Rugby World Cup 2023 Final – South Africa vs New Zealand

Either the Springboks or the All Blacks will be breaking records in the Rugby World Cup 2023 final on Saturday 28th October at Stade de France in Paris, where a sellout crowd of 80,000 plus are expected – but no matter how much you pore over the stats and numbers, it’s a tough result to predict.

Despite there being some animosity over one of these two sides once again lifting the Webb Ellis trophy (they have held it between them since 2007), we think it’s a fitting celebration of the sport’s 200th birthday.

This is the 106th test in the 102-year history between these two nations – The All Blacks lead the win count 62-39, with four drawn games, and in World Cups, the head-to-head is 3-2 in favour of NZ. South Africa however, has never lost an RWC final and has yet to concede a try in a final!

The Battle Up Front – SA vs NZ

There is so much at stake in this match which will see the two most successful men’s RWC teams compete for only the second time in a final. Much has been made of the Boks selection to opt for a 7-1 split but the two packs will have a huge part to play in Paris.

The lineout has been one of New Zealand’s main sources of tries, with 42 per cent being scored from here, while the Springbok have conceded 71% of their tries from lineouts in France.

The scrums have been a huge strength for the SA team and have helped them to come from behind at half-time to win their last two matches at RWC 2023, overturning a three-point deficit against France and a six-point deficit against England – a scrum penalty at the death in the semifinal broke English hearts.

However, even though South Africa won five scrum penalties against the All Blacks in their record win in August, the New Zealand pack has conceded the fewest scrum penalties of any team at RWC 2023 (only two).

South Africa assistant coach, Mzwandile Stick, said this week, “The key for us as a coaching staff was to select the best possible 23 players to be able to perform against New Zealand. We know they have very special players in their team and we know they want to keep the ball in play. If you look at the balance, for us to be able to have seven fresh forwards in the second half, that was one of our key focus points to go for the seven-one [bench split].”

He added, “This moment is very special for everyone involved. Just to be able to play a World Cup final is a very special occasion. You ask about our background… to be honest this is what we live for, it’s about the people who are dreaming to be in our position in our communities back in South Africa. We just want to do everything in our power to make sure we are reuniting those people.”

Ian Foster, the All Blacks head coach, said, “Set-piece will be massive. In previous World Cups the execution of the roles in that area has always been critical. It’s an area where we have a lot of confidence in our game. For all the pressure, for all the different occasions, rugby is quite a simple game. You have to do well on your own ball, you have to control the set-piece. I don’t just mean the forward stuff, I mean the forward-back connection and how you use the ball in those early phases. I reckon that’s a key part of it. 

“And after that there’s how you deal with each team’s strengths. They’ll be trying to deal with our strengths and trying to figure out how to negate them, and we’ll have to deal with their strengths to make sure they don’t get into that comfortable space. Both teams are in the same camp and that’s what I love about it.”

RWC 2023 Final – The stats

Some stats to keep in mind for the RWC 2023 final:

• Both sides are the current top two men’s sides in the world, according to the World Rugby Men’s Rankings powered by Capgemini (SA#1 and NZ #2).
• Both sides have lost a pool game at RWC 2023 – this is the first time a men’s final will be contested by both teams without a 100 per cent tournament record.
• Both Head Coaches will be in charge for the last time for their respective sides – Jacques Nienaber for SA, and Ian Foster for NZ.
• NZ became the first men’s team to reach 5 Rugby World Cup finals – both teams could become the first to win a 4th title.
• Only the second time the two will play a final, with SA famously beating NZ in 1995 to lift their first title.
• The team ahead or level at half-time has won the past seven tests between SA and NZ, and 13 of the past 16 tests since 2016.
• The last time these two met was in the RWC 2023 warmups at Twickenham when South Africa inflicted the All Blacks’ heaviest defeat in test history with a 35-7 win.
• SA has only beaten New Zealand in consecutive tests once in the past 13 years.

Wayne Barnes (England) is the match referee in what is his first World Cup final, in his 111th match. Karl Dickson and Matthew Carley are assistant referees, with Tom Foley as the TMO.

