Brilliant Boks are worthy champions

So they have only gone and done it! South Africa have become the first team to win four World Cups which is pretty decent considering they’ve only ever been allowed to enter eight tournaments.

- BRENDAN GALLAGHER

It came with drama and a little controversy, of course it was, because this was the Boks v the ABs. New Zealand skipper Sam Cane was sent off for a high hit on Jessie Kriel in the 27th minute and that influenced but did not ruin the game. Cane is invariably pretty upright when he goes for those big pile drivers but in recent matches has directed and timed his challenges perfectly. Alas, on the biggest night of all, he was slightly off and paid a heavy price

In the last month or so, since official doms’s draconian opening salvo on such challenges at this World Cup, refs have been a tad more lenient but in truth it looked a likely red from the off. When the man with no name in the bunker at Roland Garros gave the thumbs down it was disappointing, but not a surprise.

Meanwhile, back at the Stade were cards, disallowed tries, frequent recourse to the TMO, close calls. We had the lot. There are many South African heroes in this story from the innovative coaching duo of Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus to stand out players in every compartment and last night it was Pieter Steph Du Toit – World Player of the Year when the Boks last won the World Cup – who produced a supernatural physical effort up front to spearhead the Boks challenge. Handre Pollard wasn’t far behind, an individual who can look ordinary in ordinary games and world beating on the very best occasions.