The big dance is finally here!
And what a tango we’re in for as old foes South Africa and New Zealand go head to head in a bid to become the first side to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a fourth time.
Frans Malherbe of South Africa during the Rugby World Cup 2023 semi-final (Pic – Steve Haag/Gallo Images)
After 23 years the fiercest of rugby rivals, South Africa and New Zealand, will once again square off in a Rugby World Cup Final with the duo going head-to-head for the Webb Ellis Cup on Saturday evening.
This is sure to be a titanic clash between the Southern Hemisphere heavyweights who are both looking to become the most successful team in World Cup history by being the first side to claim the cup four times.
South Africa v New Zealand
Saturday 28 October
Stade de France
21:00
To Win (80 Mins)
South Africa 92/100 | Draw 22/1 | New Zealand 92/100
Handicap: South Africa (-0.5) 19/20 | New Zealand (+0.5) 17/20
To Lift the Trophy: South Africa 9/10 | New Zealand 9/10
Road to the Final
So much for Northern Hemisphere dominance! South Africa and New Zealand proved many a pundit wrong as the two sides marched to the final knocking out the two pre-tournament favourites, France and Ireland, on their way to the big-ticket fixture.
While there were blips in the Pools for the two Southern Hemisphere giants, with New Zealand going down 27-13 to France in the tournament opener and South Africa losing 8-13 to Ireland in their Pool B clash, both sides managed to bounce back with strong performances in the knock-out phase of the competition.
South African fans were in for another nervous 80 minutes this past weekend as the Springboks edged England 15-16 in their semi-final encounter. Trailing 16-5 with less than 15 minutes left to the final whistle an RG Snyman try and a long-range penalty secured South Africa their fourth World Cup final appearance.
New Zealand had it a lot easier in their semi-final encounter with Rugby Championship rivals Argentina with the All Blacks cruising to a 6-44 win over the undercooked South Americans. It was vintage Kiwi rugby as Ian Foster’s men ran riot scoring seven tries while not allowing Los Pumas to cross their line.
Team News
Jacques Nienaber has sensationally opted for a 7-1 split on the bench against the All Blacks. Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard slot back into the starting XV with Manie Libbok cruelly missing out on the matchday 23 altogether. The decision to omit Libbok and opt for the 7-1 split would certainly have been made easier by the weatherman.
Expect a forward-based battle with Faf de Klerk to do plenty of kicking from the base of the ruck with heaps of rain expected in Paris on Saturday evening.
Ian Foster named his 23 a couple of hours later. There were only two changes with Brodie Retallick returning to the starting line-up with Sam Whitelock dropping to the bench.
The other change saw Nepo Laulala named on the wood in place of Fletcher Newell. Laulala will have the unenviable task of packing down against Ox Nche in the second half.
The Stats That Matter
The two sides have clashed in five Rugby World Cup fixtures with the results as follows:
- 1995 Final: SA 15-12 NZ *Extra Time
- 1999 3rd/4th Place Play-Off: SA 22-18 NZ
- 2003 Quarter-Final: NZ 29-9 SA
- 2015 Semi-Final: NZ 22-19 SA
- 2019 Pool Phase: NZ 23-12 SA
The sides have met twice this year already with New Zealand winning their solitary Rugby Championship encounter 35-20 in Auckland while South Africa bounced back with a 35-7 win in a Rugby World Cup warm-up encounter at Twickenham.
Looking at the World Cup stats, New Zealand’s biggest attacking threat has been Will Jordan who tops the tournament’s try-scoring charts with eight tries, while Cobus Reinach is SA’s leading try scorer with four.
The Kiwis also have some impressive team stats topping the points scoring charts with 325 points, the try scoring charts with 48 tries and the conversion stats with 35.
Verdict: South Africa 92/100
In perfect conditions, one would be leaning more toward the All Blacks. However, the Springboks’ forward-based game is far better suited to the wet.
And barring any injuries to the backs, the 7/1 split could be the key to icing the game in the final 20 minutes.
