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So, after 44 days of enthralling action, we say goodbye to the Rugby World Cup and Japan.
It has been a fantastic tournament and one that South Africa will never forget.
You can read James Masters’ report on South Africa’s stunning victory over England right here but perhaps we’ll leave it up to Springboks captain Siya Kolisi to have the final word.
Thanks for joining us – it has been an absolute blast.
It’s been a remarkable six weeks for South Africa.
From losing to New Zealand in its opening game to winning the World Cup trophy for a third time.
We think they’re pretty happy about it all…
How good does that look, South Africa fans?
Prince Harry congratulates the South African players in their locker-room following their World Cup victory.
Ever since Paul the Octopus shot to fame by correctly predicting all of Germany’s results at the 2010 football World Cup, we’ve been waiting for the next crop of soothsaying animals to come along.
And it looks like we may have found them in the form of a piglet and some pooches.
Ahead of the World Cup final, when asked to pick a winner, both chose South Africa.
Following the Springboks’ 32-12 victory over England, let’s hope they’re getting some extra treats as a result.
Maybe it’s best we don’t mention an owl picked England. And who says owls are meant to be wise?
Click here to read more about it.
Have a look back at our favorite photos from the Rugby World Cup:
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi is hoping the country’s third World Cup victory can be a catalyst for change.
Former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright hailed the performance of South Africa’s captain Siya Kolisi:
The Nelson Mandela Foundation – a non-profit organisation focused on memory, dialogue and legacy work, founded by Nelson Mandela in 1999 – congratulated the Springboks on their victory:
Boris Johnson is not the only British politician one who has been tweeting about England.
The Mayor of London also offered his commiserations to England:
It’s not the start to the weekend England fans had wanted …
It doesn’t get much better than putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the World Cup final.
That’s exactly what South Africa’s Duane Vermeulen did in South Africa’s victory over England.
The no. 8 carried the ball 10 times, made 49 meters and won two turnovers in Yokohama.
Here’s what the victory means to Vermeulen, who’s nicknamed ‘Thor’ by his teammates:
Did Warren Gatland know all along England were destined to lose?
The Wales coach said this after England’s win over New Zealand:
Rassie Erasmus has had quite the 18 months.
He guided South Africa out of a slump, and in 2019, has made history as the Springboks became the first side to win both the Rugby Championship and the World Cup in the same year.
Here’s what Erasmus had to say after becoming a world champion:
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi raises the famous Webb Ellis Trophy and South Africa are on top of the world!
South Africans back home celebrate their sides’ victory in Yokohama.
England fly-half George Ford can’t hide his disappointment:
Despite the final result, Owen Farrell can hold his head high after the England captain scored all 12 of England’s points in the final.
While a poor start in the final set them back, Farrell remains “proud” of the growth the side has shown during its time in Japan.
Here’s what he said after the defeat:
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be hoping for a better result on December 12 …
They were direct adversaries for 80 minutes on the pitch, but despite the result, Siya Kolisi (No. 6) and Tom Curry could come together afterwards.
The moment the Springboks secured its third Rugby World Cup.
Well played, South Africa!
Rassie Erasmus, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and the rest of the South Africa players celebrate the victory on the pitch.
The England players look drained and heartbroken after a physical 80 minutes.
Who said rugby is a game for the big, bulldozing brutes?
Try telling that to Cheslin Kolbe who scored one of the most remarkable five pointers in Rugby World Cup history.
Revisit our piece from earlier in the tournament on the impact of the diminutive flyers.
South Africa have their third World Cup title!
After a bruising, brutal and, at times, brilliant performance, the players sink to their knees as the final whistle is blown.
It ended with a 32-12 win against England in Yokohama.
Cheslin Kolbe!
After a England turnover, the ball falls to Kolbe who uses his electric pace and rapid feet to score South Africa’s second try of the game.
Are we witnessing the player of the tournament at work?
Pollard’s conversion extends the lead to 32-12.
With less than 10 minutes to go and his side 25-12 down in the Rugby World Cup final, what can Eddie Jones conjure up to turn things around?
With just ten minutes remaining and trailing by 13 points, England will need to dig deep to get back into this.
As his World Cup hopes slip away, Eddie Jones continues to shuffle his side to get back into the game.
Some quick hands down the left wing and a sublime kick from Makazole Mapimpi falls to Lukhanyo Am, who passes it back to Mapimpi to touch down.
A quick TMO review is carried out but the try stands.
Pollard successfully converts.
