Rugby's greatest rivalry will go head-to-head in a historic Rugby World Cup Final at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday, October 28th, as New Zealand and South Africa meet for the ultimate prize.
New Zealand was the first team to punch their ticket to the Final match, with a dominating 44-6 victory over Argentina in the Semi Finals. Will Jordan had a very impressive game for the All Blacks, scoring a game high three tries. The 25-year-old wing tied the men’s record for most tries in a single Rugby World Cup with eight. Jordan will look to break that record in the Final.
“We are in a good spot leading into the final,” All Blacks captain Sam Cane stated. “Exactly where we want to be.”
On the other side of the bracket, South Africa overcame a nine point second-half deficit to defeat England 16-15. In the 69th minute, Springbok lock RG Snyman scored the first try of the game to bring South Africa within two points of England. The game winning moment for the Springboks happened in the 76th minute of the match, when South Africa was awarded a crucial penalty after a dominant scrum in England territory. With two minutes left in the game, Handrè Pollard drilled the game winning penalty kick from 49 meters out to send the Springboks back to the World Cup Final.
“It’s gonna be a final,” said South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber on the Final against New Zealand. “It's gonna be tight, they are in excellent form.”
Despite being powerhouses in the game of rugby, South Africa and New Zealand have only played each other once in a final match. In the 1995 Rugby World Cup, held in South Africa, the Springboks defeated the All Blacks 15-12, to win their first Webb Ellis Cup. Since that game in 1995, both teams have won the World Cup two times respectively. New Zealand winning as recently as 2015, and South Africa being the reigning champions in 2019.
With the victory in 2019, the Springboks tied the All Blacks record for most Rugby World Cup Final victories with three. The winner of the 2023 Final will become the first team ever to win the Webb Ellis Cup a record four times.
Two nations with cultures built on a deep passion for rugby face off in the sport's biggest stage. New Zealand is hot at the moment, but South Africa has experience playing in a Final test. Fans can expect an extremely close battle between these teams that will be very physical from the start. Saturday's match may go down as one of the greatest Rugby World Cup Finals ever, as both teams seek to have their name etched in the history books forever.