No one had ever won four men’s Rugby World Cup titles. And, even on a soggy Parisian evening, this really did have the feel of a truly momentous occasion. South Africa have successfully defended their crown and any arguments about the most dominant rugby nation on earth can be temporarily laid to rest.
What an epic, seesawing contest it was. It will be remembered as a tale of two captains. When Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s first black rugby captain, hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup aloft in Japan four years ago it was one of the sport’s most memorable images and now, for every Springbok supporter, there is a glorious sense of deja vu. For his All Black counterpart, Sam Cane, in contrast, it turned out to be the darkest of nights.