South Africa extends their lead to 25-12.
We’ve found out where Handre Pollard can’t make a kick from.
A penalty in their own half just falls short from his boot.
South Africa still lead 18-12 will just over 15 minutes remaining.
I feel like we’ve seen this before?
England concede a penalty right in front of the posts and Pollard extends South Africa’s lead to nine.
From the resulting kick-off, England win another penalty and Farrell answers straight back. South Africa leads 18-12.
BBC radio DJ and cricket nut Greg James reckons he knows how to save England’s World Cup hopes – by bringing on the nation’s top cricket star Ben Stokes.
Stokes had an incredible summer for England, playing a leading role in the country’s Cricket World Cup victory and helping his side claim one of the sport’s most famous Test match victories over Australia.
Stokes’ batting performances against New Zealand in the World Cup final and Australia at Headingley have already gone down in sporting history. Can the country’s rugby players follow?
The Gwijo Sqaud, South Africa’s fanatical and musical fan group, are getting behind the team.
They sold out a convention centre in Sandton to watch the game.
To read more about the Gwijo Squad, click here.
Big chance … missed
“Swing low, sweet chariot …” rings around the stadium in Yokohama as England is awarded another penalty after good work by Tom Curry.
But Owen Farrell, so reliable throughout this tournament, sends his kick just wide of the posts. Huge let-off for South Africa.
Huge cheers go up around the stadium from England fans after their team wins a penalty.
Owen Farrell does what he does best and kicks the three points to take his side back within sight at 9-15.
A huge kick from Farrell. Can England find a way back?
Who needs tries when you can kick your way to glory?
In three Rugby World Cup finals (1995, 2007, 2019) South Africa has never scored a tried but have yet to be defeated.
Can they make it a trio of triumphs with success from the tee?
Neil Back won the World Cup with England back in 2003. Here’s what he’s had to say on the first half in Yokohama.
Just after coming on, substitutes Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe help South Africa dominate yet another scrum and receive yet another penalty.
Yet again, Handre Pollard blasts the penalty from distance to extend South Africa’s lead to 15-6.
When South African fans heard Jerome Garces was taking charge of the Rugby World Cup final, their hearts sank given the French referee’s (perceived) history of unfairly penalizing their players.
Now, after six penalties for the men in green, it is now English fans with gripes against the French ref.
Eddie Jones has his England team in a huddle inside the locker room.
He has transformed this England side over the past four years. Remember, when it hosted the tournament back in 2015, England didn’t even make it out of the group stage.
Can England do what no other side has done and come from behind at the interval to win the World Cup?
It’s time to find out.
It’s a massive second-half for both sides.
Can South Africa hold onto its lead? Can England make a comeback?
George Kruis replaces Courtney Lawes in the second row as Eddie Jones looks to change the flow of the game.
England face a six-point deficit at half-time but it could have been larger if not for the always-trustworthy Owen Farrell.
No team has ever come from behind at the interval to win the World Cup – and South Africa will be desperate to make sure England isn’t the first to do so.
The Springboks fully deserve its 12-6 lead courtesy of four penalties from the boot of Handre Pollard.
England’s ill-discipline and South Africa’s ferocious physicality has left Eddie Jones’ men with a real challenge to win its second World Cup title.
But if there’s one thing England fans know about its teams in world cup finals, it’s never simple.
The country has only just got over the drama of the men’s Cricket World Cup final … and we all know how that ended up.
The Sprinkboks has had the upper hand over England in the scrum so far.
Another big push from South Africa’s forwards results in another penalty.
Handre Pollard dutifully accepts and slots home his fourth penalty, extending the lead to 12-6.
It’s the Handre Pollard vs. Owen Farrell World Cup final at the moment.
Yet another penalty is slotted through the posts by the Springbok flyhalf.
With just a minute left in the first-half, South Africa leads 9-6.
South Africa’s cricketing counterparts offer its support from back home.
WOW! South Africa repels 25 phases of England attacks to deny the men in white the opening try of this final.
In the end, England has to settle for a penalty which Owen Farrell kicks over to make it 6-6.
England will be delighted to be level but that was an opportunity to make a real statement of intent and South Africa wasn’t having any of it.
Cracking game this so far.
Some sympathy from a player who knows what it’s like to get injured in a Rugby World Cup final.
Matt Giteau suffered a head knock in the 2015 World Cup final. The Wallabies eventually lost 34-17 to New Zealand.
