[Sport] Rugby World Cup: the Blues try to digest their elimination and plan ahead

[GlaD1]

Rugby World Cup: the Blues try to digest their elimination and plan ahead
The elimination of the Blues in the quarter-finals abruptly ended their dream. They must now swallow their narrow defeat against the Springboks after a match marked by highly contested refereeing decisions. They will then begin a new cycle with coach Fabien Galthié, confirmed in his role until the next World Cup.

If football France likes to say that it has 67 million selectors, rugby France seems to be teeming with referees. Since the elimination of the Blues by South Africa by a small point (28-29) in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, there is no shortage of more or less informed opinions on social networks regarding the performance from New Zealander Ben O'Keeffe who led the match at the Stade de France. A referee criticized as the victim of harassment from certain Internet users, who do not hesitate to insult him.

During the match, captain Antoine Dupont repeatedly expressed his incomprehension regarding his whistles. And he expressed just after the end of the match against South Africa his doubts about the quality of Ben O'Keeffe's refereeing, which was not, according to him, "up to the level of the challenge", while taking care to point out that this took nothing away from the performance of the South Africans, authors of a “great match” against France.

His frustration is shared by many French supporters and former international players. Everyone plays the video clips of around ten contentious actions over and over again and does not budge from the fact that the referee disadvantaged the Blues and weighed heavily on the outcome of this very close match. They denounce contentious ball scratching, South African players who deliberately slowed down French ball exits or dangerous contacts. And they criticize Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe for not having respected the rule to successfully counter a transformation from Frenchman Thomas Ramos.

https://www.france24.com/fr/sports/20231018-coupe-du-monde-de-rugby-les-bleus-essaient-de-digérer-leur-élimination-et-de-se-projeter