Rugby World Cup: South Africa champion! All Blacks beaten 12-11

South Africa became world rugby champion for the fourth time, defeating the All Blacks 12-11 in the final in Paris Saint-Denis. The Springboks confirmed themselves as champions 4 years after the triumph in Japan and repeated the success achieved in France in 2007. And beating the All Blacks in the final for the second time, as they had already done in 1995 in Johannesburg in the World Cup played on home soil . And in the only final that the New Zealanders had lost in the 4 games played. Siya Kolisi thus becomes the second captain in history to lift the Webb Ellis Cup twice, like Richie McCaw with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015.

Yellow and red

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The first significant episode was a yellow card for New Zealand flanker Shannon Frizell for a neck grab against Bongi Mbonambi in the 3rd minute, with Handre Pollard hitting the free kick to break the deadlock. The South African hooker, however, was forced to leave the pitch due to a knee problem, replaced by Deon Fourie. Just at the end of the 10 minutes of the temporary expulsion, the South Africans managed for the first time to make inroads into the 22 New Zealanders, who, forced to defend themselves offside, offered Pollard the easy score of 6-0. However, the reaction came immediately and this time the South Africans were forced to foul to stop the opponent’s attack and Richie Mo’unga scored the first New Zealand points. But on the other hand, a perhaps hasty whistle from England’s Wayne Barnes on Ardie Savea’s play in the ruck gave Pollard the lead to make it 9-3. The New Zealand touch doesn’t work and this denies the backs the possibility of playing from more favorable portions of the pitch: 3 errors before the half hour mark on successful passes. In the 29th minute Sam Cane comes in too high on Jesse Kriel, shoulder to face and an inevitable yellow card, which furthermore nullifies the opportunity for a tasty melee in the 22. And once again outnumbered and in trouble, the New Zealanders concede another foul on the ground and Pollard scores the 12-3 in the 34th minute. Meanwhile, the TMO’s decision transforms Cane’s yellow into red: after all, it’s the usual argument, going high in the tackle involves this kind of risk and by now even the walls have understood that the referees don’t tolerate interventions that put the team at risk. physical safety. The fate of the final inevitably seems already decided. In inferiority the All Blacks react with pride, they dangerously enter the 22 and on Rieko Ioane’s sprint to the flag it is Kurt-Lee Arendse who saves: there is a free kick anyway and Mo’unga shortens to -6 and we go to half-time .

The goal

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At the start of the second half, South Africa came close to scoring twice, first with Kolisi (held high on the line) and then Cheslin Kolbe who, in picking up the ball while diving into the in-goal area, let it escape forward. Meanwhile, the third yellow arrives, this time for captain Kolisi for a foul similar to Cane’s: head to head. But the yellow this time remains yellow. The try that Mounga invented splendidly for Aaaron Smith in the 55th minute was disallowed due to a previous move forward in the touchline that had started the action. The South Africans find Kolisi again, but they concede a foul which allows a touch at 5 meters, on the development of the action in the 60th minute Jordie Barrett opens long on the right for Mark Telea, who skips a man and then with a not very elegant pass offers it to Beauden Barrett a ball that should only be smashed into the goal. Mounga (who apart from that flash plays a terrible game) misses the difficult conversion and the New Zealanders remain at -1. We enter the last 10 minutes with the two teams trying to exploit the tactical play to gain ground, but the defenses are better than the attacks. In the 73rd minute, a voluntary forward move by Kolbe to stop a very dangerous New Zealand attack costs the winger a yellow card: Jordie Barrett goes from the pitch but shoots wide. The game will be played with equal numbers until the end. South Africa concedes possession, but manages with their defense to keep the New Zealanders in their half of the field. With 30 seconds to go, when the All Blacks manage to move up the field, it is a forward who concedes the scrum which allows South Africa to secure the last ball, the victory and take home the fourth trophy.