Rugby World Cup: How the All Blacks and Springboks made it to the final

Dylan Coetzee
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Split with All Black captain Sam Cane and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.

Split with All Black captain Sam Cane and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi.

Just two sides remain in the hunt for the Rugby World Cup and this duo are no strangers to glory, with both New Zealand and South Africa tied with three titles apiece.

Some describe it as the greatest rivalry in the game, powered by their electric clashes and also their success at the highest level, but only one team will be smiling after 80 minutes on Saturday night.

The two sides have had a contrastingly different run into the final and before the weekend’s action, we take a closer look at how the teams made it this far.

New Zealand

There are few things more difficult than facing a golden generation of players at their home Rugby World Cup in the very first game of the tournament. That was the case when the All Blacks faced France to kick the competition off.

Les Bleus were inspired on the night by Antoine Dupont as his charges put together a brilliant performance against a stalling All Blacks side. It was not for a lack of effort but simply that the New Zealanders were largely outplayed in almost every facet of the game to lose 27-13.

The make-up of Pool A meant that the All Blacks would mostly be unchallenged for the remainder of the group stage and that was the case, starting with a dominant win over Namibia, with a scoreline of 71-3 getting some confidence back in the ranks.

Next up was Italy and head coach Ian Foster took no chances in this one selection with a very strong line-up which paid off and some. The All Blacks would run rampant the entire game, putting the Azzurri to the sword 96-17 on the night – a scoreline that is outrageous considering that Italy are a much improved side.

It felt as if this game was a turning point as confidence looked to be oozing from every All Black pore by the time they faced Uruguay in the final pool game. The three-time winners ran away with a 73-0 win.

The pool stage job was done and the next task was one of their greatest modern rivals, Ireland. In recent years the All Blacks have struggled against the Irish, who only last year made the trip to New Zealand and flew back home with a series win.

The quarter-final was everything fans wished it to be. The two teams showed tremendous skill, discipline and commitment throughout the 80 minutes and in truth it genuinely could have gone either way. However, the All Blacks showed their grit and knockout rugby nous by holding onto a four-point lead by defending 37 phases in their half before Sam Whitelock’s turnover at the breakdown. New Zealand won 28-24 in a Test for the ages. The men in black are knockout rugby kings.

There was a huge contrast between the quarter-finals and the semi-finals as New Zealand welcomed the challenge of Los Pumas. In the past it may have been a more simple match-up but since the last World Cup Argentina have beaten the All Blacks twice. It was not the case this time round as the New Zealanders flexed their muscles in a 44-6 romp to secure a spot in the final.

South Africa

The other giant from the south also had a tricky start to their campaign in the form of Scotland. The opener was vital for the context of a competitive pool consisting of Scotland, Springboks and Ireland all fighting for two spots. A victory against the Scots was imperative.

Gregor Townsend’s side is an ever-improving team and it showed on the day as the two teams engaged in a brutal arm-wrestle. The Springboks battered away at the Scots who could not crack the South African defence but it was a moment of utter beauty that sealed the game as Manie Libbok kicked a nailed no-look cross-kick for Kurt-Lee Arendse to score and secure a 18-3 win.

The first job was done and put the Boks in a strong position coming into the clash with Romania. In this one South Africa flew out of the blocks, scoring the fastest four-try try bonus point in history, taking just 12 minutes. Meanwhile, scrum-half Cobus Reinach scored a lightning-fast hat-trick, missing his record from 2019 by a minute. The game ended in a 76-0 thrashing.

Attention then turned to the summit decider with Ireland. As one would expect it was an epic clash loaded with physicality and several key moments. The Irish won a lot of key battles and put the Boks under immense pressure throughout. At the end of the game, it was Ireland who ran out 13-8 winners. It was bittersweet for South Africa who left 11 points on the kicking tee as Libbok’s struggles in front of goal continued.

Despite the countless permutations heading into the final pool games, the Springboks knew a bonus-point win over Tonga would likely do the job. The side ended up claiming a 49-18 win, which at first glance looks resounding, but the scoreline did not reflect the intensity and physicality a strong Tonga team brought. Perhaps what served to be ideal preparation for the quarter-finals.

The first knockout game was against Les Bleus, who confirmed Dupont would return from injury in time for the clash. The build-up was intense – the hosts against the holders – and the Test itself was a game for the ages.

The teams traded blow for blow throughout the game filled with massive hits and brilliant tries. The French looked to have found a way in front of the Springboks with little left on the clock. Up stepped Handre Pollard to nail the winning penalty from over 50 metres to secure a 29-28 win. The game saw some defining moments but none more so than Cheslin Kolbe’s charge down of Thomas Ramos’s conversion attempt – a play that could have been the difference.

South African fans thought they would get a break from the drama in the semi-finals against an England team that had been building very nicely under the radar but in the end, it was the complete opposite.

The coaches named an unchanged team but instead of carrying momentum into the game, the Springboks looked flat and sluggish for the most part. Owen Farrell was tactically astute in the wet conditions and very nearly kicked his side to glory. His drop goal could have been the nail in the coffin.

However, champion teams always find a way and that was the case. The coaches made changes early with Libbok going off for Pollard in the first period and the ’Bomb Squad’ coming on in the second. That was the difference. RG Snyman scored the only of the game whilst Ox Nche shapeshifted into a bulldozer and destroyed the English scrum. This all set a platform for a big moment. Who else but Pollard himself stepped up again to nail the winning penalty in the 77th minute? It was daylight robbery as the Boks won 16-15.

The All Blacks remain as the only team in the top six of the world rankings that the Springboks have not faced in the tournament yet.

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