Andre Esterhuizen of South Africa runs with the ball while under pressure from Pita Ahki of Tonga during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between South Africa and Tonga at Stade Velodrome on October 1, 2023 in Marseille, France. The Pool stages of RWC 2023 ended with a bang, instead of the usual whimper. Portugal won their first-ever World Cup match with a splendid display against Fiji, which should galvanise World Rugby (WR) into creating a credible competition for Tier 2 nations. With the knockout stages upon us, WR will double down on traditional rivalries and conveniently forget the sometimes-dazzling rugby produced by Tonga, Uruguay, Samoa and Portugal. But the Pumas finished third the last time the World Cup came to France and should never be written off.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 10, 2023 17:15 UTC