Victory in Wellington
The Boks’ 36-34 win against the All Blacks in Wellington will live as one of the highlights not only for the team of 2018 and coach Rassie Erasmus, but also as one of those unforgettable moments in SA sporting history.
The Boks went into the match as overwhelming underdogs, on the back of two successive defeats to Argentina and Australia, and having last won in the Land of the Long White Cloud in 2009.
What unfolded in those 83 minutes inside the Cake Tin was nothing short of another Test match classic between these two great rugby nations.
The Springboks unshackled themselves from their lowly sixth-place world ranking against a team that was considered almost invincible to produce one of world sports improbable wins. It was a moment where the All Blacks were proven to be as vulnerable as any team and human after all, while the Boks stopped being the laughing stock of world rugby and were taken seriously once again. ruthless as they were in the last two years, but they had done enough to place themselves in a favourable position and as the second best team in the competition.
But coming up against a Crusaders side who had never lost a playoff match in Christchurch, it was mission impossible for the men from Johannesburg whose valiant fight and bravery were never going to be enough to overcome the forward strength and finesse of the Crusaders.
The New Zealanders proved yet again that they are the best team in the competition, while the Lions were left with that hollow and painful feeling of being nearly champions again. quarter-final encounter against Spain winning it in extra time, before marching on to the final where they beat England to secure the Paris title and back-to-back world titles.
It was an unlikely victory for Neil Powell’s men as they only won two tournaments in Dubai and Paris, compared to Fiji who had won five tournaments.
The Blitzboks joined New Zealand and Fiji as the only other teams to have successfully defended a series title and will be looking to become the first to win three consecutive world titles this season.