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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every <a href=\"https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2023/?lang=en\">Rugby World Cup</a> has been won by a nation with a strong goal-kicker who can turn pressure into points and it is likely to be the case again in France with the teams who have come through tight contests so far all having one thing in common.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The history of the knockout rounds suggests it will be fine margins that win games, and a kicker operating at 80% plus could be the difference between victory and a bitter defeat.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There have been 14 tries scored in the previous eight World Cup finals, less than two per match, with 73% of the points in those deciding games coming from kicks at poles.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tournament in France has already shown that when two heavyweights collide it is the boot that makes the difference.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more in Daily Maverick:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/springbok-rugby-world-cup-2023-news-results/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rugby World Cup News Hub</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was no more starkly illustrated than in Saturday’s epic in Paris as Ireland beat South Africa 13-8, with the latter throwing away 11 points from the kicking tee. It was not the only reason for the Springboks’ defeat, but a major one.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more in Daily Maverick:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-23-boks-face-low-road-after-ireland-win-a-thriller-in-paris-to-underline-favourites-status/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boks face low road after Ireland win a thriller in Paris to underline favourites status</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France fullback Thomas Ramos proved the match-winner when the hosts </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-09-france-live-up-to-expectations-after-condemning-the-all-blacks-to-another-unwanted-first-at-rwc-2023/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">beat New Zealand 27-13</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the opening game, booting 17 points as the All Blacks’ Richie Mo’unga had a 33% success rate off the tee.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fiji scrumhalf Simione Kuruvoli is not known for his kicking, but landed five from five shots at goal against Australia in the </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-20-fiji-shows-the-way-for-rugbys-underdogs-but-it-is-unlikely-many-others-will-follow/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">historic 22-15 victory for the Pacific Islanders</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1871721\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/GettyImages-1393104505.jpg\" alt=\"Simione Kuruvoli\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Simione Kuruvoli of Fiji, seen here taking aconversion for Fijian Drua. (Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Wallabies scored two tries to one in that match, but it was kicks at poles that took Fiji to the win.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">George Ford landed three drop goals and six penalties to score all of </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-10-revitalised-england-revel-in-another-marseille-moment-as-ford-hits-top-gear/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">England’s points in the 27-10 win over Argentina</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while the boot was on the other foot when the latter beat Samoa 19-10 and wing Emiliano Boffelli, in the side as a specialist kicker, was accurate off the tee and won the game.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think too of the 18-18 draw between Portugal and Georgia that ended all square when both teams missed kickable shots at goal in the final few minutes.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conditions so far in the tournament have been made for kickers with warm weather and the particular balls used.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opta released figures early in the tournament showing each kick out of hand was travelling an average of 33.5 metres, almost three metres further than in the 2023 Six Nations and a full seven-and-a-half metres longer than this year’s Rugby Championship. </span><b>Reuters/DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every <a href=\"https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/2023/?lang=en\">Rugby World Cup</a> has been won by a nation with a strong goal-kicker who can turn pressure into points and it is likely to be the case again in France with the teams who have come through tight contests so far all having one thing in common.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The history of the knockout rounds suggests it will be fine margins that win games, and a kicker operating at 80% plus could be the difference between victory and a bitter defeat.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There have been 14 tries scored in the previous eight World Cup finals, less than two per match, with 73% of the points in those deciding games coming from kicks at poles.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The tournament in France has already shown that when two heavyweights collide it is the boot that makes the difference.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more in Daily Maverick:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/springbok-rugby-world-cup-2023-news-results/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rugby World Cup News Hub</span></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was no more starkly illustrated than in Saturday’s epic in Paris as Ireland beat South Africa 13-8, with the latter throwing away 11 points from the kicking tee. It was not the only reason for the Springboks’ defeat, but a major one.</span>\r\n\r\n<b>Read more in Daily Maverick:</b> <a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-23-boks-face-low-road-after-ireland-win-a-thriller-in-paris-to-underline-favourites-status/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boks face low road after Ireland win a thriller in Paris to underline favourites status</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">France fullback Thomas Ramos proved the match-winner when the hosts </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-09-france-live-up-to-expectations-after-condemning-the-all-blacks-to-another-unwanted-first-at-rwc-2023/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">beat New Zealand 27-13</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the opening game, booting 17 points as the All Blacks’ Richie Mo’unga had a 33% success rate off the tee.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fiji scrumhalf Simione Kuruvoli is not known for his kicking, but landed five from five shots at goal against Australia in the </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-20-fiji-shows-the-way-for-rugbys-underdogs-but-it-is-unlikely-many-others-will-follow/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">historic 22-15 victory for the Pacific Islanders</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1871721\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-1871721\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/GettyImages-1393104505.jpg\" alt=\"Simione Kuruvoli\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" /> <em>Simione Kuruvoli of Fiji, seen here taking aconversion for Fijian Drua. (Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Wallabies scored two tries to one in that match, but it was kicks at poles that took Fiji to the win.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">George Ford landed three drop goals and six penalties to score all of </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-09-10-revitalised-england-revel-in-another-marseille-moment-as-ford-hits-top-gear/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">England’s points in the 27-10 win over Argentina</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, while the boot was on the other foot when the latter beat Samoa 19-10 and wing Emiliano Boffelli, in the side as a specialist kicker, was accurate off the tee and won the game.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think too of the 18-18 draw between Portugal and Georgia that ended all square when both teams missed kickable shots at goal in the final few minutes.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conditions so far in the tournament have been made for kickers with warm weather and the particular balls used.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opta released figures early in the tournament showing each kick out of hand was travelling an average of 33.5 metres, almost three metres further than in the 2023 Six Nations and a full seven-and-a-half metres longer than this year’s Rugby Championship. </span><b>Reuters/DM</b>",
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Simione Kuruvoli of Fiji, seen here taking aconversion for Fijian Drua. (Photo: Kelly Defina/Getty Images)