Millions of people across the world are watching this game – but how many of them are taking in the action in a beachside bar while cows take a walk on the sand? CNN’s Tara Mulholland looks like she’s found an idyllic little spot to watch the drama unfold.
Springbok lock Lood de Jager joins the injury list as he leaves the field, clutching his left shoulder that looks to have been popped out of its socket.
His brutal collision with England No. 8 Billy Vunipola doing the damage.
Gloucester lock Franco Mostert comes on to replace de Jager.
England, so disciplined against New Zealand in the semifinal, concedes yet another penalty to enable Handre Pollard the opportunity to kick his side back into the lead.
He duly obliges, kicking the ball through the posts to make it 6-3 to the Springboks.
England have conceded four penalties in the opening 25 minutes. That needs sorting out sharpish.
England has barely been out of its own half in the opening 20 minutes of this contest but it draws level following its first real attack of the game.
South Africa is penalized inside its own half and captain Owen Farrell kicks over to make it 3-3.
England will be delighted with that.
We’ve already seen two players leave the game with apparent head injuries.
In rugby, if a player displays symptoms of a head injury, they will be substituted and will undergo a head injury assessment, carried out by independent doctors.
If the player passes the assessment, they can return to the game. If they fail, they cannot.
Heartbreakingly for Kyle Sinckler, he will not return to the final. For Bongi Mbonambi, the head injury test will dictate whether he can return.
It’s been quite the year for Rassie Erasmus and South Africa.
After a stunning Rugby Championship win earlier this year, the Springboks would make history with a victory in Yokohama.
England, so impressive against New Zealand, has struggled to cope with South Africa’s blistering start.
The Springboks are playing with speed, skill and precision, winning the early penalties and forcing England into early errors.
You can see the frustration on the faces of the England players.
Maro Itoje is trying to get his teammates restarted. Early days but England needs to wake up.
Nearly 10 minutes played and South Africa finally takes the lead.
Handre Pollard slots over a penalty from close-range to give his side a 3-0 lead.
It has been a hugely impressive start from the Springboks … can England respond?
Ever wondered where England’s iconic “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” song comes from?
It used to be one of the most recognized African-American spirituals.
But for the last three decades, the familiar melody of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” has also been the adopted anthem of England’s rugby union team.
To read more about the history behind the song, click here.
It’s the nightmare start to the World Cup final for England prop Kyle Sinckler.
In just the third minute, a stray elbow from teammate Maro Itoje appears to knock him out cold.
After a substantial delay, it forces England into an early substitution, as Dan Cole replaces the clearly woozy Sinckler.
Well, well, well.
South Africa has a golden chance to take the lead early on after being awarded a penalty 40 meters out from goal.
You’d expect Handre Pollard, who has been hugely impressive so far during this tournament, to slot that seamlessly through the posts.
But he misses … Big nerves here, big nerves.
Handre Pollard kicks the Rugby World Cup final off.
A big 80 minutes ahead.
The national anthems ring around the stadium.
Both anthems are blared out, with players and fans alike singing their hearts out.
Kick off is just around the corner in Yokohama!
Once England reached the final there was little doubt Prince Harry was going to miss out on being there.
The Duke of Sussex is a huge rugby fan having followed England at home and abroad for years, including watching the team’s 2003 World Cup triumph in Australia.
Speaking ahead of the final, this is what he’s had to say.
Former England soccer captain David Beckham has offered his support to his rugby counterparts.
Here’s Jonny Wilkinson showing Beckham what a rugby ball looks like …
You’ve seen Paul the Octopus. You’ve seen Nelly the Elephant. Now, joining the long list of soothsaying animals, are an owl, a piglet and a pack of Shiba inus.
While you might be struggling to pick a winner between England and South Africa for today’s World Cup final, these furry friends are here to help you make up your mind.
Watch the video below to get the animal kingdom’s lowdown on rugby’s showpiece occasion.
England head coach Eddie Jones and South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus shake hands ahead of the Rugby World Cup Final.
Jones is taking charge of his 50th game for England, while Erasmus has spearheaded a remarkable resurgence for the Springboks over the last 18 months.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson took some time off from the general election campaign that could prove decisive over whether the UK leaves the European Union to offer his support for the England side, sparking comment from many, notably former England international Brian Moore.
England’s opponent South Africa was once described as a “rainbow nation” by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
However, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has been talking to CNN about the problems the country faces and in what ways rugby might be able to help “fix.” To read more, click here.
