Cheslin Kolbe of South Africa celebrates with the South African flag following their victory against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup 2023 final. Picture: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
Coach Jacques Nienaber says the Springboks were able to unite a nation after they triumphed 12-11 in a brutally tough World Cup final against the All Blacks at the Stade de France on Saturday night.
The Boks showed superb grit and resilience to clinch three consecutive one point wins in the knockouts, beating hosts France 29-28 in the quarterfinal and England 16-15 in the semifinal, before again showing fantastic resolve to hold on against a fired up 14-man All Blacks.
Nienaber, who was defence coach under SA Rugby director Rassie Erasmus when the Boks won the title in Japan in 2019, was able to end off his four-year stint as head coach on a massive high, with him now moving on to the head coaching role at Irish giants Leinster.
“Relief is probably the first word that comes to mind, in the sense of the special group of players we have. As a management and leadership group we always thought ‘we can’t mess this up’,” said Nienaber after the match.
“From 2018 (when the current Bok management group got together) we thought we had the ability to win the 2023 World Cup. (The win in) 2019 was probably something that hopped on along the way, but it is a relief for the players, they were good enough to do that.”
Nienaber went on to explain how important the win was for South Africa as a whole: “This is probably for our fans and for South Africa. I wish I could show you the amount of messages we have received and what is going on in South Africa.
“We have 62 million people united, opening up communities to allow people to watch, an entrance fee of whatever they wanted to donate.
“People have bought green T-shirts for everyone. We felt every single bit of energy they gave us and in the last three games, all one-point victories that drove us.”
Nienaber also had a kind word for All Blacks coach Ian Foster, who had a difficult four years in charge of his team that almost saw him replaced last year, only for New Zealand rugby to back him until the end of the World Cup, with Scott Robinson now taking over.
“I don’t know a lot of coaches actually, none except him. He’s the only guy I ever have conversations with. That speaks to the kind of person he is,” said Nienaber.
“Before the warm-up game we had at Twickenham, there was a cocktail function a day or two before where myself and my wife and him were chatting away for 40 minutes about life and family.
“I am happy for us but my heart breaks for him because I know what it feels like. He is an exceptional human being and an unbelievable coach. He has been written off numerous times but the quality team the All Blacks are, they find a way.
“If you look at sports teams around the world, all of them, they are probably one of the most successful teams, they always have been. He is a leader of that and he is a quality individual.”
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