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Coupe du Monde 2026 : l’Angleterre veut briser sa malédiction face à l’Argentine
À l’approche de sa demi-finale de Coupe du Monde 2026 face à l’Argentine, l’Angleterre se retrouve confrontée à une statistique peu flatteuse. Les Three Lions ont souvent échoué lorsqu’ils ont croisé la route des plus grandes nations du football mondial lors des matches à élimination directe des grandes compétitions. somethingsdifferent.biz
Un obstacle récurrent face aux grandes nations
Malgré plusieurs générations talentueuses et des parcours souvent prometteurs, l’Angleterre peine régulièrement à franchir le dernier palier face aux cadors du football international. Lorsqu’un match couperet l’oppose à une nation majeure, l’histoire a rarement tourné en sa faveur.
Cette tendance nourrit le sentiment que les Three Lions éprouvent davantage de difficultés à s’imposer lorsque le niveau d’exigence atteint son maximum, même si plusieurs exceptions existent au fil de leur histoire.
Des éliminations restées dans les mémoires
Plusieurs revers ont marqué l’histoire récente du football anglais. Lors de l’Euro 1996, organisé à domicile, l’Angleterre avait été éliminée par l’Allemagne en demi-finale à l’issue de la séance de tirs au but.
Lors de la Coupe du Monde 2002, le Brésil de Ronaldo s’était imposé en quart de finale avant de conquérir le titre mondial. Plus récemment, au Qatar en 2022, l’Angleterre avait été éliminée par la France en quart de finale après une rencontre particulièrement disputée.
Ces désillusions ont contribué à forger la réputation d’une sélection souvent performante, mais qui peine encore à faire tomber les plus grandes nations lorsque l’enjeu est maximal.
L’Argentine pour changer l’histoire
Mercredi, les hommes de Gareth Southgate auront l’occasion d’écrire une nouvelle page de leur histoire face à l’Argentine, championne du monde en titre et référence du football international ces dernières années.
Une victoire permettrait non seulement à l’Angleterre d’accéder à une nouvelle finale mondiale, mais aussi d’envoyer un message fort en mettant fin à une longue série de désillusions face aux plus grandes sélections du monde.
Face à l’Albiceleste, les Three Lions joueront donc bien plus qu’une qualification : ils tenteront de prouver qu’ils sont désormais capables de renverser les géants du football dans les rendez-vous qui comptent le plus.
The post Coupe du Monde 2026 : l’Angleterre veut briser sa malédiction face à l’Argentine appeared first on AfricaFootUnited.
Erasmus names four uncapped players in quality team to face Wales
Jaco Williams, Vusi Moyo, Ruben van Heerden, and Carlu Sadie will all make their Test debuts in the Springboks’ third Nations Championship fixture against Wales in Durban on Saturday in a quality team named by national coach Rassie Erasmus.
Erasmus struck a fine balance between naming a strong team, while staying true to his word to give every player in his expanded squad a chance to prove what they could do at the highest level of the game in his match-day squad, which also features Andre Hugo-Venter (hooker), Herschel Jantjies (scrumhalf) on the replacements bench.
Moyo and Williams will both have the honour of making their Test debuts at their home ground for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, alongside the tight forward duo of Van Heerden, who has left the DHL Stormers for France, and Sadie, who plays for Investec Champions Cup champions Bordeaux Begles.
Venter, meanwhile, will earn his second Test cap should he take the field off the replacements bench after making his debut in 2024 against Portugal, while Jantjies last played in the green and gold jersey against Argentina in 2023.
Eben Etzebeth (lock), Franco Mostert (utility forward), Andre Esterhuizen (centre and flanker), Canan Moodie (utility back), Handre Pollard (flyhalf), and Ox Nche (prop) were all unavailable for selection as they continue to recover from injuries.
Moyo will dictate play from flyhalf alongside experienced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, while Williams will form an exciting back three with fellow wing Kurt-Lee Arendse and fullback Aphelele Fassi, with Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel manning the midfield.
In the forward pack, Sadie will pack down in the front row with Gerhard Steenekamp and Malcolm Marx, with Van Heerden and Cobus Wiese steering the engine room, while Paul de Villiers, Pieter-Steph du Toit (who will again lead the team), and Jasper Wiese forming the loose trio combination.
Erasmus opted for five forwards and three backs on the bench, where Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, and Wilco Louw will serve as the replacement front row, and Ben-Jason Dixon and Marco van Staden will provide lock and loose forward cover, respectively.
The three backs on the bench are Jantjies, Manie Libbok (flyhalf), and Damian Willemse (utility back).
“We told the players from the start of the season that if everything played out well, we would give everyone in the squad a chance to play in the competition, and we are excited to see what the uncapped players, as well as those who have not been in the mix for a while, bring to the team,” said Erasmus.
