Hugo's Blog

South Africa’s Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks clashed in a historic Rugby World Cup Final in Paris, both trying to become the first nation to claim a record-breaking fourth Webb Ellis Cup.

From the opening whistle, New Zealand’s illdiscipline proved costly. A ‘croc roll’ by Shannon Frizell in the second minute was deemed a high level of danger, earned him a yellow card, leaving the All Blacks temporarily down to 14 men. South Africa capitalized on this early advantage, with Handré Pollard converting two penalties to give the Springboks a 6-0 lead within the first ten minutes.

South Africa extended their lead to 9-3 through the first half. However, the game’s momentum shifted dramatically in the 30th minute when New Zealand captain Sam Cane committed a high tackle on Jesse Kriel. After a review, Cane’s yellow card was upgraded to a red, leaving the All Blacks to play with 14 players for the remainder of the championship match.

Despite the red card and the mounting scoreline, New Zealand mounted a spirited second-half comeback. Fly-half Beauden Barrett scored the game’s only try in the 58th minute, narrowing the score to 12-11 after Richie Mo’unga missed the crucial conversion. South Africa’s discipline wavered under pressure, with captain Siya Kolisi and star winger Cheslin Kolbe both sent to the sin bin for separate offences. Yet, the Springboks’ defensive resilience held firm.