New Zealand 11 South Africa 12 (FT) Rugby World Cup final as it happened

New Zealand 11 South Africa 12

We leave you with this, Gerry Thornley’s match report:

[ South Africa show winning nous to win record fourth Rugby World Cup ]

Another Irishman involved in the Springbok camp. Montpellier video analyst Paddy Sullivan was on secondment to work in this World Cup. The Tralee man has a World Cup winner’s medal.

Extremely gutted and disappointed. First of all the fact the boys had to play with 14 men for the last 50 odd minutes, the courage they showed out there was incredible. The team is absolute warriors, it’s tough.

—  New Zealand captain Sam Cane on his red card

This team shows what diversity can do, for the country and the team.

—  South Africa captain Siya Kolisi

Let’s get parochial, shall we? Felix Jones now has two World Cup medals as a member of the South Africa coaching staff.

Jacques Nienaber now has two as well, he’s the new Leinster defence coach. RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn are both Munsterman, too. There will be smiles in Limerick tonight.

I guess as a team we like drama, we’ve been through a lot of drama the last three years. For the whole of South Africa, we’re honoured to be able to play for you guys.

—  Player of the match Pieter-Steph du Toit

The All Blacks had their chances. You think of the Aaron Smith try that was disallowed for a knock-on. You think of the poor pass that cost Will Jordan a score in the corner. You think of the two kicks mentioned above.

Yet South Africa too were wasteful, especially just after half-time. Kolisi butchered a try by not passing close to the line, while Arendse spilled the ball while sliding over the line.

SOUTH AFRICA WIN BACK-TO-BACK WORLD CUPS

New Zealand flood Wiese at the back of the scrum, they hold him up in the tackle but they don’t get the reward. The clock is in the red, so when Barnes blows for a scrum, that’s it.

South Africa win the World Cup, by the barest of margins. New Zealand should not have made it this close. They had a man sent off in the first half, a forward, their captain Sam Cane, no less. You shouldn’t be able to still compete with South Africa and their bomb squad down a forward, but they did.

South Africa had enough, though. New Zealand missed two kicks, a conversion and a penalty, but ultimately the ‘Boks have enough to hold on.

80 mins: KNOCK-ON! Savea throws a hopeful offload. It rolls on the floor to Lienert-Brown, he has to claim it but he can’t and it goes forward! With 20 seconds left on the clock, South Africa have a scrum. All they have to do is secure the ball and get it off the park. Surely they can’t lost from here?

80 mins: TURNOVER! Kwagga Smith wins it on the floor for South Africa! All they need to do now is kill the clock but they kick the ball away! New Zealand have one last chance...

78 mins: Charge down! Finlay Christie tries to clear for New Zealand but he takes too many steps while trying to box clear. There’s de Klerk in his face and he blocks it into touch.

77 mins: Wow, South Africa nearly seal it. Pollard, of all people, throws a beautiful offload off the deck to find du Toit down the short side. He is hauled down 10m short of the line and does well to throw the ball back before finding touch. Jasper Wiese tries to stoop to gather but can only knock it on.

76 mins: Missed drop-goal! Pollard goes back in the pocket but his effort from 40m is blocked! New Zealand can break as the ball bounces kindly but du Toit comes from nowhere to smash Barrett - AGAIN - and shut down the counter.

JORDIE BARRETT HAS MISSED! 10m in from touch right on halfway, the mark was well more than 50m out. Barrett tries to force the distance, he has the legs but it drifts left and wide at the last second.

YELLOW CARD CHESLIN KOLBE

South Africa are down to 14 for the rest of the game. He was trying to make a tackle on Anton Lienert-Brown. As the replacement tried to offload, Kolbe sticks out a hand and knocks it on. He tried to disguise it by wrapping in the tackle but Barnes isn’t fooled. It would be a long-range effort but Jordie Barrett is going to take it on...

71 mins: Who would have thought that with Pollard at 10, no Libbok in the team, South Africa start playing a wide game given New Zealand are down to 14? They break down the right, de Klerk tries to chip and chase but it’s straight into the arms of Mo’unga. He clears, Kolbe tries an ambitious drop-goal from halfway which lands well short. That’s three times now South Africa have tried to drop at goal instead of consolidating possession. On all three occasions they have missed.

