The ultimate rugby showdown: All Blacks vs. Springboks

Eighty minutes stand between the Springboks and going down as one of the greatest rugby teams to have played the game.

Siya Kolisi stands on the cusp of becoming one of South Africa’s greatest sporting captains, if he isn’t already.

Rassie Erasmus, as director of rugby, could become South Africa’s most-loved and revered sports coaches, if he isn’t already.

And Jacques Nienaber is also 80 minutes away from being able to call himself a World Cup-winning coach.

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Rugby’s grandest prize, the Webb Ellis Cup, awaits the winner of the Rugby World Cup final in Paris tomorrow – with either the Boks or the All Blacks to become the first four-time champions.

South Africa are also looking to go back-to-back, after winning in 2019 in Japan … the only other team to have achieved the feat being the Boks’ biggest rivals, the All Blacks, in 2011 and 2015.

The stage is now set for another epic clash between two of the game’s biggest and most feared teams.

Now, there’s one more instalment to play out in the teams’ rich history of competition.

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It’s the All Blacks’ slick handling and up-tempo game against the Boks’ power and intensity, built on their forwards and powerful bench-sitters, who’re likely to have a huge influence on the game in the latter stages.

The Bok coaches have taken a huge risk with their seven forwards and only one back on the bench to bolster their famed “bomb squad” – a tactic that helped them register a record 35-7 win against the All Blacks in London in a World Cup warm-up game in August – but will it work for second time?

History and legacy is on the line in Paris. Here’s hoping Siya and Co can again lift the Webb Ellis Cup — and do it for all of South Africa. One more game Siya and Boks, just one more big push.