South Africa’s Dominance in Rugby World Cup 2023: Impressive Stats Following Historic Fourth Victory

Rugby World Cup: South Africa’s Perfect Record

The Rugby World Cup finals witnessed an intense battle in Paris as South Africa clinched their fourth title, making them the first nation to achieve such a feat. With an exhilarating 12-11 victory over New Zealand, the Springboks secured back-to-back wins and sparked discussions about their place among the greatest teams in history.

Let’s delve into some captivating statistics from South Africa’s triumph in France that highlight their remarkable journey:

An Unconventional Path to Glory

South Africa’s World Cup success becomes even more extraordinary when considering they did not participate in the first two tournaments. Their reintroduction post-apartheid led to a debut on home soil as hosts in 1995, marking the start of a formidable record.

Nerve-Shredding Victories

The Springboks’ path to glory was laden with tension and nail-biting moments. Head coach Jacques Nienaber expressed his relief after three consecutive one-point victories leading up to lifting the trophy – matches that were far from planned.

• A quarter-final thriller against hosts France ended with a narrow scoreline of 29-28.
• In the semi-finals, England put up a formidable fight but fell short by just one point – final score: 16-15 for South Africa.
• The grand finale itself saw New Zealand dominate territory (53%) and ball possession (60%), despite having captain Sam Cane sent off in the first half.

The Springboks’ defense showcased immense resilience, tallying 209 tackles – their highest count in the entire 2023 tournament. In contrast, New Zealand made a total of 93 tackles during the final.

Handre Pollard’s Heroics

An unexpected contributor to South Africa’s victory was fly-half Handre Pollard. Initially excluded from the squad due to injury, he entered the scene when hooker Malcolm Marx was ruled out during the pool stage.

Pollard proved indispensable with his reliable kicking accuracy. He played in all four matches leading up to the final and maintained a perfect record from the tee, scoring points with all 13 attempts at goal. His influential performance included securing all 12 crucial points within just 34 minutes at Stade de France, while New Zealand missed challenging kicks in difficult positions during the second half.

A Challenging Pathway

No one can accuse South Africa of having an easy route to glory in France. Ranked at the top entering into World Cup, they faced formidable opponents ranging from second to sixth place on recent rankings:

• Ireland (previous number one side)
• Scotland (contributing towards quarter-final qualification)
• France (quarter-finals)
• England (semi-finals)
• New Zealand (finals)

Their victories over these strong contenders ultimately crowned them champions once again, solidifying their status as a dominant force within international rugby.