67 mins: Quite funny scenes really as a knock-on happens on one side of the field, the ball is flung to the other as no one heard the whistle. About half a dozen players play on towards the All Black line, Willie le Roux eventually getting in for a ‘try’ only to look up and see everyone else 50m behind him on the other side of the park, waiting for a scrum.

65 mins: Aaron Smith might just have saved his side a try. Kolbe finds a gap where there didn’t seem to be one, running back a kick past the first line of defence. Smith is the last line of defence that has a realistic chance of stopping him, the collision is huge with Kolbe trying to bump him off but Smith does enough to haul him to deck. Willemse then kicks in behind, pushing New Zealand back into their own 22.

64 mins: There’s that South African defence. Jordan threatens out wide, but firstly Kolbe man-handles him in the tackle before Kwagga Smith sneaks in to rip the ball free. Huge turnover.

61 mins: New Zealand’s tails are up. South Africa lose two lineouts in as many minutes, Retallick wreaking havoc in the air. Jordan tries to link with Ioane in midfield on the break but the centre spills it forward.

TRY BEAUDEN BARRETT

Will this one count? It’s ferocious stuff as New Zealand hammer away at the line. Eventually it goes wide to Telea who somehow beats three men. He loses it but the ball goes backwards, rolls into the hands of Barrett who then dives over in the corner.

Mo’unga misses the conversion from out wide! South Africa still lead.

56 mins: It’s all happening now. Savea loses it in contact as New Zealand put in a huge shift at the maul. The TMO starts to get in Barnes’ ear about an illegal strip and a penalty is awarded. Savea didn’t spill, a South African hand ripped it away from him while on the deck. New Zealand go back to the corner.

NO TRY! Wow. In real time, it did look like Savea spilled the ball at the lineout that started this whole play off and the TMO has called it back. However, the knock came because the transfer between the jumper, Retallick, and Savea was disrupted by Etzebeth playing the man in the air. So no try, but New Zealand do have a penalty.

TRY AARON SMITH

54 mins: This final isn’t over yet! It’s brilliant from Mo’unga, just sheer individual magic. He skips passed the tackle of Arendse then gets on the outside of de Allende, showing off his wheels. He then passes inside to Smith on the support for the score.

52 mins: New Zealand waste a chance! They had Barrett and Jordan in space down the short side but the pass to Jordan is poor. That allows Kolbe to come up and force a knock-on. Huge opportunity.

There is word from the Kolisi card. It will stay at yellow, most of the force went through the body, not the head, say the officials.

51 mins: New Zealand butcher an overlap, but was it because of South African cynical play? Quick hands send Taylor away down the flank and he dances past Kolbe beautifully. There is a huge overlap on the far side, they try to fling it wide but Barrett is taken out off the ball. A penalty comes, no card, and New Zealand go to the corner.

YELLOW CARD SIYA KOLISI

Wow. Both captains have been carded for high tackles. Kolisi hit Savea just as he hit the deck after jumping for the ball. It’s head on head and has been sent to the bunker. This one may stay at yellow, Kolisi was bent at the hips and he did make contact with the ball at the same time as Savea’s head.

HUGE CHANCE! Arendse is over but he’s spilled the ball! Another grubber in behind, this time from Willemse, causes problems. Beauden Barrett is sluggish turning to gather and Arendse nearly gets their first. Well, he does, but he spills the ball as he slides over the line.

42 mins: CHANCE! That could have put the game to bed. Arendse beats Barrett to a high ball. Kolisi takes the ball and sprints off into the 22. He has a man on the inside and on the outside, one pass and they’re in, but he doesn’t give it and is hauled to deck. A phase later, South Africa are held up and New Zealand can clear.

41 mins: The second 40 is underway. South Africa kick long into the 22, Smith clears as Willemse keeps it in play. New Zealand have a mountain to climb in this half, you feel.

No tries, but plenty to discuss in that first half.

