After a pulsating 80 minute final the Boks deservedly emerged victorious.
It had been a low scoring affair but the Boks were dominant from the beginning. In typical finals fashion the game never really opened up, but it could have done so if needed. The mighty Boks took England on up front and beat them at their own game.
It was a hard, forward oriented and territorial affair, but the superior boot of Du Preez, James and Montgomery meant England couldn’t settle into their rhythm. In fact England achieved greater territorial and Posessional advantage but simply couldn’t put that to use against a defence that was quite simply too strong, too committed and too patient. The Boks never panicked and simply waited and forced the errors from the English.

In the first half the Boks had a few chances to score a try but couldn’t quite crack the English defence when they could have finished the game much like the pool match. However some weak refereeing when the Poms deliberately infringed, and a bad call when Fourie Du Preez had the ball at the bottom of a ruck on the English line didn’t help the Bok cause.

The plan had been for the Boks to open the game up in the second half but they never really needed too. England came close to scoring a try with a break from Tait early in the second half, but TMO Dickinson made the right call after a series of fantastic desperation tackles from Matfield and then Rossouw that epitomises the character and skill in the Springbok team. Photographic evidence proves they were the right call as Cueto had a foot on the line. Had England scored the Bok approach would have changed such is the ability of this champion team, but as I stated they didn’t need to and once they created the 9 point buffer England were never going to come back as they couldn’t score a try, their plan being to win penalties and rely on Wilkinson to keep them intact.

In the end the Boks never needed to step out of second gear. Their superior strength, fitness and commitment getting them home easily. In scenes reminiscent of 1995, no team deserved victory more as a country was united by a team of heroes who have fullfilled their destinies.

Viva Die Bokke!

South Africa 15: Percy Montgomery kicked four penalties and Francois Steyn a penalty.
England 6: Jonny Wilkinson kicked two penalties.