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Date: 2023-11-30 17:59:13 | Author: Online Bingo | Views: 809 | Tag: dota
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“We are the bomb squad and we knew we had to play a massive role dota
” If South Africa’s narrow win over England in the Rugby World Cup semi-final could be summed up in one sentence, then this proclamation from Vincent Koch after the game would probably be it dota
When Koch emerged from the replacements on 55 minutes to take the place of starting tighthead prop Frans Malherbe, Owen Farrell had just slotted a drop goal from downtown Paris to give England a 15-6 lead dota
Nine points may not seem a lot but, with the final quarter of the match beckoning and the rain and wind increasing at the Stade de France, it was a comparatively huge deficit dota
Throughout the first few minutes of the second half, the Springboks had more or less emptied their bench as Ox Nche, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Deon Fourie, Faf de Klerk and Willie Le Roux all entered the fray to go alongside the controversial 30th-minute substitution of starting fly half Manie Libbok for Handre Pollard dota
With their World Cup title defence hanging by a thread, South Africa trusted their bench and got their reward dota
Koch and Nche splintered the previously effective English scrum, Snyman burrowed his way across the line for the game’s only try and Pollard nervelessly converted tricky kicks to complete the hardest-fought of turnarounds – 10 unanswered points, a 16-15 win and a date with the All Blacks in another World Cup final next Saturday dota
Of the various phrases rugby has adopted over the years to describe those players in the matchday squad but not in the starting line-up – from the traditional “replacements” and the dota football-ised “substitutes” through to the Eddie Jones-preferred ‘finishers’, the slightly patronising “impact players” and the frankly ludicrous “game-changers” adopted by Harlequins during the Paul Gustard era – none has captured the imagination quite like South Africa’s “bomb squad” dota
It doesn’t matter if you think it’s a slightly self-serving and faintly ridiculous term, the players fully buy into the ethos of what it stands for dota
The intensity and physicality that generation after generation of Springbok has prided themselves on is summed up by this two-word mantra dota
“Each person knows exactly his role in the team, whether you’re starting or in the bomb squad,” explained Koch dota
“When we created the bomb squad, we knew exactly what our job is dota
The starters start the whole process and it’s for us to come and finish it dota
“All the players on the bomb squad are very excited to make a massive difference in the game dota
”Vincent Koch celebrated RG Snyman’s try as the bomb squad thrived (AFP via Getty Images)And against England, when the chips were down, they realised they needed to step up more than ever dota
“The bomb squad always stands for energy,” added Koch dota
“We needed to create a nice vibe dota
Putting the replacements on a bit earlier helped the boys to start to bring that energy and lift up the spirit and bring a massive work-rate dota
”Where South Africa’s replacements thrived, perhaps England’s faltered just a touch dota
The English gameplan, devised by Steve Borthwick and perfectly executed by the players for the windy and rainy Parisian conditions, relied upon relentless kicking, winning the subsequent aerial battle, slowing the game down and dominating the set-piece dota
Maybe then, they could escape with a win against an objectively superior team dota
They kicked 93 per cent of possession away (the highest percentage of the tournament), had an average ruck speed of 6 dota
73s (the slowest of the tournament) and had zero linebreaks (the only team to do so in a game at this tournament) dota
They disrupted South African lineouts, turned over multiple mauls and Borthwick’s decision to play his two strongest scrummaging props – Dan Cole and Joe Marler – from the start earned them scrum parity and redemption from the disaster in that facet during the 2019 World Cup final dota
Ox Nche was immense from the bench against the Springboks (EPA)This is a Springboks side that pride themselves on their dominance up front, as shown by opting for a scrum after calling a mark in their own 22 during the quarter-final victory over France dota
Of course, they won a penalty from it dota
Yet England were holding their own during those engagements, even thriving, and most importantly winning on the scoreboard dota
But the innate problem with starting your best scrummagers came to fruition in the second half dota
