South Africa World Champion!
By Guillaume Mahot
South Africa beat England tonight in Yokohama International Stadium for the sake of the final of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and became the new world champion for the third time in the history of the tournament. Defeating the British squad 32-12 with two tries and a good kick from Handre Pollard (22 points), the Springboks, led by their emblematic captain Siya Kolisi, are then coming back at the level of New Zealand with three world cups (1995, 2007, 2019).
Before 70 000 fans, the Boks did not pay attention to any forecast and played their (physical but not only) rugby, while most people were actually putting England’s name on the Webb Ellis trophy after a dominated semifinal against New Zealand last week (19-7). South Africa could rely on Handre Pollard to score points on penalties: after a first penalty missed, the fly-half carried on with points in a game highlighted by a crazy physical intensity, symbolized by a few players forced to leave the pitch in the first half on injury.
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The English never managed to pass the try line of the Boks, who defended hard and showed their hegemony in key sectors like the scrum and the touch. Never led in the scoring, the players of Boks’ head manager Rassie Erasmus even scored two tries in the second half by their wingers Makazole Mapimpi (66’) and Cheslin Kolbe (74’). South Africa actually dominated the final in the same way England had dominated the All Blacks in semifinal.
In presence of the brother of the brand new Japanese emperor, the trophy ceremony was held in front of elated Boks who can now leave the Land of the Rising Sun with the feeling of accomplished work. Nearly as usual, the Southern hemisphere is setting the pace: except for 2003, all world cups were grabbed by a Southern nation since the creation of the competition in 1987.
Africa Global News Publication
