RWC23: South Africa edge past New Zealand to win record 4th Rugby World Cup title

 



The Springboks outlast the All Blacks in heavyweight final to make it back-to-back crowns in Paris



Siya Kolisi scaled rare heights in Paris as South Africa edged past New Zealand 12-11 for their captain to lift a second-straight Rugby World Cupcrown.


Handre Pollard’s four penalties somehow proved just enough for the Springboks to defend their 2019 title, for a record fourth World Cup triumph.



New Zealand captain Sam Cane became the first man to be sent off in a World Cup final, for a head-high shot on Jesse Kriel.





The 32-year-old , the first-ever black Springbok captain, Kolisi is also just the second man to lift the Webb Ellis Cup twice, after New Zealand great Richie McCaw, who did it in 2011 and 2015.


The All Blacks had Shannon Frizell sin-binned just two minutes in, while the Springboks were hit with yellows for Kolisi and Cheslin Kolbe.


All Blacks full-back Beauden Barrett ran in the first-ever try against South Africa in a World Cup final, and 14-man New Zealand came so close to pulling off the near impossible.


South Africa looked spent at least four times in this contest, but somehow always found the extra tackle, the extra drive, the decisive intervention.


While captain Cane will be left to lick the wounds of his needless red card, skipper Kolisi carved his name in stone into rugby’s very annals.


New Zealand kept South Africa scoreless for the entire second half, but still the Boks battled through.


To have faced Scotland, Ireland, France, England and New Zealand and still to have triumphed speaks volumes about this squad’s tenacity, depth and spirit.


*** credits : standard.co.uk

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Olympics24 : Julien Alfred of St Lucia becomes fastest woman on earth by winning 100 mtrs

Image
  Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred did wonders to put her country in the Olympics map by beconing the fastest woman on earth . Before the semi-finals, when Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew, everyone thought Sha'Carri Richardson would easily win the gold. She was expected to become the world's fastest woman. However, Sha'Carri disappointed. St. Lucia's Julien Alfred won the gold in the women's 100 meters at the Olympics, finishing in 10.72 seconds. Sha'Carri secured the silver by finishing second, while America's Melissa Jefferson took bronze. The event was delayed slightly due to rain before the race. Despite the wet track, Julien seemed unaffected. She took the lead right from the start and maintained it until the end. Despite her efforts, Sha'Carri couldn't catch up. Julien set a national record by finishing in 10.72 seconds. Her celebration after winning gold showed how significant this victory was for her and her country. Sha'Car
Read more

Olympics24 : Ten men India edge out Britain in tie breaker to storm into hockey SF

Image
  India reached the Olympic hockey semifinals by defeating Britain in a shootout. The match ended 1-1 in regulation time, leading to a shootout where India won 4-2. India played with ten players for 42 minutes to secure the victory. In the semifinals, India will face the winner of the Germany-Argentina match. A win in Tuesday's match will ensure a silver medal for last time's bronze winners at the Paris Olympics. Following the advice of video umpire , Indian defender Amit Rohidas was shown a red card in the fourth minute of the second quarter for unintentional stick contact with a British player’s head. Video umpire Goyentzen suggested it was intentional, and South African field umpire Sean Rapaport recommended a red card, resulting in India playing the rest of the match with ten players. This is the first red card issued in this Olympic hockey tournament. Despite this, India remained undeterred. Coach Craig Fulton adjusted the strategy after going down to ten players. Captain
Read more

Olympics24 : USA thrives on Steph Curry's late blast to overcome France & win basketball gold, Serbia gets bronze

Image
  For the fifth consecutive time, Team USA secured the gold medal in basketball  at the Olympics by defeating host nation France 98-87 in the championship game of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday. Following a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback to overcome Serbia in the semifinals, Team USA faced another challenge as their 11-point lead in the final quarter was narrowed to just three points after a tip-in by Victor Wembanyama with 2:58 remaining. However, Steph Curry rose to the occasion, scoring 12 points in the final 2:48, all from beyond the 3-point line. His clutch performance not only helped the Americans maintain their lead but also extend it to a more comfortable margin, much to the satisfaction of fans back home who held high expectations for their national basketball team. Curry finished the game with 24 points, while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker each contributed 15 points, and LeBron James added 14. With basketball legends like Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant possibly
Read more