The incredible Springboks have done it again as they successfully defended their Rugby World Cup championship after beating New Zealand 12-11 during their pulsating final at the Stade de France in Paris last night.
South Africa showed the All Blacks who the boss is as they clinched the historic record fourth World Cup title in front of a fully packed and electrifying crowd.
Three clinical penalty conversions from flyhalf Handre Pollard were enough to take the Boks over the line and break the hearts of their bitter rivals.
Coach Jacques Nienaber has bowed out in style, as this was his final game in charge of the mighty Springboks.
It has been a tremendous World Cup for Nienaber and his Springboks, as they faced the daunting task of defending their crown in a tournament where they were written off as favourites to lift the prestigious Webb Ellis trophy.
The victory was just not for the team, it was for the entire country that needed something to smile about in the midst of everything that is going wrong in SA. But for a moment, all that was forgotten, and the rainbow nation came together as one once again.
Staunch SA rugby supporters arrived in France in large numbers. Celebrities too were there cheering and singing their lungs out, as they rallied behind the team from the onset.
The likes of Thando Thabethe, Robert Marawa, Siv Ngesi, Lesego “Coconut Kelz” Tlhabi, Rachel Kolisi, funnyman Jason Goliath and wife Sian and former Springboks player Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, were some of the most familiar faces in the stands. Super fans Botha Msila and Mama Joy also had a time of their lives.
Even the first citizen of the country Cyril Ramaphosa took time off his busy schedule and made a late arrival in Paris to join the South African heroes in lifting the Webb Ellis cup – for the second time after their 2019 victory.
Well-known politicians Ronald Lamola and Zizi Kodwa, also had an opportunity to savour the historic moment of the Boks winning their record fourth World Cup.
In what appeared a good gesture from rugby officials, the injured duo of Makazole Mapimpi and Malcolm Marx were flown back to France to rejoin their teammates for the final to soak up the victory. They played an important part for the team in the early stages before fate dealt them a major blow.
It all started in Twickenham, where the Boks set the tone and fired a shot that reverberated around the rugby world and made a statement win as they inflicted the heaviest defeat on the All Blacks in their history ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
The team showed great character and guts from the first game, when they eased past Scotland in their opening match.
They then went on to demolish Romania, crushing them 76-0. This was followed by their first defeat when they fell short by five points against the then number one ranked Ireland.
The setback proved to be a wake-up call for Nienaber’s men as they bulldozed their way through to the final.
But they had to go past hosts France in the quarterfinal and a stubborn England side in the semis.
