Rugby World Cup Final Preview

New Zealand have been installed as the narrow favourites to beat South Africa when the teams meet in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday. The All Blacks will be full of confidence after beating Ireland in the quarter-finals and then thrashing Argentina in the semis. However, they will need to be at their brilliant best to beat the reigning world champions at Stade de France in Paris this weekend. The Springboks are also surging with momentum following their last-gasp win against England in the other semi-final, so it promises to be an epic clash.

This Rugby World Cup final preview highlights the head-to-head record between these Southern Hemisphere heavyweights. We have also recapped the path each team has taken en route to the final, and rounded up the key team news. You will discover the key rugby spread betting options available on this big game too, so keep reading to learn more.

BACKGROUND

New Zealand and South Africa are the two most successful teams in Rugby World Cup history, with three wins apiece. The All Blacks won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, while South Africa triumphed in 1995. The Springboks were victorious again in 2007, before New Zealand secured back-to-back successes in 2011 and 2015. South Africa then beat England in the 2019 final.

It means that these teams have held a duopoly over this tournament ever since England lifted the trophy all the way back in 2003. However, they have only ever previously met in one Rugby World Cup final. That came all the way back in 1995, when the teams met at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. It was an almighty battle, which went into extra-time, but South Africa finally picked up a 15-12 win. The All Blacks will have the chance to gain revenge in Paris this weekend.

HEAD-TO-HEADS

These teams have clashed on a regular basis ever since 1921, when New Zealand beat South Africa 13-5 in Dunedin. It is one of the fiercest rivalries in world rugby, which sets the scene for a tense showdown this weekend. They have played against one another 105 times, resulting in 62 wins for the All Blacks, four draws and 39 wins for the Springboks. In that time, New Zealand have scored 2,185 points and South Africa have managed 1,728.

The All Blacks beat South Africa in the group stage at the last World Cup, but the Springboks had the last laugh by winning the tournament. They did not play one another for two years after that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The teams finally renewed hostilities at the 2021 Rugby Championship. New Zealand beat the Springboks 19-17, but South Africa beat them 31-29 a week later. They followed it up with a 26-10 win in August last year, but New Zealand bounced back by beating the Springboks 35-23 a week later.

The All Blacks beat the Springboks 35-20 at the 2023 Rugby Championship, which is the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the Six Nations. New Zealand ended up lifting the trophy for the fourth consecutive year, which could give them a psychological edge this weekend. However, the teams then met at Twickenham in August for a Rugby World Cup warm-up match, and South Africa coasted to a 35-17 win. As such, they are 3-3 in their last six meetings, so it could develop into a tight contest on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND’S ROAD TO THE FINAL

The All Blacks made an inauspicious start to their World Cup campaign, losing 27-13 to France in Paris. Mark Telea scored the fastest opening try in World Cup history when he crossed after just 91 seconds. He added a second later in the match, but five Thomas Ramos penalties and tries from Damian Penaud and Melvyn Jaminet earned Les Bleus a comeback victory. However, New Zealand shrugged off that defeat and finished second in the group after beating Namibia 71-3, Italy 96-17 and Uruguay 73-0.

Their reward was a quarter-final showdown with Ireland, who went into the tournament as the world’s No. 1 ranked team. The Irish had beaten South Africa in the group stage, and they went into the match on the back of a remarkable 18-game winning streak. However, New Zealand dug deep to clinch a famous 28-24 win. They led by just a single point at the break, and it remained a close battle throughout the match, but tries from Leicester Fainga’anuku, Ardie Savea and Will Jordan ultimately earned them the victory.

The All Blacks were then the heavy favourites to beat Argentina in the semi-finals, and they lived up to their billing when they secured a 44-6 win. Jordan scored a hat-trick in the seven-try rout. He has now equalled the record for the most tries in a single Rugby World Cup campaign, and he will move clear of Jonah Lomu (1999), Bryan Habana (2007) and Julian Savea (2015) if he crosses in the final.

SOUTH AFRICA’S ROAD TO THE FINAL

South Africa began their campaign with a routine 76-0 victory over Romania. However, they followed it up by losing 13-8 to Ireland in a tight, tense match. Cheslin Kolbe scored a try for the Springboks, but some awful kicking cost them the win. However, they rallied in time to beat Tonga 49-18, which earned them a place in the quarter-finals.

The top four teams in the world rankings prior to the tournament – Ireland, South Africa, France and New Zealand – were always on a quarter-final collision course due to the group stage draw. The Springboks therefore found themselves up against France, the hosts and tournament favourites. It was another epic battle, which saw the teams score three points apiece in the first half. France had the initiative, but Eben Etzebeth struck for South Africa’s fourth try with 13 minutes to go, and they held on for the win.

The Springboks were expected to destroy England in the semi-finals, but they trailed by nine points at the game approached its conclusion. Yet they refused to give up, and a late try from Rudolph Snyman cut the deficit to two. The South African scrum was relentless, and the Springboks ultimately secured the unlikeliest of triumphs following Handre Pollard’s last-gasp penalty.

TEAM NEWS

Brothers Jordie, Beauden and Scott Barrett could all start alongside one another for New Zealand in the final. All eyes will be on Jordan too as he bids to become the record tryscorer in a single World Cup campaign. The All Blacks have no injury concerns.

South African head coach Rassie Erasmus also has a clean bill of health. He hauled off Manie Libbok, the Springboks’ starting outhalf for the entire tournament, after just 31 minutes against England in the semi-finals. Pollard, who replaced him, was faultless in his kicking, leaving Erasmus with a big decision to make. The South Africans will also wait to see if World Rugby hands out a punishment to hooker Bongi Mbonambi after alleged racial abuse of Tom Curry in the semis.

RUGBY WORLD CUP FINAL BETTING OPTIONS

New Zealand are the slight favourites in the rugby spread betting on this game. We have given them a 100 Index of 51-57. In this Rugby World Cup spread betting market, a team gets 100 points for winning and zero for losing. You can buy at 57 if you think they will win or sell at 51 if you expect them to lose. By contrast, South Africa are priced at 40-46 in this rugby union spread betting market.

Elsewhere, we make New Zealand the 1-3 point favourites in the Match Supremacy market. You can buy at 3 if you think they will win by at least three points, or sell at 1 if you think they will struggle. The Total Points market is priced at 43-45, and there are loads of additional options too for anyone that likes to spread bet on rugby. Check out the New Zealand vs. South Africa spread betting markets and make your plays before the match begins.