South Africa clinch a record fourth Rugby World Cup by doing just enough to deny 14-man New Zealand and retain their crown in a helter-skelter final in Paris.
South Africa clinched a record fourth Rugby World Cup title by doing just enough to deny 14-man New Zealand and retain their crown in a helter-skelter final in Paris.
Both teams pushed for a decisive score in an enthralling, lactic-drenched final quarter, but neither found one, with Jordie Barrett missing a long-range 73rd-minute penalty and the Springboks clinging on for a third successive one-point victory in the knockout stages.Captain Siya Kolisi clutched his head in disbelief as he danced off the bench and towards his team-mates on the final whistle.
With the Stade de France still ringing to the sound of a full-throttle haka, the two teams tore into each other from the off. Pollard, whose accuracy off the tee helped secure him a starting role, nailed two penalties during the powerplay. Pollard landed his kick to dig New Zealand's hole a little deeper and it seemed, with 34 minutes gone and the All Blacks 12-3 adrift, as though the destiny of the contest and the cup might already be decided.
Springboks skipper Kolisi became the third player to go to the sin-bin - his hit on Savea slipping high - and New Zealand, briefly back level in terms of personnel, crowbarred the game open again. After similarly narrow victories over France and England, South Africa, with Kolisi's legendary 1995 predecessor Francois Pienaar watching on for the final step, have walked the hardest, narrowest route to the trophy.
"In a match like that, I commend New Zealand. In terms of the match we thought we were going to get, it 100% delivered."Why was Cane sent off and not Kolisi?"Someone needs to explain to Sam Cane why he has left the field and Siya Kolisi stayed on.
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