RWC 2023 Final – Match Kits

Both teams will wear their home jersey in the Rugby World Cup 2023 final, with the Springboks in green and New Zealand in black.

South Africa vs New Zealand Match Permutations – RWC 2023 Final

• Whoever wins the Rugby World Cup 2023 final will be ranked number one in the men’s game.
• South Africa will fall two places to third if beaten by the All Blacks, and Ireland will climb one place to second.
• Defeat for New Zealand will see them slip below Ireland into third place.

For The Fans – France RWC 2023 Final

Anyone attending the RWC 2023 final on Saturday is encouraged to to the stadium early.

MIKA, an ambassador of France 2023’s programme La Mêlée des Choeurs, will perform a pre-match performance at the Stade de France and will be accompanied on stage by the children of the Maîtrise Populaire de l’Opéra-Comique, who were part of the project La Mêlée des Choeurs.

Gilbert is offering their Rugby World Cup 2023 Final Innovo Match Ball available exclusively online and at the RWC 2023 Megastore Place de la Concorde in Paris. Each ball will be supplied in a presentation box and with a certificate of authenticity – it will have the match date and location of the RWC 2023 international final, an illustration of the Webb Ellis Cup in the centre of the ball.

The RWC 2023 Megastore in Paris is also offering an exclusive RWC 2023 Final match ball, including an NFT chip inside the ball – the first of its kind ever seen at a Rugby World Cup – Limited to only 150 available, exclusively the RWC 2023 Megastore Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Springboks vs All Blacks – SA Squad – Saturday 28 October 2023

Springboks Head coach Jacques Nienaber has made five changes to his match-day squad from the team that narrowly beat England in the one-point semi-final victory over England. The coaches have gone for a high-risk 7-1 forwards split, with two changes to the starting XV and three on the bench.

Neinaber added, “The team is not 15, it is 23. We always say that. When you do squad selection there are a lot of things that influence that from medical to past performances and a lot of analysis into New Zealand and where we think we can get the edge on them.”

In total, 10 SA players in the starting XV also started the Rugby World Cup 2019 (with 14 in the matchday squad who played the final in 2019) – Mbongeni Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen, Faf de Klerk, Handré Pollard, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe. In addition, Steven Kitshoff and Franco Mostert were on the bench in 2019 and start this final, while Willie Le Roux, who started four years ago, is on the bench this weekend and RG Snyman is again on the bench.

South Africa’s starting XV boasts a combined 987 caps with the back three of Kolbe (30 caps), Kurt-Lee Arendse (14) and Damian Willemse (38) the only players that have fewer than 50 caps in the starting XV.

• Springboks captain Siya Kolisi will become the most capped RWC captain for South Africa, surpassing John Smit in his 12th test in charge.

Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Duane Vermeulen

Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese, Willie Le Roux

Springboks vs All Blacks – New Zealand Squad – Saturday 28 October 2023

New Zealand’s starting XV in the RWC 2023 final has 981 caps’ experience – with four centurions in the match-day team. Head coach Ian Foster has made only two changes to his match-day team from their 44-6 win in the semifinal Argentina-  Brodie Retallick replaces Sam Whitelock in the second-row, and Nepo Laulala replaces Fletcher Newell on the bench.

There are five survivors in the match-day team from their RWC 2015 final victory against Australia at Twickenham – Beauden Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith and captain Sam Cane.

• Will Jordan could break the men’s tournament record of 8 tries if he scores in the final. He is tied with Jonah Lomu (1999), Bryan Habana (2007) and Julian Savea (2015) – interestingly, none of these three previous players were able to score their ninth try in their final match of the tournament.
• Sam Whitelock could become the first men’s player to win a third RWC – this is his last game for the All Blacks.

Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Tele’a; Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (captain), Ardie Savea

Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Nepo Laulala, Samuel Whitelock, Dalton Papali’i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown

Rugby World Cup News

• RWC 2023 Final – The JRLO Connection.
• Rugby World Cup 2023 – The Final
• Rugby World Cup 2027 – What Changes Have Been Made?
• Rugby World Cup 2023 Semifinals Week.