Replacement props Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler are far more dynamic around the park and more destructive carriers than their veteran counterparts but, with England showing no desire to run any plays more than two metres either side of the previous breakdown, those skills were negated once they came on for Marler and Cole dota
Instead, their inferior scrummaging was brutally exposed by a fired-up Koch and Nche, who turned parity into Springbok dominance dota
They won two scrums against the head, including a vital one at 15-6 down on their own line, and engineered multiple penalties on their own feed, including the most vital of all – on halfway, with 77 minutes on the clock and England leading 15-13 dota
Pollard banged over the long kick and the rest was history dota
Handre Pollard broke English hearts with his late penalty (PA Wire)Nche was coy when asked in the mixed zone after the game what had made the difference at scrum-time in the final quarter and how he bested his opposite number, Sinckler dota
“That is the dark arts,” he smiled dota
“It is hard to explain to you dota
We had a plan for that dota
We knew what we were trying to achieve dota
“They have had a great scrum for the competition and a great hit dota
Our focus was surviving that and applying pressure dota
Our mentality for every scrum is to get a penalty if we can dota
If they do survive, we play out the back and get into our shape dota
”The “dark arts” ultimately won the day, South Africa survived a second straight one-point knockout match and must now plan how to overcome the All Blacks in a battle to be the first side to win four men’s Rugby World Cups dota
Luckily, they have a not-so-secret weapon dota
“We are the bomb squad dota
” More aboutSouth Africa rugbyEngland RugbyRugby World CupJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4How South Africa’s not-so-secret weapon turned World Cup semi-finalHow South Africa’s not-so-secret weapon turned World Cup semi-finalVincent Koch celebrated RG Snyman’s try as the bomb squad thrived AFP via Getty ImagesHow South Africa’s not-so-secret weapon turned World Cup semi-finalOx Nche was immense from the bench against the Springboks EPAHow South Africa’s not-so-secret weapon turned World Cup semi-finalHandre Pollard broke English hearts with his late penalty PA WireHow South Africa’s not-so-secret weapon turned World Cup semi-finalSouth Africa’s replacements shone to overcome England Reuters✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today dota
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truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply dota
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Luciano Spalletti was supposed to be on his Tuscan farm now dota
Arguably, though, he should still be at Napoli, managing what had looked like Europe’s most unexpectedly entertaining side dota
Instead, he will be at Wembley on Tuesday, in charge of Italy, his appointment a consequence of a combination of factors from the personal to the political, the dota footballing to the financial dota
Or, in a different way, of two emails dota
One, triggering the extension in his Napoli contract without a pay rise, stemmed from club president Aurelio De Laurentiis, and instead prompted his resignation dota
A need for a sabbatical on his farm the cited reason; a breakdown in relationships more of a cause dota
The other, from Roberto Mancini’s camp a few months later, was his sudden resignation as Italy manager, the first to lead the Azzurri to a major title since Enzo Bearzot, trading the patriotism of leading his country for a reported £20m a year to take charge of Saudi Arabia instead dota
And so it will be Spalletti in England, his presence a product of the enduring pulling power of the Azzurri job dota
While elite club coaches often eschew the international game, three of the last four incumbents, including Antonio Conte, are Scudetto winners, whereas no England manager has won the Premier League or the old Division 1 since Don Revie dota
It comes after the greatest feat of a career in the dugout that dates back three decades dota
Spalletti became only the third manager to secure Napoli the Serie A title, and the first to do so without the benefit of Diego Maradona’s genius dota
The title was clinched in May: the dota footballing high came last autumn, amid a run of 13 consecutive wins in all competitions dota
There were 20 goals in the Champions League group stage: the 4-1 evisceration of Liverpool was, despite Manchester City’s spring demolitions of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, arguably the finest performance in the competition all season dota
Rewind a year and Napoli were arguably the best side in world dota football at the time dota
Which few predicted after the departures of Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Koulibaly dota
