The stage was set, and the crowd radiated an exuberant atmosphere. On that damp and blustery evening in Paris, at Stade de France, the Springboks were poised to claim the rugby throne. The Boks ignited a fervor of warmth, illumination, and joy in the hearts of 62 million South Africans, all brimming with hope that another World Cup triumph would once again unify the nation.

A nail-biting one-point thriller in the playoffs sealed the Springboks’ fourth Webb Ellis Cup. New Zealand, commonly known as the All Blacks, defended their goal line with unwavering determination, holding the world champions scoreless in the second half. The Boks found themselves twice reduced to 14 players, while the All Blacks played with 14 men for 50 minutes after their captain, Sam Cane, received a red card for a head-on collision with Jesse Kriel in the 28th minute. Springbok’s skipper Siya Kolisi also spent 10 minutes in the sin bin for a high tackle on Ardie Savea. Fortunately for him, his yellow card was not escalated due to the indirect nature of the contact and his position in the tackle. A mischievous display of captaincy, perhaps? Haha!

This victory marked the fourth world title for the men in green and gold, and fans around the world hailed the match as the greatest rugby showdown in the 150-year history of International test rugby. Luckily, it lived up to the hype, as both teams delivered a performance that will be celebrated for generations to come.

The playing conditions were far from ideal for a world championship, with persistent rain and treacherously slippery footing due to a week of European late autumn rainfall.

The game essentially turned into a rugby version of trench warfare, characterized by aerial bombardments and close-quarter scrums and mauls, with occasional attempts to spread the ball wide.

Discipline in defense and precision from the kicking tee proved to be the decisive factors, and in both aspects, the Boks outperformed their opponents in the first half.

The composed Handre Pollard successfully converted all four of his penalty kicks – one of them sneaking over the bar from 50 meters, putting immense pressure on the All Blacks, who struggled with discipline.

The first penalty was awarded for a neck roll on Bongi Mbonambi by Shannon Frizzel in the third minute, resulting in both players leaving the field—Mbonambi due to an injured knee and the All Black loose forward serving a 10-minute stint in the sin bin.

In the 28th minute, Cane was also sent off with a red card for a direct and forceful contact to Kriel’s head as the center attempted to advance the ball out of defense following a turnover of an attacking All Black lineout.

The Springboks admirably slowed down New Zealand’s ball at the breakdown, with crucial turnovers both in defense, orchestrated by replacement hooker Deon Fourie, and in attack, courtesy of Duane Vermeulen—these turnovers led to Pollard’s most straightforward penalties.

New Zealand managed to secure their points from two easy shots within the 22 by flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, both for offside infractions as the resilient green wall refused to bend. Notably, Kurt-Lee Arendse made a vital tackle on Rieko Ioane in the Boks’ right-hand corner, preventing a crucial score.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the All Blacks gained the upper hand in the third quarter, assisted by Kolisi’s expulsion in the 45th minute. They claimed the sole try of the match in the 58th minute when Beauden Barrett dived over in the left corner, shortly after an Aaron Smith “try” in the same area was disallowed due to an earlier knock-on.

Mo’unga’s conversion attempt veered wide, leaving the Boks clinging to a one-point lead as the game transitioned into its final quarter, then the last 10 minutes, the final five, and ultimately the last minute, culminating in a scrum to defend in the 80th minute. The Springboks held firm, and history was made.