The Springboks are undoubtedly among the most renowned rugby brands in the world. Image: X@Springboks
Not sure about you, but we miss the Springboks!
The noise has died down after the Springboks became back-to-back Rugby World Cup kings. Don’t forget these things though as we take a walk down memory lane.
The Springboks are undoubtedly among the most renowned rugby brands in the world. Image: X@Springboks
Who would have thought nerve-jangling, one-point wins that gave us heart palpitations would be so addictive? The Springboks certainly know how to get under our skin and are the undisputed Rugby World Cup kings.
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France 28-29 South Africa
One of the great Rugby World Cup matches and a tale of two halves. France led 22-19 at the break after a first half containing six tries. The second stanza wasn’t as scintillating but just as gripping, and the contest was eventually settled by a Faf de Klerk rip on a crestfallen Reda Wardi. Pulsating stuff. Surely the game of the tournament?
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England 15-16 South Africa
If the Springboks’ win over France was superbly entertaining, their eventual triumph over England was painstaking. Like with the semi-final in 2019 against Wales, South Africa had to grind out a result in tricky conditions when they weren’t at their best. And grind they did. RG Snyman scored the only try of the game at a stage where South Africa looked dead and buried. Ox Nche turned the tide with his ferocious scrum dominance, eventually leading to a penalty which Handre Pollard nervelessly slotted from roughly 49 metres.
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New Zealand 11-12 South Africa
Only a superhuman rugby player completes 28 tackles in one match. That’s what Springbok flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit mustered in the final against old foes New Zealand. To put that absurd number into some type of context, the previous record for tackles made by one player in a Rugby World Cup final was 18 by Richie McCaw back in 2011. To eclipse that mark by 10 is a monumental effort. Collectively, the Springboks made 208 tackles in the final, the most ever in a knockout match. Of course, this was a collective team effort, but PSDT’s display will be cherished and talked about for many years to come.
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Unsung Heroes and Golden Oldies
Jessi Kriel, so often a target of criticism throughout his career, produced a series of sparkling performances. Deon Fourie was only capped for the first time in July 2022, becoming the oldest-ever Springbok debutant, and now he’s a Rugby World Cup winner. Duane Vermeulen, Man of the Match in the 2019 final, bows out with two winner’s medals.
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