Joel Stransky won the World Cup with South Africa in 1995. Photo: Getty Images/Francois Durand
Joel Stransky writes off England's chances as they dethrone world champions South Africa as 'the weakest team in the semi-finals'.
England are the only unbeaten team remaining in the draw and the only Northern Hemisphere country still in the World Cup. after beating Fiji 30-24 to reach the semi-finals on Sunday.
But Stransky, who knows what it takes to win the Webb Ellis Cup, scored the dramatic clinching goal to equalize the 1995 final against New York. He expects England to suffer again at the hands of their countrymen at the Stade de France on Saturday.
“England have proven themselves to be a pretty good competitive team, they do the basics well, but I don't see any areas of the game , which they are really strong at,” Stransky said.
“I don't see one element where they can dominate, they are a decent team, but nothing more. They looked after the ball better against Fiji, but no part of their game sets them apart from other teams.
“They don't excel in any one area. They could have easily lost to Fiji again, but they did enough. They can do the basics, but they lack the skill required to beat a stronger team like South Africa.
England have so far struggled to consistently defeat teams at the World Cup. Photo: Getty Images/Paul Harding
“They like to kick the ball a lot, take over territory and try to make mistakes. But against the best teams in the world, you need something more, and from what I've seen, they don't have it.”
“I expect the Springboks to win comfortably. I think this will be an easier game than the amazing battle with France. In my opinion, England are the weakest team in the semi-finals, and it would be a big surprise for me if South Africa did not meet New Zealand in the final.”
Steve Borthwick’s men matched, if not exceeded, the expectations of many , finishing in the final four, but they will face a monumental challenge to reach their second final in a row when they meet the Springboks on Saturday.
South Africa broke the hearts of hosts France by winning a titanic quarter-final 29-28 in Paris on Sunday night, regaining top spot in the world rankings as they continue to defend the World Cup they won four years ago. decisively defeating England 32–12 in Yokohama.
The hosts once again demonstrated their sheer strength and ruthlessness by defeating current tournament hosts France in a classic match in Paris, and while Stransky believes the Springboks have ridden their luck to stay in the hunt, he expects them to lift their game and challenge England .
“We showed a lot of good things in a sensational game against France, but I think we were a little lucky and got the opportunity to be rewarded for changing some decisions,” said the 56-year-old.
“From South Africa you will always receive strong hearts, courage and a great desire to win the battle.
“The physicality of this team is incredible, they are so strong in the scrum and lineouts. While Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes and Ben Earl are very good players, they will have a much harder time facing a boxing team that prides itself on winning physical fights and pushing you back.
Stransky expects England to struggle with the Springbok's physicality. Photo: Getty Images/Harry Murphy
“There is room for improvement and we have such huge threats to the whole team. Any player can start and make a big impact, and the Bomb Squad are called that for a reason.
“It's not just the strength of the subs, we saw another example of how players those who take the field can influence the game in other ways thanks to their intelligence and ability to manage the game.” However, Stransky does not believe that South Africa's triumph over England in the 2019 final gives them an advantage in this case . weekend.
He said: “I don’t believe in history, it’s a different game with different players. Previous results will not matter to them.”
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