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The Springboks became the second team to win back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles – and they did it the hard way, bouncing back to achieve greatness at France 2023 by simply not knowing when they were beaten.
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Abiding memory
Who knows if France’s Thomas Ramos would have converted Peato Mauvaka’s try from the touchline – a tournament-leading 21 conversions suggests there is a good chance – but Cheslin Kolbe racing 20 metres to charge down the full-back’s attempt was probably crucial in South Africa’s 29-28 win in a quarter-final classic that dashed the home nation’s dreams of World Cup glory.
“You don’t see that often – somebody chasing a lost cause,” said head coach Jacques Nienaber. Kolbe would also figure in a classic final, unable to watch his side seal victory as he sat on the sidelines with his head in his hands after receiving a late yellow card.
Try of the tournament
It has to be Kurt-Lee Arendse’s in South Africa’s opening Pool B game against Scotland, if only for the assist by Manie Libbok, a perfectly weighted, no-look kick. “I practice that stuff a lot so it was good that it came off,” the fly-half said.
Quote that said it all
The connection between the players and the 60 million people back in South Africa was a constant theme for captain Siya Kolisi, and his comments before the semi-final with England were probably the pick of a big bunch.
“The kids at schools are sending us clips of them singing because they know some of us like singing. People at work on Fridays are wearing their green jerseys, anything that is green.
“We see that and that will continuously be our motivation. The majority of the people in our country are unemployed and some have no homes. For me, giving up and not giving everything would be cheating.”
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Man of the moment
Has to be Kolisi despite the yellow card in the final. A hugely influential figure on the field, leading his side by example from flanker, but he is just as impressive off it with his eloquent, thoughtful answers to any question fired at him.
Surely a career in politics beckons once he has hung up his boots but for now, he can celebrate joining New Zealand’s Richie McCaw as the only man to lift the trophy twice.
One for the future
The likes of Damian Willemse and Libbok will be at their peak come Rugby World Cup 2027, but Canan Moodie could be the star of the show in Australia. Just 20, the centre has blistering pace and great vision as he showed with his try and assist in the victory over Tonga.
From the touchline
Rugby can be a brutally tough sport but after a match, it is all about respect. That was the case after South Africa’s 49-18 victory over Tonga when both teams came together to form a huge circle on the field in Marseille before bowing their heads and kneeling together in prayer then swapping shirts with Kolisi exchanging his with Tonga captain Ben Tameifuna, saying: “It was a really beautiful moment.”
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Key statistics
Defence and discipline were key for the Springboks who conceded the third-fewest penalties (averaging 8.5 per match) in their run to the final.
The scrum also proved crucial with a 100 per cent success on their own put-in against the heavyweight packs of France and England in the knockout stages, thanks in part to the Springboks’ much-vaunted ‘bomb squad’ who turned the game against England.
The Springboks were all smiles arriving on the red carpet with the Webb Ellis Cup at the World Rugby Awards 2023. #RWC2023 #Springboks #WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/jyykhL0U3L
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 29, 2023
Verdict
South Africa had by far the hardest route to the final of facing the other five of the top six teams in the world rankings (Ireland, New Zealand, France, England and Scotland) losing narrowly to Ireland in the pool stage.
And they won it the hard way showing supreme courage and determination to win all their three knock-out games by a single point. Extraordinary.
Comments on RugbyPass
“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
1 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
3 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
3 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
3 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to comments