Rugby World Cup Semi-Final Preview: Southern Hemisphere teams to come out on top

Wow, what a weekend of rugby that was. 

Saturday night’s titanic Ireland v New Zealand quarter-final was quickly dubbed the best Rugby World Cup Quarter-Final ever. That title lasted all of 24 hours, until the end of the South Africa v France match which not only took that title, but had a first half that is in the conversation to be the best half of rugby ever.

Unfortunately, we have had to say goodbye to the world no.1 side in Ireland, and the hosts in France. Both magnificent rugby teams have fallen short of where they want to be, for France they have been brilliant for three years and with a raucous home crowd behind them they would have had hopes of a final. Ireland’s greatest ever rugby team could still get no further than their predecessors, losing their eighth quarter final - having never won one.

Thanks to the luck of the draw England and Argentina have flown in under the radar, but both arrive at this stage as massive underdogs. England are also the only unbeaten team left in the tournament, but don’t let that stat fool you.

So here we are, at the semi-final stage and we have two one-sided contests.

Argentina v New Zealand

Friday 8pm, ITV1

The All Blacks were at their brilliant best last weekend as they beat the odds to triumph against the world no.1 team in Ireland. The Irish were on a 17-game winning streak, but an epic New Zealand performance stopped them in their tracks. 

The New Zealand rugby team have winning in their DNA, they are three-time winners of this tournament and went back to back in 2011 and 2015. A lot of the players in this squad tasted defeat at the hands of England in 2019 and will be looking for revenge. 

After an opening-night defeat at the hands of France, New Zealand were at their brilliant best and brutally dispatched Uruguay 73-0, Italy 96-7 and Namibia 71-3.

Like New Zealand, Argentina tasted defeat in their first game going down 27-10 to England. They were also 2.94 underdogs for their quarter final against Wales, but a strong second half performance and a 76th minute interception try from Nicolas Sanchez gave the game a deceptively wide scoreline of 17-29. 

Despite this, I can only see this going one way and that is in favour of the All Blacks. They are the overwhelming favourites and for good reason. 

Back New Zealand to win @ 1.09

England v South Africa

Saturday 8pm, ITV1

In a repeat of the final from four years ago, England take on South Africa on Saturday evening. England are massive underdogs at 6.2 to win, could they be fuelled by the painful memories of losing that final?

South Africa were brilliant against France, it was a truly brutal performance which saw them pushed to their limit. The holders are a better team than they were four years ago, they still have the same physical power but they have added some scintillating back play as was evident in their three first half tries against France.

England came into this tournament with very low expectations given their incredibly disappointing performances since Scott Borthwick took the head coach position back in December 2022.

They have grown as the tournament has gone on, their performances against Argentina in their first game and then Fiji in the quarter-final were both good. They are still pretty limited as a team and lack a real creative spark, but they do have plenty of players who have beaten South Africa before either with the British & Irish Lions or with England.

They produced an astonishing performance to dispatch New Zealand in the semi-final four years ago, could they produce the same again? I seriously have my doubts.

Back South Africa to win @ 1.21

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Back both New Zealand and South Africa to win @ 1.29