South Africa will become the first team to clinch four World Cups, and match the All Blacks’ back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2015.
The Springboks have had 12-year gaps between their previous three Rugby World Cup triumphs.
They won their very first tournament on home soil in 1995, when Joel Stransky slotted that extra-time drop goal against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, which led to the iconic moment when Tata Madiba handed the Webb Ellis Cup to captain Francois Pienaar.
Bok fans had to wait until 2007 to see their team hoist the little golden trophy again, when skipper John Smit’s band of warriors saw off England at the Stade de France in Paris.
Then it was another 12-year itch to 2019, when Siya Kolisi and his Boks made history by becoming the first team to lose a pool-stage match and go on to clinch the title – again beating England 32-12 in Yokohama, Japan.
Now, after yet more drama in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the Boks are still alive and stand on the cusp of Rugby World Cup history once more.
They survived against France and England in the two playoff matches, winning by a single point on each occasion, and will take on the old enemy New Zealand in Saturday night’s final in Paris.
The All Blacks are clear favourites, having enjoyed an easier pool stage where only France – to whom they lost – provided a real contest, while they scraped through against Ireland in the quarter-finals before cruising past Argentina 44-6 in the semi-finals.
The Boks will be feeling the physical effects of their two playoff games, which is part of the reason why coach Jacques Nienaber selected seven forwards and just one backline player on the bench on Thursday.
But we’ve seen the Bok “Bomb Squad” explode in the second half, and that was particularly evident last weekend, where Ox Nche won several scrum penalties and Handré Pollard slotted the winning penalty.
Kolisi and Nienaber will hope for a repeat on Saturday, and if that happens, South Africa will become the first team to clinch four World Cups, and match the All Blacks’ back-to-back victories in 2011 and 2015.
Fans have been sending messages of support throughout the last two months to the team, who have acknowledged the fact that a victorious Bok side brings great joy to the nation.
Let’s hope the players can repay that faith once more, and make the Boks the most successful team in World Cup history.
Cape Times
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