a high-risk competition in today's demolition derby era, being daring to the point of recklessness is necessary.
The dangers are immense. The possibilities of having to use alternative positions such as Cheslin Kolbe taking on the role of scrum-half which he last performed in the Sevens competition, Le Roux or Damian Willemse taking over the fly-half position, or Kwagga Smith having to fill in for the outside backs, are becoming more and more unrealistic.
In case something goes awry, either due to lack of control or physical harm, there could be a greater disturbance. It may not reach the extent of disorder witnessed when Italy assigned flanker Mauro Bergamasco as a scrum-half at Twickenham in 2009, but it would still be adequate for a team as proficient as the All Blacks to take advantage of.
South Africa's head coach, Jacques Nienaber, emphasized that their decision-making process was not a short conversation lasting only ten minutes. Instead, the coaching team took countless hours to reach their conclusion.
However, taking the risk also has the potential to bring about a great reward. South Africa has been attracted by the significant benefits, prompting them to make themselves more open to risk.
Their strong and varied collection of offensive players can exhaust and overpower their opponents towards the end of the game by substituting in fresh players from the bench.
During the current rugby tournament, they have only allowed 15 points and have successfully prevented any tries from Ireland, France, and England in the second half of their games.
New Zealand may possess various offensive strategies, but they might not suffice to overcome the challenging second-half obstacles that consume the opponent's coordination, flow, and drive.
It is believed that in order for New Zealand to have an advantage, they must start the game with a strong lead and score many points, making it difficult for the opposing team to catch up. Eddie Jones referred to these players as 'finishers', indicating that they may struggle to win the game if they are already behind on the scoreboard.
For the past three games, South Africa has allowed their opponents to score the initial points.
During the quarter-final match against France, the team made an impressive accomplishment by quickly seizing three opportunities to score tries in the first half. However, these opportunities were created due to errors made by the hosts, preventing them from becoming overwhelmed by the opposing team.
They were cutting it close in the semi-finals against England, as they had to catch up to a nine-point lead within the last 11 minutes.
New Zealand has shown their dominance in scoring points during the tournament by consistently earning nearly four points each time they enter the opposition's 22m.
If they manage to maintain their success rate during the finale and endure the impact of the Bok bench, they have a chance of winning the fourth World Cup title instead of South Africa.
Jason Ryan, the coach of All Blacks forwards, supported the idea of reducing the attack power of the Springbok's 'Bomb Squad' replacements.
It's impossible to ignore the fireworks. South Africa and New Zealand are two formidable teams that combine precision and power to make this tournament truly spectacular.
The World Cup hasn't been without its flaws. World Rugby's top concern is the excessive schedule, which kicked off in scorching temperatures of 32C and will end in rainy autumn weather. Improvements need to be made.
It has provided an abundance of thrilling and exciting moments.
Out of the six elimination matches that have occurred, five of them have been neck-and-neck with time running out. Prior to this, the group stage provided some awe-inspiring surprises and intense bouts between top competitors.
A perfectly equal, top-rated championship match, infused with unexpected strategies, is an appropriate ending.
