On Saturday, South Africa won the Rugby World Cup for the fourth time, becoming the first team to achieve this feat. They secured a narrow 12-11 victory against New Zealand at the Stade de France. However, the All Blacks were at a disadvantage, as their captain Sam Cane received a red card for a high tackle 30 minutes into the game, becoming the first player to be sent off in a World Cup final. Despite losing their hooker Bongi Mbonambi to a knee injury in the third minute, the Springboks maintained their lead of 12-3 with Handre Pollard scoring four penalties. Beauden Barrett scored a try and Richie Mo’unga contributed six points from the tee, but it was not enough to stop South Africa from winning their third game in a row by a single point. In the final seven minutes, New Zealand had a chance to win the game with a penalty, but Jordie Barrett missed the mark. South Africa celebrated their second final win against the All Blacks, the first being in 1995.
