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The Rugby World Cup is at its halfway stage, with 24 games done and dusted.
The top story of the third set of matches was Ireland’s epic 13-8 win over defending champion South Africa to confirm its status as favorite to win the title for the first time. Ireland was heroic in holding off a second-half surge from the Springboks at Stade de France, where the final will be on Oct. 28, and where top-ranked Ireland hopes to return with its army of boisterous green-shirted fans behind it.
It won’t be an easy road back to Paris as Ireland’s pool-stage victory over the Springboks only seems to have set it up for a meeting with another three-time champion in New Zealand as early as the quarterfinals.
Host France still believes it will have a say in where the trophy goes and improved to three wins from three in Pool A by routing Namibia 96-0 in the southern city of Marseille. There were 14 tries from the French, including a hat trick from flying right wing Damian Penaud.
The French victory…
