Rugby World Cup 2023: All Blacks v South Africa a fitting final for rugby’s greatest rivalry

How fitting that after the volatile permutations and predictions rugby’s greatest rivalry, and the All Blacks’ greatest foe, will contest the World Cup final.

England and South Africa’s toe-to-toe semifinal in the Paris rain won’t be remembered as one of the great World Cup spectacles. Truth is, for all the tension, this was a proper ugly slugfest. The last four of a World Cup, though, rarely evokes captivating scenes.

England will rue the best performance of the budding Steve Borthwick era. With Owen Farrell collecting threes on the back of forward grunt, England seized their natural conservatism - only to falter with the finish in sight. Welcome to the heartbreak hotel.

The Springboks will thank their impact from the bench, the second half scrum blitz and embrace their unconvincing great escape. At this point, winning ugly is all that matters.

Twenty-eight years after South Africa’s home World Cup triumph that bookended the amateur rugby era and united the Rainbow Nation, the All Blacks and South Africa will collide for the second occasion on the ultimate stage.

Pieter-Steph Du Toit of South Africa celebrates following the team’s win. Photo / Getty Images.

The world is a contrasting place to 1995 when DVDs were invented, PlayStation released its first console, Jim Bolger was Prime Minister, Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown were born and Nelson Mandela harnessed rugby as a powerful vehicle for change.

Rugby in the professional age significantly evolved since then but the relationship between the All Blacks and Springboks remains as compelling and competitive as ever.

Three wins each from their last six tests reveals as much.

With this World Cup champion set to become the first team to claim a fourth global title and, for the next four years at least, be crowned the most successful rugby nation in history, the stakes have never been higher.

England’s gallant exit leaves the north without a starter in the World Cup home straight. While Ireland and France may continue to begrudge the horribly botched draw, this is the final the World Cup desperately needs.

This finale has the makings of another all-time classic, with enough plotlines to stoke any braai.

The All Blacks and Boks share a deep-seated mutual respect that extends throughout New Zealand and South African supporters. On the field, though, there are no more combative, contrasting contestants.

While the Boks present a man mountain, forward-stacked bench, size challenge a seminal symmetry brews for Ian Foster’s All Blacks.

It was at Ellis Park after all, the spiritual home of South African rugby, where the All Blacks, widely written off and with their backs to the wall, conjured a defiant performance that, combined with vocal reinforcement from senior players and Joe Schmidt’s influential support, saved Foster’s tenure from the brink last year.

Without that upset, the All Blacks may not be preparing for their final frontier at Stade de France.

Faf de Klerk of South Africa celebrates after the team is awarded a penalty. Photo / Getty Images.

A loss to the Boks at Ellis Park some 14 months ago, while NZ Rugby executives had fingers hovering over the coaching ejection button, and the All Blacks management team were poised for an overhaul that would have sparked an uncharted rebuild.

Those who believe in destiny can make a strong case but in elite sport, nothing happens by chance. Teams and individuals sacrifice to forge their own fate.

Everything hasn’t gone to plan for the All Blacks following that memorable August victory in Johannesburg. The undulating road since features a litany of trial and errors, successes and failures, but it’s clear the coaching and senior leadership group are aligned in unison.

The adversity of the past two years has bred an inherent resilience, defiance and trust widely evident in the repeat defensive efforts that will be needed in spades in the final.

Through design and circumstance the All Blacks have timed their peak. Sam Cane, Tyrel Lomax, Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell’s injury absences for their World Cup-opening defeat to France were pivotal.

With that quartet back on deck the All Blacks are a different beast. Those influential returns helped the All Blacks target the knockout stages and deliver the defining performance of this tournament to stun Ireland, the vaunted world No 1.

Whatever happens from here, that underdog victory will forever rank as one of the finest in All Blacks history.

While Ellis Park will be marked as the date, the result, this All Blacks team regained their identity, this is no time for reflection.

To complete their full circle journey the All Blacks must embrace and live in the now.

Fuelling a World Cup final won’t be difficult with a second global title from eight attempts in the offing but Twickenham memories will further sharpen minds.

Codie Taylor of New Zealand waves to fans and spectators after the game. Photo / Photosport.

Two months ago the All Blacks suffered a horror 35-7 defeat against the Boks in London – their worst loss in test history. Scott Barett’s dismissal for his second yellow card at the end of the first half – and Cane’s sin bin – didn’t help but on the eve of the World Cup the All Blacks weren’t mentally in the house that night. As a result, they copped the Boks at their brutal best.

This was South Africa, brimming with fire and brimstone, in full flight. They crushed the All Blacks pack from the outset to end their 11-match unbeaten resurgence and serve a timely reminder that the Boks are defending World Cup champions.

The Boks, like the All Blacks, now arrive at the final after one pool stage defeat. They, too, never dwelled on their narrow loss to Ireland. They, too, know their game intrinsically.

Handre Pollard’s experienced, calming return pushed the Boks past France by the narrowest of margins in their tense quarter-final. Pollard again proved the difference with his clutch 78th minute penalty strike sending the Boks to successive World Cup finals.

While the All Blacks will draw on the experience of those who have been here before - Sam Whitelock, the first man to reach three World Cup finals, having won the previous two, Dane Coles, Beauden Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Cane and Aaron Smith – Pollard is among a host of Boks returning from their 2019 success.

In many respects, this South African outfit is a superior team to four years ago.

Through the ages little separates the All Blacks and Boks at their best.

Forget everything that has gone before.

The latest chapter in rugby’s greatest rivalry sets the pinnacle stage for a familiar, fitting, even-odds finale.