Fly-half Handre Pollard kicked 12 points as champions South Africa successfully defended their 2023 Rugby World Cup title edging 14-men New Zealand 12-11 at Stade de France in France today.
New Zealand head coach Ian Foster made a solitary alteration to their XV which breezed past Argentina in the semifinal a week ago.
Brodie Realloick started the match at lock while Sam Whitelock was benched and just a change in the fan favorites lineup saw Nepo Laulala providing front-row cover as Fletcher Newell dropped out of the 23.
On the other hand, Springboks head coach Jacquies Nienber named Faf de Klerk and Pollard to start in the halves while Cobus Reinach and Manie Libbok were not considered in their final 23.
Beauden Barrett got the match underway with a long start but there was an early concern for South Africa with Bongi Mbonambi down, clutching at his knee.
Referee Wayne Barnes called out to TMO for help which resulted in New Zealand being reduced to 14 men as Shannon Frizell was sent to the sin bin for getting his lineout wrong and ended up dropping his weight onto the right leg of Mbonambi in the second minute.
South Africa received the opening penalty of the match in the third minute and Pollard from 20 meters out kissed it off the left post and through it went.
A minute later, South Africa made the first change with Mbonambi leaving the field which meant that Deon Fourie- a converted loose forward made a big shift to hooker.
In the 12th minute, the Boks looked for a maul when New Zealand collapsed the ball and the champions hammered away inside the 22 and a moment later de Groot got pinged for not rolling.
Barnes awarded South Africa their second penalty and Pollard knocked it through from the left of the posts for six points as Frizell returned from the sin-bin.
The All Blacks kept building under the advantage as they received their first penalty in the match which Richie Mo’unga took and stroked it through to put the side on the scoreboard.
After a perfect restart from Rieko Ioane this time, Savea hunted a turnover but did it so illegally and got pinged.
Barnes gave the third penalty to South Africa again Pollard slotted it over from 45 meters out, curling it through from out of the left.
In the 29th minute, New Zealand was again reduced to 14 players when Captain Sam Cane was sin-binned for a high shot on Jesse Kriel, with a shoulder contact straight to the head while South Africa’s Damian Willemse missed a drop goal in the 32nd minute.
The Springboks swarmed defensively and ended up forcing a breakdown penalty in the 33rd minute as Barnes called for a penalty and Pollard took it making it 12-3.
News came in that Cane’s yellow card was upgraded to a red card by Bunker for a shoulder-to-head, no mitigation as Ardie Savea took on the Captain’s duty.
Just before the break, New Zealand received their second penalty and Mo’unga kicked in between the sticks as South Africa led by 12-6 at half time.
Both teams traded kicks early in the second half, the All Blacks failed to take the high kick back in their 22 but the Springboks swarmed on the loose ball which saw Captain Siya Kolisi charge to the line but he couldn’t find any support and was dragged down a meter out.
In the 42nd minute, Willemse missed the second drop goal for South Africa before they were reduced to 14 players when Kolisi copped a yellow card for a head contact with New Zealand’s Ardie Savea.
In the 54th minute, Mo’unga skipped away from the South Africa defence and found Aaron Smith to plant the ball on the right corner but the match official denied them the try as Eben Etzebeth forced for a knock on in the air during the succession.
South Africa got back with full 15 men as Kolisi returned to play but moments later, the All Blacks came wide left under advantage with Jordie Barrett throwing a big looping pass to Mark Telea and he beat the South African defenders before Barrett scooped the ball and dived in the corner to score the first try of the match in the 58th minute.
Mo’unga failed with the conversion attempt as the ABs trailed by a point.
Soon after, All Blacks made a quick change sending off Smith for the final time in the black jumper and Fin Christie took the field while Cheslin Kolbe received some medical treatment.
After an All Blacks clearance, Kolbe decided to go for a drop goal but it fell short landing in the hands of Tele’a.
In the 73rd minute, South Africa was again reduced to 14 players when Kolbe was binned for knocking down Anton Lienert-Brown’s pass with a clear overlap on offer.
The All Blacks received their third penalty which Barrett took but tugged it to the left of the posts as the clock ticked off.
Just four minutes to full time, Pollard caught the ball from Kriel and attempted for a drop goal but missed the sticks.
A great break from Dalton Papalii to cross it over to Savea which saw him push through the tackle but knock the ball forward giving the Boks the scrum.
They got caught in the maul but the hooter to full-time sounded as South Africa winning their fourth Rugby World Cup.
The teams:
All Blacks: Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo’unga (Damian McKenzie), Aaron Smith (Fin Christie), Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (C), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett (Anton Lienert-Brown), Brodie Retallick (Dalton Papalii), Tyrel Lomax (Samisoni Taukei’aho), Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: Tamaiti Williams, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock.
South Africa: Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende (Deon Fourie), Cheslin Kolbe, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Siya Kolisi (C), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Mbongeni Mbonambi (Willie Le Roux), Steven Kitshoff (Jasper Wiese).
Reserves: Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith.
