The final

[bruce]

Not even a penalty for my money, no matter the crowds ooh and aahs

[bruce]

Don't understand that decision, take the 3 points

[Galfon]

inspired play - all for nowt

[bruce]

Again take the feckin 3 points

[bruce]

Loved that steal

[bruce]

Kwagga is good

[bruce]

Game over. SA retain.

[Galfon]

Juan Poynter does it again..
Two quality teams .Thought Barnes and his buddy got much right.

[UKHamlet]

Anti-rugby wins. Dreadful final characterised by poor handling and won by a team scoring in multiples of 3.

[morepork]

Kolisi not getting a red is straight up bullshit.

No it isn’t. Suck it up.

[Puja]

Kolisi not getting a red is straight up bullshit.

I don't see it. The first contact is with the shoulder, so it's not direct.

Puja

[canta_brian]

Stats will be interesting.

SA have managed to be the most negative team to ever win a World Cup. Not sure that attracts new fans.

Also, Kilosi is a great player, but how his tackle merits a lower sanction that Cane’s is unexplainable.

[bruce]

Du Toit has got no shoulders

[bruce]

Stats will be interesting.

SA have managed to be the most negative team to ever win a World Cup. Not sure that attracts new fans.

Also, Kilosi is a great player, but how his tackle merits a lower sanction that Cane’s is unexplainable.

Come off it. As I said earlier I didn't even think Kolisis was a penalty. It was a tight game between two good teams that cancelled each other out to some degree.

[bruce]

Oh and although Savea is a great player, take the points. Thats what lost this for NZ.

[Sourdust]

Well that was pretty dreadful.

I take the point about negative rugby, but that was hardly circus entertainers vs farm labourers, was it? NZ had more going forward perhaps, but not ENOUGH more to have any complaints IMO. They were the better side in the 2nd half, but only 5 points better when they needed 7. It's still a problem for the game's evolution IMO, that a team who can be so dazzlingly entertaining one week, can be so utterly nullified once they meet another team at their physical level. And that goes for both sides today, really. It's why France going out was a bad thing not just for France.

[UKHamlet]

Why NZ persist eith Mo'unga as a kicker completely escapes me.

[bruce]

How many medals do they have to give out ffs

[morepork]

Stats will be interesting.

SA have managed to be the most negative team to ever win a World Cup. Not sure that attracts new fans.

Also, Kilosi is a great player, but how his tackle merits a lower sanction that Cane’s is unexplainable.

They won man. End of.

[morepork]

Well that was pretty dreadful.

I take the point about negative rugby, but that was hardly circus entertainers vs farm labourers, was it? NZ had more going forward perhaps, but not ENOUGH more to have any complaints IMO. They were the better side in the 2nd half, but only 5 points better when they needed 7. It's still a problem for the game's evolution IMO, that a team who can be so dazzlingly entertaining one week, can be so utterly nullified once they meet another team at their physical level. And that goes for both sides today, really. It's why France going out was a bad thing not just for France.

Job for a coach.

Congratulations Boks. Just better.

[canta_brian]

Stats will be interesting.

SA have managed to be the most negative team to ever win a World Cup. Not sure that attracts new fans.

Also, Kilosi is a great player, but how his tackle merits a lower sanction that Cane’s is unexplainable.

Come off it. As I said earlier I didn't even think Kolisis was a penalty. It was a tight game between two good teams that cancelled each other out to some degree.

New to the game are you?

[Beasties]

Why NZ persist eith Mo'unga as a kicker completely escapes me.

Mo’unga had a fantastic game. NZ’s intensity dropped when he and Smith went off. Savea mighty. B Barrett was poor in comparison. The ABs can hold their heads up, that SA steamroller is mighty, as they’ve proved over and over all through the tournament.

I’m baffled by the negativity on here. As a neutral that was fantastically intense. In the rain after all, and 14 v 15. Barnes was very good too.

[switchskier]

The AB's deserve huge credit for making that so close. SA refusal to go through the hands and exploit the extra man helped them. At the end it was an engrossing final which is all you can ask for really.

I did find the repeated drop goal attempts quite funny. If that was the plan then you'd think that they'd have practiced them a bit more.

[paddy no 11]

Poor enough final

SA a bit fortunate, etzebeth and ptsd should both have got yellow

NZ had an easy 3 points on 50 mins they should have taken, they ended up asking barrett to kick a very difficult penalty 25 minutes later for the same 3 points

Mckenzie should have come in for beauden he was poor

[Puja]

Stats will be interesting.

SA have managed to be the most negative team to ever win a World Cup. Not sure that attracts new fans.

Also, Kilosi is a great player, but how his tackle merits a lower sanction that Cane’s is unexplainable.

Come off it. As I said earlier I didn't even think Kolisis was a penalty. It was a tight game between two good teams that cancelled each other out to some degree.

New to the game are you?

Come on mate. All the English and French can empathise with how frustrating it is to just be unable to get that last score to overtake them and then watch as a last lost ball robs your chance and sends them gamboling and celebrating away, acting like they've got even a tenth of a joy that Ben Earl gets from the award of a regulation penalty. It's tough and I appreciate that it's easy to fixate on moments where the game could've turned.

But seriously, it wasn't a red. It's not direct contact to the head, cause it's shoulder on shoulder first. Take a break, come back in the morning when it's less emotional, and you'll agree with everyone else.

Puja