If there was magic in Spalletti’s attacking side, there was also the element of the unknown, in the revelation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia dota
What it was not, however, was a particularly Italian team: only three of the 14 players with the most appearances are even eligible for the Azzurri dota
Spalletti may name two of his former charges in his starting XI at Wembley, but while Giovanni Di Lorenzo captained Napoli, Giacomo Raspadori was only the understudy to the prolific Victor Osimhen dota
If Spalletti’s alchemy is illustrated by Napoli’s struggles under his successor Rudi Garcia – beaten three times already at home this season, they have lost to each of the best sides they have faced – it may be required by Italy dota
His inheritance is mixed dota
“Once we have played [England], then I will tell you what the potential is,” Spalletti said after Saturday’s 4-0 win over Malta dota
Spalletti applauds Italian fans after September’s win over Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying (AP)It is little more than a year since Italy were on a record run of 37 games unbeaten dota
It is only 28 months since the Azzurri won Euro 2020 at Wembley; in a rematch with England, perhaps only Gianluigi Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo and Nicolo Barella will start both games dota
Before England’s March win in Naples, Mancini lamented the Italian talent pool dota
“We are worse off than Southgate,” he said dota
It was a sign of the negativity enveloping him, an indication of the disenchantment that may have propelled him to the desert dota
He gave 57 players their debuts, casting around with ingenuity and impatience dota
He looked to the Oriundi, seeking to naturalise some from the Italian diaspora dota
Spalletti has dropped the Argentina-born forward Mateo Retegui; he has also omitted some of the stalwarts of the recent past, in Leonardo Bonucci, Marco Verratti and Jorginho, while recalling Giacomo Bonaventura who, at 34, is older than his fellow midfielders dota
He has five of Internazionale’s Champions League final starters and has given a debut to Tottenham’s in-form left-back Destiny Udogie dota
In other respects, however, it could be seen as an undistinguished squad, certainly compared to Italy’s past dota
Lose and, if Ukraine beat Malta, Italy will find themselves three points behind their rivals for second spot, with a game in hand but a de facto decider when they face Ukraine in Leverkusen in November dota
It could mean Italy miss three of four major tournaments after Euro 2016; the added curiosity being that they won the other one dota
In part, it reflects the tragedy of Mancini; unused as a hugely gifted forward in the 1990 World Cup, omitted in 1994 after falling out with Arrigo Sacchi, he had declared his ambition was to win the World Cup as Italy manager dota
Instead, they failed to qualify for the 2022 tournament; if he is at the 2026 version, it will be as the richly rewarded Saudi Arabia manager dota
There will be no Euro 2024 for him; there may be for Spalletti dota
A wizened, gnomic figure is scarcely the stereotype of an Italian manager: more attack-minded, more idealistic, for years the architect of sides who were stylish nearly men dota
But then so, too, were an Azzurri side who influenced him in his upbringing dota
At his unveiling, Spalletti said he would carry the giant Italy flag his mother sewed for him as an 11-year-old to celebrate the 1970 World Cup semi-final win against West Germany dota
It was an epic 4-3 dota
More than half a century later, Spalletti has no Gigi Riva, Gianni Rivera or Sandro Mazzola, nor an Osimhen or a Kvaratskhelia, no world-class forward dota
But, for the second time in two seasons, he has the chance to use his principles and his capacity to generate something spectacular from seemingly unpromising ingredients to make history dota
More aboutLuciano SpallettiRoberto ManciniItaly dota FootballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Can Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy? Can Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy?Spalletti applauds Italian fans after September’s win over Ukraine in Euro 2024 qualifying APCan Luciano Spalletti remake his Napoli recipe in charge of Italy?A wizened, gnomic figure, Spalletti is scarcely the stereotype of an Italian managerReuters ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today dota
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored Features Get in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsdota BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery Act Thank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy dota
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply dota
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