This pitted them against host nation France in the quarterfinals, yet Jacques Nienaber's troops prevailed 29-28 to silence a parochial Stade de France crowd.Īnother one-point victory followed in the semifinals, with the Springboks trailing England until the 78th minute before Handrè Pollard coolly landed a penalty goal to ice a 16-15 triumph. They were handed a narrow defeat in the group stage, losing 13-8 to Ireland in a gripping contest that meant the Springboks finished runner-up in Pool B. Just like their 2019 tournament victory in Japan, the Springboks reached the summit the hard way, having survived an early setback in their campaign. Five quick hits - All Blacks fume over TMO after losing their skipper to a red card, while Springboks do not.

Blog: Springboks win Rugby World Cup final by one point.The All Blacks will remain the most recognised brand in global rugby, despite their 12-11 loss to the Springboks in the World Cup final in Paris.īut the Springboks deserve to be classed as the best in the world after lifting the Webb Ellis Cup for a record fourth time.