“This squad shows an exciting mix of youth and experience, and while we are under no illusions about the threat Wales poses, we are looking forward to seeing what these players can do.
“Wales put up a good fight in their Six Nations matches against Scotland and Ireland, and they defeated Italy in their final match of the tournament. They also beat Fiji in the Nations Championship before going down against Argentina in a competitive match last week, so they are on the rise and will come out with a point to prove this weekend.”
The Bok coach was thrilled to see the four uncapped players get their opportunity to play and said: “They all played very well for their franchises this season, and have been working extremely hard at training, while waiting patiently for a chance to play, so we are delighted for them.
“Building squad depth has always been one of our pillars since 2018, and to have such an exciting group of players coming through is fantastic as we continue to build our squad for the future.
“We have full faith in their abilities, and I’m sure the senior guys around them will assist in keeping them calm on the field, so they can show the talent that earned them a place in the squad. Hopefully, we can make it a memorable occasion for them and our loyal supporters this weekend.”
Springbok team to face Wales in Durban:
15 Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba) – 16 caps, 35 pts (7t)
14 Jaco Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – uncapped
13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 89 caps, 110 pts (22t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 98 caps, 55 pts (11t)
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars) – 31 caps, 120 pts (24t)
10 Vusi Moyo (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – uncapped
9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 51 caps, 95 pts (19t)
8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 45 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain, Toyota Verblitz) – 97 caps, 70 pts (14t)
6 Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers) – 2 cap, 0 pts
5 Ruben van Heerden (Montpellier) – uncapped
4 Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 pts
3 Carlu Sadie (Bordeaux Begles) – uncapped
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 88 caps, 135 pts (27t)
1 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 10 pts (2t)
Replacements:
16 Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap, 5 pts (1 t)
17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 11 caps, 10 pts (2t)
18 Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers) – 30 caps, 10 pts (2t)
19 Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 9 caps, 10 pts (2t)
20 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 34 caps, 15 pts (3t)
21 Herschel Jantjies (Bayonne) – 24 caps, 25 pts (5t)
22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 29 caps, 145 pts (2t, 48c, 13p)
23 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 51 caps, 76 pts (8t, 9c, 4p, 2dg)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
The post Erasmus names four uncapped players in quality team to face Wales appeared first on SportsClub.
France – Espagne : Aymeric Laporte, le roc qui a transformé la Roja en mur infranchissable avant la demi-finale
À quelques heures de la très attendue demi-finale de la Coupe du monde 2026 entre la France et l’Espagne, un homme concentre toutes les attentions du côté de la Roja : Aymeric Laporte. Le défenseur central est devenu le véritable patron de l’arrière-garde espagnole, au point d’incarner la meilleure défense du tournoi. L’Espagne impressionne depuis […]
L’article France – Espagne : Aymeric Laporte, le roc qui a transformé la Roja en mur infranchissable avant la demi-finale est apparu en premier sur Shoot Africa.
Rookie 10 to call shots for beefed-up Boks
Rassie Erasmus has named four uncapped players in a strong Springbok lineup for the Nations Championship clash against Wales at Kings Park on Saturday.
Right wing Jaco Williams, flyhalf Vusi Moyo, lock Ruben van Heerden and tighthead prop Carlü Sadie have all been handed their first Test starts for the unbeaten Boks’ third fixture of the competition.
Sharks stars Moyo and Williams will make their debuts on home turf, joined in the team by Van Heerden, who has recently left the Stormers for France, and Sadie, who plays for Investec Champions Cup champions Bordeaux Bègles.
ALSO: Dominating De Villiers your Bok MVP
André-Hugo Venter will win his second cap if called off the bench, having debuted against Portugal in 2024, while World Cup winner Herschel Jantjies returns to the green and gold for the first time since facing Argentina in 2023.
Moyo takes the No 10 jersey alongside experienced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, while Williams lines up in an exciting back three with fellow speedster Kurt-Lee Arendse and fullback Aphelele Fassi.
Two-time World Cup winners Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel combine in midfield.
Up front, Sadie packs down alongside Gerhard Steenekamp and Malcolm Marx in the front row, with Van Heerden and Cobus Wiese in the engine room. Paul de Villiers, Jasper Wiese and skipper Pieter-Steph du Toit make up the loose trio.
RASSIE: We got the mix to match Wales threat
Erasmus has gone with five forwards and three backs on the bench. Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wilco Louw provide front-row cover, with Ben-Jason Dixon and Marco van Staden covering lock and loose forward, respectively.
Jantjies, Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse complete the backline options among the replacements.
Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, André Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard and Ox Nché remain unavailable as they continue their recovery from injury.
WIN double tickets to Boks vs Wales!
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Jaco Williams, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (c), 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Carlü Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Bench: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Damian Willemse.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
The post Rookie 10 to call shots for beefed-up Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.