South Africa taking on New Zealand is the final die-hard rugby fans were hoping for. Rucks and mauls aside, the Springboks have tackled bigger demons since the sides met in the 1995 final.
South Africans could hardly watch as flyhalf Handre Pollard converted a late, late penalty in the Springboks' 16-15 win over England to book them a place in the final against New Zealand.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in the sport of rugby. For decades, only white players were eligible to play for the Springboks, and they were so closely associated with the apartheid system that, even many years later, some South Africans refused to support the Springboks. In 2019, Kolisi skippered the Springboks to a storming 32-12 win over heavily-favored England, with Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe scoring South Africa's first tries in a World Cup final.
Much has evolved for the Boks since the 1995 final, but the goal, and monumental task, is almost identical: the All Blacks have pulverized all before them since an opening day loss to France. No team has ever beaten the Boks as often as New Zealand. Their last match, a tournament warmup, saw South Africa win handily. But it will count for nothing as rugby's biggest rivals meet at biggest stage. The pressure is on.There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.
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