France may inspire poetic headlines, but the Springboks keep writing the results that matter, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane says the myth of “champagne rugby” masks a reality that’s far less sparkling.
“France is a team I enjoy, but their reputation of being the sport’s running rugby romantics is the most misrepresented,” he writes. “Under Fabien Galthié, they kick more than any among the world’s top eight Test teams. They kick long and back a press defence and attack from transitions.”
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Keohane points out that the Boks have won eight of the last nine against France, including three in a row in Paris – most famously the 29-28 World Cup quarter-final.
“France get the star billing, but the real stars at the Stade de France are the Boks,” he adds.
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For all the romance attached to French rugby, it’s the Springboks’ substance – power, precision and control – that continues to define the modern game’s true champions.
Photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
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France may inspire poetic headlines, but the Springboks keep writing the results that matter, writes @mark_keohane
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