Six weeks, 12 stadiums, 47 matches: the 2019 Rugby World Cup reaches its climax in Yokohama.
England faces South Africa in the final at the International Stadium Yokohama to decide who goes home with the Webb Ellis Cup.
South Africa edged past Wales in the semifinals to reach the final, while England stunned reigning champion New Zealand 19-7.
In a rematch of the 2007 Rugby World Cup final, England is looking to avenge the Springboks’ victory in Paris 12 years ago and claim a second World Cup title.
England hasn’t lost at this year’s competition, while South Africa has bounced back strongly having been defeated by New Zealand in its first game in Japan.
It will also be England head coach Eddie Jones’ 50th game in charge, while South Africa’s captain Siya Kolisi will make his 50th appearance for the Boks.
After beating New Zealand, England coach Eddie Jones is able to name the same XV for the final against South Africa.
Despite picking up knocks in the semifinal win, captain Owen Farrell, leading try-scorer Jonny May and prop Kyle Sinckler have all been passed fit.
For South Africa, Rassie Erasmus makes one change as he is able to recall superstar winger Cheslin Kolbe, who has recovered from an ankle injury.
Kolbe’s return means S’bu Nkosi drops out of the squad.
Frans Steyn, who is among the replacements, is the only player to remain from the Springboks side that won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in Paris against England.
The trophy presentation after South Africa’s victory in the Rugby World Cup final in 1995 on home soil, little more than a year after the end of apartheid, became one of the most iconic moments in the country’s sporting history.
That was followed 12 years later by another World Cup final win and the image of captain John Smit joining hands with Thabo Mbeki, Mandela’s successor, as the trophy was held aloft once again in Paris.
Now, the current crop of Springboks have their own date with destiny against England, but head coach Rassie Erasmus knows this team’s legacy won’t be made or broken by the result.
Erasmus told CNN how much a World Cup win would mean to the country:
Click here to read more of Erasmus’ thoughts ahead of the World Cup final
As South Africa take to the field in the World Cup final, one South African fan has had quite the journey to make it to Yokohama.
In a Guinness World Record attempt for the most matches attended at a Rugby World Cup by an individual, Paul Erskine has attended 36 of the 48 World Cup matches in Japan.
The feat is two years and about $33,000 in the making.
Erskine explained that it’s quite a process to make the record official.
To prove his attendance at each of the 36 matches, Erskine was required to provide a ticket stub and photographic evidence that he was present for the pre-game national anthems, signatures from two witnesses, and detailed notes about how he got to the stadium.
To read more about Erskine’s World Record attempt, click here.
It’s not the color medal New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen would have been hoping for at the start of the World Cup, but a third-place finish means he rides off into the sunset with a bronze medal.
His New Zealand side ran riot against Wales in Yokohama, scoring six tries as they won 40-17 in the third-place playoff.
After the match, Hansen, who guided the All Blacks to the World Cup in 2015, said:
The end of the All Blacks’ tournament also marks the end of captain Kieran Read’s career with the team after winning 127 caps. Sonny Bill Williams, Ben Smith and Ryan Crotty are all also retiring.
Wales head coach Warren Gatland is also stepping away from his position. He will coach the British and Irish Lions in 2021.
Gatland said after the defeat:
England’s 21-year-old flanker Tom Curry has played a vital role in England’s run to the World Cup Final.
But as Tom, who’s also been shortlisted for World Rugby’s player of the year award, is excelling in Japan, his twin brother Ben has had to settle for watching it on TV at home.
Also a fellow professional rugby player for English Premiership side Sale Sharks, Ben started a social media campaign so he could support his brother in person.
He asked Sale for permission to miss Friday’s game against Bristol Bears. Sale tweeted that it would send him to Japan if the post received 200 retweets. It smashed the target, so now Curry is in Japan to watch his twin brother.
This is what the 21-year-old said to BBC Sport:
Wasps winger Marcus Watson, whose brother Anthony also starts for England, followed Curry’s lead. He too was granted permission by his club to fly out to Japan and support his brother.
England seem to be peaking just at the right time at the Rugby World Cup, producing arguably the best performance of the tournament in the semifinals to beat the All Blacks.
But having lost to New Zealand in its opening game, Rassie Erasmus’ side have looked physically dominant and tactically savvy in the knockout stages.
With a third World Cup title in the offing, it’s been a quite a turn around for South Africa, which was ranked at an all-time low of seventh in the world last year.
Here’s what Erasmus told reporters after the Springboks’ victory against Wales:
