South Africa overcame New Zealand to win a fourth Rugby World Cup and to hold onto their title in a thrilling final in Paris.
In the 27th minute, Sam Cane caught Jesse Kriel high, giving the Springboks a 9-3 lead after Handre Pollard’s dead-eyed goalkicking had given them the advantage.
The All Blacks were down a player, nine points behind, and in serious difficulty when the red card was shown to the captain of New Zealand during a review. Pollard then scored another penalty.
However, New Zealand recovered, took a lucky break, and forced themselves back into the contest. Prior to halftime, Richie Mo’unga scored a penalty kick, and Beauden Barrett recovered a loose ball and slid in to trim South Africa’s lead to 12-11.
In a thrilling last quarter, both teams tried hard to score but Jordie Barrett missed a long-range penalty in the 73rd minute, and the Springboks managed to hang on for their third straight one-point victory in the knockout stages.
