Five thoughts ahead of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals

MISTAKE NUMBER ONE

What a mistake to make, quite possibly the worst in the history of the World Cup.

No, it’s not referee Craig Joubert getting a crucial call wrong in the white-hot cauldron that was the thrilling finale of the Scotland-Australia quarter-final, I’m talking about the decision of World Rugby to hang, draw and quarter an official so publicly for making an honest error. What precedent is being set here?

Joubert had a solitary look at an incident that was extremely difficult to rule on. He went with his gut instinct and blew his whistle with a consequence we’re all fully aware of. Even with the help of countless slow-motion replays it was very difficult to work out exactly what had happened. Joubert did not have that luxury, or even the assistance of the TMO.

Turns out he made a mistake. Big deal. This is sport. It happens and would have barely registered if it had occurred in the first minute. But he did himself no favours by sprinting straight off the pitch, though there could well be a good, as yet unexplained, reason for that.

MISTAKE NUMBER TWO

This should actually be mistake number one because this is where it all started. Scotland are holding a precious lead with 77 minutes and 55 seconds gone as they close in on what would be arguably their most famous victory ever. All they have to do is secure their own line-out ball and run down the clock which, in modern rugby, is a situation equivalent to knowing that you’ve got the winning ticket in your hand as the big-prize lottery draw is made.

But then you lose your ticket or, in this case, make the decision in greasy, slippery conditions to ignore the banker bet of a ball to the front and go for a more risky long throw, which you stuff up with fatal consequences.

Do you blame the person who made the lineout call? The thrower? The intended recipient? The lifters? No, no, no and no. This is sport, these things happen.

LE SHAME

Hats off to New Zealand, they were absolutely fantastic in their quarter-final victory over France, who were ruthlessly dispatched and almost embarrassingly outclassed in every single area of the game. Quite where this leaves Les Bleus is anyone’s guess, but it’s clearly a long way from where they want to be and where rugby needs them.

Jean-Pierre Rives, Serge Blanco, Patrice Lagisquet, Philippe Sella — it’s possible to name dozens of other French players who, over the years, have made hearts beat a little faster with their skills and daring, and enriched the sport with their passion and flair.

There are massive issues off the pitch — take your pick from their professional club system, the dominance of foreign stars and a crammed fixtures schedule — which new coach Guy Noves has no control over.

But can we hope that the man who guided Toulouse to ten national titles and four European Cups will now at least ask France to play like a French team we can recognise?

SUPER MARIO

There’s a delicious sideshow to Sunday’s mouth watering semi-final between Australia and Argentina involving Mario Ledesma. A hooker who won 84 caps and appeared in four World Cups for the Pumas is now the scrummaging supremo for the Wallabies, whose maligned set-piece work went up several gears in the group stages of the competition but spluttered against Scotland.

Super Mario now has a key role in ensuring that Australia gain at least parity in an area Argentina have long been famed for. Their scrum remains extremely formidable, but the Pumas these days pose threats across the entire pitch thanks to their appreciation of space and an ability to exploit it in such thrilling style.

Ireland were blown away by the South Americans last weekend long before the final whistle and, while this last-four clash appears set to be much closer, many neutrals will surely be cheering on the underdogs wearing pale blue and white.

LAST ONE

They are impressive enough alright, but South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer is surely stretching things a bit when he describes this current New Zealand side as “the best team that has ever played the game.”

Comparisons are, of course, futile, particularly in a sport that is so dramatically different today compared to even ten years ago, but it’s a sign of the respect between arguably rugby’s greatest rivals that Meyer was comfortable lavishing praise on opponents he is plotting to defeat in Saturday’s semi-final.

I’m sure he was sincere, and why wouldn’t he be as New Zealand have defeated South Africa in ten of their last 12 meetings?

But at a stroke the wily Meyer has taken all the pressure and any expectation off his own side and heaped it on the holders, who couldn’t possibly slip up now, could they?

— The writer is a freelance journalist and rugby expert