Rugby: Rugby-Clash of heavyweights promises fitting end to World Cup in France

PARIS (Reuters) – Rugby’s two heavyweight powers New Zealand and South Africa compete in Saturday’s final at the Stade de France, in what should be a dramatic finale to a tournament that has offered seven weeks of thrills and spills.

Both countries have won three previous World Cups, meaning Saturday’s victors will put their country at the top of the list for most cups won.

The two have a long-standing rivalry, seen as the most intense in rugby, that stretches back over 100 years and has often produced classic clashes of physical power up against panache and flair.

Defending champions South Africa are banking on their forwards delivering success again, gambling that their “bomb squad” will come off the bench to see them home. Choosing seven forwards and a single back for their eight replacements is risky, however, and if the Springboks lose it will be a selection derided as folly. But if they win, their coaches will be lauded as geniuses.

By their lofty standards, the All Blacks have offered poor returns over the last 24 months, including losing 35-7 to the Springboks in late August in a warm-up test at Twickenham and being beaten by hosts France in the opening game of the tournament in early September.

But they have since won five in a row, including eliminating top-ranked Ireland in the quarter-final and scoring six tries without reply against Argentina in the semi.

Coach Ian Foster said the final would be won in the lineouts and scrums. “Execution of your roles in that area has always been critical and, for us, it’s an area with a lot of confidence in our game. I think that, you know, for all the pressure, for all the different occasions, rugby is quite a simple game. You have to do well on your own ball and get to control the set pieces,” he said.

‘BIGGEST OCCASION RUGBY HAS SEEN’

This is the second time the All Blacks and Boks have met in a World Cup final. The first time, in 1995, South Africa edged it 15-12 in extra time. For the current crop of players, Saturday night’s game is an even more significant match, however.

“It’s probably the biggest occasion that we will ever be part of, probably the biggest rugby game there has ever been,” said South Africa’s coach Jacques Nienaber.

“One and two in the world rankings playing each other in the World Cup final, and whoever wins will be the first country to win a fourth World Cup. It’s massive.”

(Editing by Hugh Lawson)