Can Springboks mirror 2019 World Cup run?

The Springboks have a great chance of mirroring their 2019 World Cup run if they can get past hosts France in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash at the Stade de France on Sunday night.

This year’s World Cup has already seen a number of parallels with the previous showpiece event in Japan, however they face a much sterner test in the quarter-finals this time round than they did four years ago.

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At the 2019 event the Boks finished the pool stage second in their group after losing against the number one ranked All Blacks.

This set them up with a quarter-final clash against hosts Japan, who had stunned Ireland and Scotland to surprisingly finish top of their pool.

As it would turn out the hosts were no match for the Boks who clinched a comfortable 26-3 win, with them going on to edge Wales in their semifinal and thump England in the final to lift their third World Cup trophy.

So far in France the Boks have followed a very similar path with them finishing second in their pool after losing to the number one ranked Ireland.

This has set them on a collision course with the World Cup hosts again in the quarter-finals, however this time it is a much stiffer challenge against the current number two ranked team in the world.

French crowds

The French crowds are also famous for their vocal support for their team, as witnessed when the two sides clashed in Marseille late last year, and an even more ferocious atmosphere should be expected in Saint-Denis on Sunday.

If last year’s clash is anything to go by it should be an incredibly close match-up that could go either way, as the hosts emerged with a tight 30-26 win after the visitors had to play most of the game with 14-men after the first half red card to Pieter-Steph du Toit.

The Boks and France have not faced each other many times over the past few years, with their last game against them before last year’s clash being in 2018.

But the Boks have found considerable success in their last three visits to the Stade de France, winning 29-26 in 2018, 18-17 in 2017 and 19-10 in 2013.

That however shouldn’t count for much this weekend and in the end it could come down to the bounce of the ball that decides the match.