South Africa secured their fourth Rugby World Cup title with a remarkable defensive display, narrowly defeating a 14-man New Zealand team 12-11 in an intense and closely-fought final at Stade de France. This marked their fourth victory in eight attempts at claiming the Webb Ellis Cup.
Notably, this final saw a departure from previous World Cup finals, as an increased focus on preventing foul play resulted in four yellow cards being issued during the game. The All Blacks’ captain, Sam Cane, became the first player to receive a red card in a title-deciding match, following a review of his actions just before halftime.
Sam Cane expressed his disappointment about his dismissal and praised his team for their incredible courage in playing with 14 men for most of the game, referring to them as “absolute warriors.”
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the All Blacks stuck to their ball-running strategy and managed to score the only try of the match, courtesy of Beauden Barrett, narrowing the gap on the scoreboard just before the one-hour mark.
Nevertheless, the Springboks held their ground under immense pressure in the final quarter. Handre Pollard’s four first-half penalties turned out to be enough to retain the title they had won four years earlier in Japan.
A jubilant South African captain, Siya Kolisi, commended the All Blacks for putting up a fierce fight and pushing his team to their limits, especially considering they had been a player down early in the game.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster expressed his heartbreak at the loss, acknowledging that the red card put his team at a significant disadvantage. He was proud of his team’s resilience and momentum in the second half, acknowledging South Africa’s strength and deserving victory.
The game featured early yellow cards, with Shannon Frizell being the first to receive one for a clearout that led to an injury for Springboks hooker Bongi Mbonambi. Pollard kicked penalties, and New Zealand anxiously awaited a potential red card for Frizell, which did not materialize. Despite Richie Mo’unga kicking a penalty for New Zealand, Pollard’s accurate boot ensured South Africa had a 9-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
New Zealand found themselves down to 14 players again before the half-hour mark when Cane collided with Jesse Kriel, leading to his red card. Pollard added another penalty, and although Mo’unga responded with a penalty for New Zealand, the Springboks led 12-6 at halftime with an extra man on the field.
Historically, no team had come from behind at halftime to win a World Cup final, and South Africa came out strongly in the second half, keen to capitalize on their advantage. However, Kolisi was shown a yellow card for a high tackle, and New Zealand thought they had scored a try through Aaron Smith, but it was disallowed due to an earlier knock-on. Beauden Barrett did manage to score a try a few minutes later, though there was controversy about a potential forward pass, and Mo’unga missed the conversion.
This try marked the first that South Africa had conceded in four World Cup finals, but they held on to their slim one-point lead at 12-11. Kolisi had returned to the field by this point, and South Africa made strategic substitutions to manage the game. In the dying minutes, South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe received a yellow card, but New Zealand’s Jordie Barrett missed the subsequent long-range penalty attempt, sealing South Africa’s victory.
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