England lose Rugby World Cup final to South Africa

England suffered heartbreak in their attempt to regain the Rugby World Cup as South Africa routed Eddie Jones’s side in a dominant performance to become world champions for the third time.

In a 32-12 result that continues the Southern Hemisphere’s grip on the sport into a fourth consecutive World Cup cycle, the Springboks showed the very best of both sides to their game, physically dominating England early on with power before killing them off through precision late on.

After so much talk of one-dimensional rugby, it was apt that their tries came from Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe, the two talented wings, who finally had the shackles removed as Rassie Erasmus deployed a game plan that completely caught England off-guard. With 22 points from the boot of fly-half Handre Pollard largely thanks to South Africa’s dominance in the scrum, England for the first time in Japan failed to lead the match at all, with four Owen Farrell penalties all they had to show for their efforts.

Their run to the final has captured the imagination of the nation back home in what remains an incredible year of English sporting achievement, but there will not be any repeat of the cricketing heroics of the summer, and given what the sight of Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s first black captain, lifting the Webb Ellis Cup on his 50th appearance represents for his nation, it’s hard to argue that this wasn’t the real fairy tale story.

Heartbreak comes in many forms, particularly in the emotional pit that is a World Cup final, but Kyle Sinckler knocked unconscious and showing clear signs of concussion was sickening to see. Immediate concern for the England prop saw the game halted with not even three minutes on the clock, with a combination of trying to tackle Mapimpi and clashing accidentally with Maro Itoje doing the damage. It was more than relief when Sinckler arose to his feet some five minutes later, but his departure caused much bigger issues for England than immediately met the eye.

It meant Dan Cole had to go 78 minutes against a Tendai Mtawarira enjoying the game of his life – arguably finer than his career-defining display in the 2009 British and Irish Lions first Test – and the stream of penalties going against the tighthead paved the way for the Springboks to build a lead.

Pollard had already missed his range-finder in the second minute after Courtney Lawes failed to roll away when he was given a second chance to get the scoreboard moving nine minutes in, with Owen Farrell stitched up after a poor Billy Vunipola pass missed George Ford leaving the England skipper holding on to Duane Vermeulen.

The loss of Sinckler appeared to have a large impact on their ability to find their feet, and though South Africa went about trying to punish them, they did not take the points their early dominance deserved. Willie le Roux, who has looked desperately short of the player who has lit up the Premiership for the last two years, dropped a high ball and Pollard missed touch from a penalty to allow England back into the contest, and from their first real attack Kolbe failed to roll away after tackling Billy Vunipola and Farrell levelled the scores – 23 minutes in, it was not what England deserved at all – and with Mbongeni Mbonambi and Lood de Jager both forced off, the 2003 champions finally had a foothold.

But the scrum issues were growing. Cole was penalised again 25 minutes in and Pollard restored the three-point lead. England responded with the best period of pressure so far, yet the astonishing Springboks defence somehow survived 26 brutal phases without being fully breached. Instead, Mtawarira conceded a penalty for not rolling away and Farrell levelled the scores again.

South Africa would regain control though and finish the half the stronger. Billy Vunipola was forced to hold on under pressure from Vermuelen to give Pollard another three points from more than 40 metres out, and yet another scrum infringement from Cole gave the stand-off one more chance on the stroke of half-time to double the advantage.

The Springboks have made a big deal of their not-so-appropriately named ‘Bomb Squad’ replacements at this World Cup, with Erasmus preferring a six-two split of forwards to backs to strengthen their forward dominance. It showed when replacement props Steven Kitschoff and Vincent Koch entered the fray, and immediately won a penalty as the entire English front row popped up under intense pressure. Pollard stretched the lead to 15-6 – the same 15-6 scoreline that did for England in this match 12 years ago, but worse was to come.

England at least seemed to address their scrummaging issue by introducing Joe Marler for Mako Vunipola and the Harlequins loosehead helped demolish a Springboks scrum that brought three points for Farrell 12 minutes into the second half, but the captain – moved to fly-half as Eddie Jones hauled off George Ford for Henry Slade – missed his next effort where Pollard didn’t as he punished an offside Manu Tuilagi for his over-eagerness in defence to extend the lead to nine.

Tuilagi made up for his indiscretion almost immediately by smashing into Vermeulen off the restart, forcing Marx to come in at the side and concede the penalty that Farrell duly kicked, and at 12-18, the next score was going to prove crucial.

That is what made South Africa’s performance so special. When the pressure mounted to its most, they delivered the style of rugby they were accused of not possessing. Smart thinking from Faf de Klerk triggered a move down the blindside when England were lacking in numbers. Malcolm Marx fed Lukhanyo Am, and he released Mapimpi down the left into space. The wing kicked down-field with Elliot Daly well out of position, and Am regathered to send Mapimpi over for the Springboks’ first ever try in a World Cup final. It wouldn’t be their last.

With England looking beat, Slade knocked on in contact with Marx and the Springboks swiftly countered, with Am gathering the ball and popping up off the deck to Du Toit. The flanker knew the protocol: give it to Cheslin, and Kolbe exploded down the right wing, stepping inside a flailing Farrell to score the clincher. There was enough time for Pollard to shank one of the worst drop-goal attempts in history, but it mattered not when the fly-half cannoned the ball into touch to spark the celebrations.

England: Elliot Daly; Anthony Watson, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell, Jonny May (Jonathan Joseph, 70); George Ford (Henry Slade, 50), Ben Youngs (Ben Spencer, 76); Mako Vunipola (Joe Marler, 46), Jamie George (Luke Cowan-Dickie, 60), Kyle Sinckler (Dan Cole, 3); Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes (George Kruis, 41); Tom Curry, Sam Underhill (Mark Wilson, 60), Billy Vunipola.

South Africa: Willie le Roux (Frans Steyn, 68); Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk (Herschel Jantjies, 77); Tendai Mtawarira (Steven Kitschoff, 44), Bongi Mbonambi (Malcolm Marx, 22), Frans Malherbe (Vincent Koch, 44); Eben Etzebeth (RG Snyman, 60), Lood de Jager (Franco Mostert, 22); Siya Kolisi (Francois Louw, 64), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermuelen.