New Zealand……………….. 11pts
Tries: B Barrett 57
Penalties: Mo'unga 16, 37
South Africa …………………12pts
Penalties: Pollard 2, 12, 18, 33
SOUTH Africa are the world champions for a record-breaking fourth time, retaining the title after beating a brave New Zealand outfit that pushed them to the limit after having their captain, Sam Cane, sent off for a first-half high tackle.
This battle in Paris between the two southern hemisphere behemoths did not disappoint as a gladiatorial contest of great drama and intensity, but in the end it was “the greatest one point winners” not just of the 2023 World Cup, but of any tournament, that won day.
The mantra of this South Africa team as described by captain Siya Kolisi, is that “we are a purpose driven team, not a trophy driven team” and their aim is to give hope to the people in their country.
They achieved that goal here, pulling together as team with an iron will which over the last three weeks have beaten France, England, and now New Zealand, by single – but golden – points.
It was an advantage Kolisi and his team were determined not to relinquish, and their reward was a place in history as the second team to win back-to-back World Cups – but the first to win a fourth title.
The early exchanges did not go well for South Africa, with Bongi Mbonambi sustaining a knee injury in a ruck contest in which the New Zealand blindside, Shannon Frizell, rolled onto the hooker's outstretched leg.
Frizzell was sin binned for foul play, leaving the All Blacks facing the fired-up Springboks with only 14 men, and their discomfort was added to when Handre Pollard's penalty punished the offence to put South Africa up 3-0.
With part-time hooker Deon Fourie coming off the bench to replace Mbonambi the South African coaching brains trust of Rassie Erasmus and and Jacques Nienaber must have feared that their decision to go with a 7-1 forwards-backs split on the bench might be about to implode.
However, on the field, South Africa showed their focus and grit to immediately force their way into New Zealand territory, with a Cheslin Kolbe cross-kick finding Willemse on the right touchline. When the fullback grab it into the New Zealand 22. Beauden Barrett was forced to go into touch, and from Eben Etzebeth's line-out catch South Africa drove deep, before a strong cut-back run by Pollard took them to within a couple of metres of the All Black goalline.
The ball was recycled and moved to the wing where Kolbe had another tilt for glory, and when New Zealand were offside pollard kicked his second penalty to make it 6-0.
Frizell's return to the action seemed to galvanise New Zealand, and after two powerful carries they established a pressure point in the South African 22. They then created a guilt-edged opportunity thanks to a clever Jordie Barrett chip over the advancing Springbok defensive line.
However, the high bounce of the ball eluded Ardie Savea's clutches, and Willemse was able to tidy-up and clear the danger. Nevertheless, New Zealand did not go away empty-handed because the South African defence had pushed up offside and Richie Mo'unga got his team off the mark with a penalty to make it 6-3.
With South Africa immediately going back on the offensive, Savea was penalised at a ruck for not releasing after a strong carry by Duane Vermeulen, and Pollard's trusty boot saw him hit the target from long-range to make it 9-3 to the defending world champions.
At this juncture the All Blacks were having difficulty imposing a fastpaced game, and South Africa held the whip-hand with the slower set-piece battle in the Paris drizzle suiting their tactical pattern.
The match had tilted on its axis when Cane became the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final just before the half hour. The incident, that saw him yellow carded initially, happened when the South African centre, Jesse Kriel, was trying to make headway out of his own 22.
Cane hit him with a high tackle which resulted in a shoulder to Kriel's head, and it left referee Wayne Barnes with no choice as he spelled out the sanction, saying that there was a high degree of danger, and “no clear and obvious mitigation”.
Just after the half-hour, after a pile-driving tackle by Pieter Steph du Toit, a further All Black ruck infringement saw Pollard kick a fourth penalty to extend South Africa's lead to 12-3.
With the match in danger of slipping out of New Zealand's grasp they responded with a sustained attack which saw Rieko Ioane pinned back his ears and set off on an arcing run after a long pass from Beauden Barrett. He came within inches of the try line, but was foiled by a corner flaggingKurt-Lee Arendse tackle.
However, New Zealand did not go away empty-handed because lazy running by Franco Mostert earned them a second penalty, which Mo'unga kicked.
The second half had the intensity of the eye of a storm, with South Africa almost scoring from a Kolisi break which saw Damian de Allende held up over the line by Jordie Barrett, and then going close again when a Damian Willemse chip for the corner after a scrum saw Kurt-Lee Arendse almost sneak behind Beauden Barrett to score.
Then South Africa found themselves depleted in the same way New Zealand had in the first half, when Kolisi was yellow carded for a high tackle on Savea. The All Blacks immediately turned up the heat with the Springboks' skipper on the sidelines and appeared to have stolen a crucial march when a Mo'unga break saw him lob the ball inside to Aaron Smith for the scrumhalf to touch down.
Unfortunately for New Zealand the try was ruled out after a TMO interven-tion detected an Savea knock-on.
However, New Zealand were unrelenting, and redoubling their efforts after another of their lineout mauls had been repelled by the Springboks, they eventually scored the only try of the game when a long pass from Jordie Barrett saw a jinking run by Mark Telea end with a pass out wide for Beauden Barrett pick it up off the ground and score in the corner.
Mo'unga was unable to land the touchline conversion, and it meant that South Africa still had a sliver of a lead at 12-11.
Their ability to hang onto that lead in the final quarter was tested to the limit by New Zealand.
They came very close to squandering it when Kolbe was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on and Barnes, who refereed the final in a manner worthy of the best referee in the world, had no option other than the sin-bin.
It gave New Zealand a last shot at the title, but Jordie Barrett's penalty from 50 metres drifted wide – and there is no side better at closing the deal than South Africa, and the sands of time ran out on the All Blacks.
