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How they won it: A history of Boks and All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup final victories
The Springboks and All Blacks, who meet in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final on Saturday, have shared six final wins between them.
Mazakole Mapimpi leads the celebrations of the Boks winning the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan. Picture: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images/Getty Images
The Springboks and All Blacks have each won the World Cup three times — the Boks in 1995, 2007 and 2019 and the All Blacks in 1987, 2011 and 2015.
Here, ahead of this Saturday’s 2023 final between the same teams in Paris, we look back on those triumphs.
1987 — All Blacks (in New Zealand and Australia)
The first Rugby World Cup was jointly held in New Zealand and Australia with 16 teams taking part, including the likes of Zimbabwe, Canada and the USA.
New Zealand, captained by David Kirk, were the hot favourites and they duly went on to win the inaugural tournament by beating France 29-9 in the final at Eden Park.
New Zealand were in Pool 3 and they registered wins against Italy (70-6), Fiji (74-13) and Argentina (46-15).
In the quarter-finals they beat Scotland 30-3 and in the semi-finals they knocked over Wales 49-6.
In the final, Kirk, John Kirwin and Michael Jones scored tries, with Grant Fox slotting four penalties, a conversion and a drop-goal. Pierre Berbizier scored France’s try, with Didier Camberabero successful with the conversion and a penalty.
1995 — Springboks (in South Africa)
After being banned from international sport, South Africa won the right to host the 1995 tournament and they would go on to win it under the guidance of Kitch Christie and captain Francois Pienaar.
As previously, 16 teams participated and the big star of the tournament was All Blacks wing Jonah Lomu.
The Boks were in Pool A; they started the tournament with a shock 27-18 win against the defending champions, Australia, and followed it up with wins against Romania (21-8) and Canada (20-0).
They beat Samoa 42-14 in the quarters and France 19-15 in the semis in a wet Durban and in a final against the All Blacks, they triumphed 15-12 after extra-time, with no tries scored. Joel Stransky and Andrew Mehrtens kicked the points for their teams.
2007 — Springboks (in France)
After a difficult 2006 when coach Jake White was nearly fired, the Boks won the tournament the next year under the captaincy of John Smit.
The team included super stars like Bryan Habana, Jaque Fourie, Schalk Burger, Victor Matfield and Os du Randt, who was also a winner in 1995.
Twenty teams participated and the Boks were in Pool A, registering wins against Samoa (59-7), England (36-0), Tonga (30-25) and the USA (64-15).
In the quarter-finals, the Boks beat Fiji 37-20 and, surprisingly, Argentina in the semi-finals 37-13.
In the final, against England, the Boks won 15-6 with Percy Montgomery converting four penalties and Frans Steyn one. Johnny Wilkinson kicked two penalties for England.
Montgomery finished the tournament as leading points scorer and Habana as top try scorer, with eight.
2011 — All Blacks (in New Zealand)
After not winning the title since 1987, yet considered the best team on the planet the All Blacks were back on top on home soil, under the guidance of Richie McCaw.
The team included stars of All Blacks rugby like Tony Woodcock, Mils Muliaina, Sonny Bill Williams and Ma’a Nonu, and was coached by Graham Henry.
The All Blacks powered through Pool A beating Tonga (41-10), Japan (83-7), France (37-17) and Canada (79-15).
In the quarters, they knocked out Argentina (33-10) and then beat Australia (20-6) in the semis. In a nervy final, they faced France again, and edged them 8-7, thanks to a try by Woodcock and penalty by Stephen Donald. France’s points came from a try by captain Thierry Dusautoir and conversion by Francois Trinh-Duc. SA’s Craig Joubert was the referee.
2015 — All Blacks (in England)
The men from New Zealand became the first team to go-back-to-back, again under Richie McCaw, but with Steven Hansen now the man in charge.
The majority of the players who did duty in 2011 where again part of the squad, including the now very experienced Keven Mealamu, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Owen Franks, Kieran Read, Jerome Kaino, Dan Carter, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith.
In pool play the All Blacks beat Argentina 26-16, Namibia 58-14, Georgia 43-10 and Tonga 47-9.
In the quarter-finals the defending champions from 2011 beat France 62-13 and in the semi-finals they knocked out the Boks 20-18 in a thriller.
In the final, they got the better of Australia 34-17 to win back-to-back titles. Nehe Milner-Skudder, Ma’a Nonu and Beauden Barrett scored tries, with Dan Carter converting two, kicking four penalties and a drop-goal.
2019 — Springboks (in Japan)
The Boks were hopeful rather than confident going into the tournament with Rassie Erasmus in charge, having taken over the coaching just a year earlier. Siya Kolisi captained an experienced team, but the Boks lost first up in pool play to New Zealand 23-13.
They bounced back with wins against Namibia (57-3), Italy (49-3), and Canada (66-7).
In the quarters the Boks beat the hosts 26-3 and then edged Wales 19-16 in a tight semi-final.
In the final, against England, the Boks won 32-12 after leading 12-6 at the break.
Tries by Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe rocked England in the second half, while Handre Pollard converted the tries and also kicked six penalties.
Kolisi became the first black captain to win the World Cup and he and Erasmus were hailed as heroes.
