The Historic Rivalry and Rich History of New Zealand and South Africa in the Rugby World Cup Final

Rugby World Cup Final: New Zealand vs South Africa

Get ready for an epic showdown as both New Zealand and South Africa battle it out to become the first nation to win the Rugby World Cup for a record-breaking fourth time. The stage is set in Paris, where these two rugby powerhouses will clash in what promises to be a thrilling final.

This isn’t the first time these teams have met in a Rugby World Cup final. Back in 1995, South Africa emerged victorious on home soil with a nail-biting extra-time victory over their rivals in Johannesburg. Joel Stransky’s iconic drop-goal sealed the deal and united the nation during those challenging times.

The rivalry between these two countries has deep roots, shaped by their rich rugby history. Former South African international Bobby Skinstad aptly describes them as “frontier-type societies,” with one being a small group of islands on the other side of the world and the other situated at the tip of Africa.

South Africa’s journey into Rugby World Cups began as hosts in 1995 after years of sporting bans prevented them from participating earlier. Meanwhile, New Zealand blazed through this year’s tournament with four incredible tries by Jonah Lomu propelling them into the final as favorites.

The 1995 final was marked by intense physicality but lacked try-scoring action, with Stransky and Andrew Mehrtens trading penalties and drop-goals throughout regular playing time. As tensions rose, they entered extra-time where Stransky once again stole the show with a drop-goal that secured South Africa their maiden World Cup triumph.

Mehrtens, reflecting on that match, acknowledges that South Africa’s relentless tackling prevented them from executing their game plan effectively. The Springboks took pleasure in shutting down the mighty Lomu and disrupting New Zealand’s usual dominance on the field.

What made South Africa’s victory even more significant was Nelson Mandela’s involvement. The former political prisoner turned president handed over the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar while donning a Springbok rugby shirt—a symbol previously associated with apartheid but now embraced as a unifying emblem for all South Africans.

Fast forward to recent history, when South Africa dealt a devastating blow to New Zealand during their final warm-up game before this year’s Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks suffered their heaviest defeat ever at Twickenham, losing 35-7 and ending an impressive unbeaten streak of 11 matches against various opponents.

The Battle Continues: A Historic Rivalry

In over 100 encounters between these two nations, New Zealand has emerged victorious 62 times compared to South Africa’s 39 wins, with four draws sprinkled throughout history. Yet, when it comes to Rugby World Cups specifically, the All Blacks hold a slight edge over the Springboks with three championships under their belt compared to two for South Africa.

With both teams hungry for glory and eager to etch their names into rugby folklore once again, Saturday’s final promises high stakes drama and intense competition like never before. Strap in tight because we are about to witness another chapter unfold in this storied rivalry!