STADE DE FRANCE – Twenty-eight years between drinks and drama was always on the cards between these two great foes. Little did we know just how much.
But just like that famous win at Ellis Park where Nelson Mandela handed over the William Webb Ellis Cup to Francois Pienaar, it was the Springboks who once again prevailed 12-11 in an instant classic.
In a match of controversy, where cards of yellow and red were handed out quicker than a game of Uno, thundering shots both legal and illegal were put on by rugby’s two greatest sides.
There could only be one winner, as the Springboks sealed their third one-point victory in a row to move into uncharted territory by claiming their fourth World Cup – a record, leapfrogging ahead of the All Blacks.
Damian Willemse celebrates during the Springboks’ World Cup win over the All Blacks at Stade de France on October 28, 2023 in Paris. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
A missed Richie Mo’unga conversion following Beauden Barrett’s 58th minute try – the only five-pointer of the match – ultimately proved the difference.
Unlike the blue skies that greeted Johannesburg and the Boeing 747 plane that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in attendance, rain and dampness poured down on the Stade de France.
Yet nothing was going to dampen this evening.