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The Springboks of South Africa are world champions for the third time in their history. In Yokohama, Japan, Handré Pollard, Makazole Mapimpi, Cheslin Kolbe and their team-mates defeated the English in the 2019 World Cup final on Saturday (November 2nd) (32-12). They join their elders from 1995 and 2007 in the Hall of Fame.
The Webb-Ellis trophy stays in the southern hemisphere! The 9th Rugby World Cup final, the first contested in Asia, did not smile on the English. In 2003, Jonny Wilkinson and his family tamed Australia, offering the North its first world title. Saturday, November 2, the XV of the Rose did not succeed in his quest for a second star. It was South Africa who won at the Yokohama International Stadium (32-12).
The higher and more skilled Boks
As often, this World Cup final was very closed for long minutes with intense physical challenge. A challenge that turned in favor of the Springboks in the first act. The English, suffering, failed to find their pace or respond to their opponents well in place.
After a first failure, Handré Pollard set the target and passed the penalties one after the other. Owen Farrell replied, but the English, although long in contact, have never managed to gain the upper hand. The team that gave the lesson to the New Zealand All Blacks in the semifinals did not have the same success this time. South Africa has left him almost nothing.
At the half-hour mark, Eddie Jones's players thought they could bend the South African defense, but the iron curtain on the test line did not give in despite the battering. And at the break, the Boks were racing in the lead thanks to Pollard.
Mapimpi and Kolbe blow up England
In the second half, South Africa did not falter despite the British attempts. When the Springboks play in a World Cup final, they do not lose. In 1995, at home and under the eyes of Nelson Mandela, they had tamed the New Zealanders. In 2007 in France, it was England who had laid down arms. In this year 2019, the XV of the Rose did not have more luck. And this time, unlike 1995 and 2007, South Africa scored tests.
After more than an hour of controlled play thanks to an undeniable physical domination, the South Africans wiped out the English hopes thanks to their wingers. In the 66th, Makazole Mapimpi found the fault by playing on the foot with Lukhanyo Am, who handed him the ball for the test.
The coup de grace came from a feat of the young star Cheslin Kolbe, on the other wing: unstoppable, the powerful player stadium Toulouse has eliminated three attempts to close the show in style with this sublime essay (74th). The English, prostrate, then understood. This final had just escaped them for good.
Kolisi, the captain-symbol
South Africa is back to the top of world rugby, twelve years after the last title brought back from Paris by Bryan Habana, Francois Steyn, John Smit and the others. Before the kick-off of the 2019 final, the English were favored by the predictions. The Boks thwarted them, confirming their rise in power in this World Cup.
Siya Kolisi, the first black captain in the history of South Africa, made a strong speech before raising the trophy: " The people of South Africa were behind us. We are so proud of them. We have so many problems in our country. In our team, we come from diverse backgrounds, diverse ethnicities, and we came with a purpose. I really hope that what we have done will show South Africans that together we can achieve great things. "
With three awards, South Africa equal the record of New Zealand. And to say that two years ago, this team was so moribund ... Here it is champion of the world for four years.