5 Best Moments of RWC23

This is a list not of the “best” moments per se, and therefore you might feel initially misled, but I think these five instances perfectly encapsulate the World Cup as a whole, for all the reasons we love it. There will be a mix of wholesome, heartwarming, and bittersweet moments that might have flown under the radar but also display why the World Cup is a stage like no other.

5. First to set the scene, following a fantastic series of attack by Portugal, they are rewarded with a penalty. After much deliberation, they decide to kick to the corner. Big decision. Portugal is hunting for their first try this World Cup and is in a prime position to make that a reality. As Mike Tadjer makes his way slowly to the sideline the crowd starts to get louder. Slowly at first but soon the noise starts to swell, and the stadium is coursing with noise. It sounds as if all 60,000 attendees are cheering for Portugal at that moment. Tadjer, a 34-year-old veteran of a thousand games, watches on. He wipes his hands clean, bursting with pride despite being 25 points down. A quick signal, throw, and exquisite piece of deception later that same pride is on open display as Tadjer celebrates Portugal’s first World Cup try in 16 years.

4. Louis Bialle-Biarrey was withheld from the U20 World Cup to join France’s extended training squad prior to the tournament in France. Obviously, an honour to be included along with fellow U20 superstar Emilien Gaillèton it was a long shot making the squad ahead of established older members such as Dumortier. Despite the challenge, Bialle-Biarrey impressed enough in the warm-up games to be selected and when he started against Uruguay in France’s second game of the tournament, he became the youngest Frenchman to ever appear in a World Cup at the age of 20 years and 87 days, beating Ntamack’s previous record by two months. He did so in style too, grabbing a try to secure the game in the final ten minutes. Bialle-Biarrey followed this up with a brace of tries in their rout of Namibia. While it seemed like a long shot, Bialle-Biarrey appears to have forced his way into the first fifteen ahead of Gabin Villiere when he was selected to play in the quarterfinal. It is a true feel-good story and is fantastic to see after his sacrifice of missing out on the U20 World Cup.

3. While I may be slightly biased this simply has to make the list. The Irish team showed their class when they visited the children’s hospital in Tours. As a team they didn’t need to do this, going into the tournament as the number 1 team in the world brings enormous pressure. Especially considering what happened four years ago when that was also the case. It clearly brightened the day of those they visited. I even heard a rumour from the owner of an Irish Pub over in France (so you know it must be true) that Mack Hansen promised to return if he scored a try against Tonga. I bet they enjoyed his second visit even more.

2. Portugal’s win over Fiji was historical, momentous, gargantuan, earth-shattering. Choose any adjective you want, you'd be hard-pressed to find one unused in the time since the famous victory. Portugal has captured the hearts of all the neutrals in this World Cup, taking the mantle Uruguay held as Everyone’s 2nd Favourite Team. They play exciting, running rugby. The kind pundits beg for and fans dream of. They are stout in defense and unforgiving in attack. This team, inspired by those trailblazers in 2007, has rightly sparked the debate for promotion and relegation in European International Rugby once again. They are an unbelievably young team with some superstars already cemented in Portuguese rugby folklore. The likes of Fernandes, Storti, and Martins, mentored by the veteran leadership spine of Tadjer and Marques. A truly unique team in the international rugby scene.

1. Siya. Freaking. Kolisi. An inspiration to a nation and forever an icon of world rugby. Calls for him to run for president were heard all the way from Cape Town to Cape Cod. His leadership, exemplary. His character, flawless, and his love, boundless, Siya Kolisi is quite possibly the greatest leader any country could ask for. His display at the final whistle to run and embrace Cheslin Kolbe was a beautiful microcosm of this leadership. A true all-time great and captain of possibly the best rugby team of all time. It is simple to say that South Africa wouldn’t have won the World Cup without him, but it is harder to articulate why. It is no coincidence that they managed to persevere by the slimmest of margins three times over. Everyone is hungry to win a World Cup for their country, but no one knows true hunger quite like Kolisi, and he was hungrier than them all.