The collisions have been brutal, du Toit in particular marmalising anything that moves wearing black. The lineout has seen both teams falter while the kicking game has been more than prevalent on both sides.

There has at least been a touch more running rugby than the last time South Africa played. They have had one backline play in particular that was scintillating, while New Zealand responded well to going down to 14 with a deft passage of offloads.

That card is ultimately the defining feature of this half. Was red for Sam Cane the right call?

Half-time: New Zealand 6 South Africa 12

New Zealand make a mess of the South African lineout but Lomax spills it at the back. With the clock in the red, that’s that and a breathless first half comes to an end.

40 mins: Du Toit has been immense in defence tonight and he has just nailed Jordie Barrett to dislodge the ball. What a collision.

38 mins: Mo’unga narrows the gap to 6 off the tee. That was badly needed for New Zealand.

37 mins: Wow. New Zealand have woken up now. First Telea offloads beautifully to Smith to set up a break. Then the ball goes wide where Ioane is in a foot race with Arendse for the corner. The South African wins, just. We go back for an offside advantage. Etzebeth was retreating and got in the way of a pass from Smith in the ruck. He’s lucky to not see yellow.

34 mins: Meanwhile Pollard slots the easy kick. South Africa are two scores up and New Zealand are down to 14 for the rest of the game.

RED CARD! Sam Cane’s yellow has been upgraded to a red. A high degree of danger and no mitigation, that’s the message from the TMO. The All Black captain has been sent off in a World Cup final.

33 mins: Penalty South Africa! That is huge. Another kick in behind has New Zealand scrambling. Lomax carries as they try to set up an exit but there is Fourie in over the ball. It’s a ruck penalty 5m from the All Blacks line, but Pollard has summoned the tee.

Here is the Sam Cane hit that currently has New Zealand playing with 14 men.

31 mins: CHANCE! New Zealand sacrifice a back to add to the scrum with Cane in the bin. With space out wide, a beautiful backline move sends Kolbe into space. He chips for Arendse to chase but it just rolls too long as he can only lunge as it goes into touch.

30 mins: This time South Africa lose their own lineout as Retallick gets up well to compete. Beauden Barrett kicks long off the turnover but there’s too much on it as the ball bounces dead. South Africa scrum back up inside the New Zealand half.

YELLOW CARD SAM CANE

Sam Cane is in trouble here. He makes forceful contact to the head of Jesse Kriel in the tackle. Barnes has no hesitation showing yellow, it will be looked at off the pitch but that looks like it could easily be red.

28 mins: Both sides are adding to their error column now. New Zealand are unfortunate not to earn a turnover after counter-rucking well, but a phase later Mostert spills in contact. Kiwi scrum right on the 22.

27 mins: The New Zealand lineout is all over the shop. Taylor tries to go long over all the green clad jumpers but it’s too long again and South Africa recover.

26 mins: Etzebeth again jumps well to compete at a lineout. It works, the ball is missed and South Africa recover at the back but Barnes penalises Etzebeth for making contact with Retallick in the air.

24 mins: Momentum is starting to swing New Zealand’s way now. Willemse has to rush back into the 22 to take a loose ball after a good Mo’unga high kick. Taylor hassles him and uses the wet surface to hit Willemse and slide him into touch. However, there is Etzebeth competing to win the throw against the head.

23 mins: That’s a shocker from de Allende. He tries a crosskick to find Kolbe but he’s sitting deep expecting the ball to go through the hands. It skips harmlessly into touch inside the South Africa half.

19 mins: South Africa get a penalty just inside the New Zealand half after Savea fails to release the ball carrier. Pollard tries the kick from deep and it just about inches over the bar. What a kick.

Here is that Frizell clearout that saw a card so early on. Was yellow the right call?

17 mins: Mo’unga narrows the gap between the sides with a kick inside the 22.

16 mins: CHANCE! The bounce of the ball is all that denies New Zealand. Jordie Barrett’s chip over the top is a beauty and Savea is odds on favourite to get to it first and score. Cruelly, the ball bances viciously to the left, allowing Willemse to gather and save the situation for South Africa. New Zealand had penalty advantage and will go for goal.

14 mins: New Zealand’s best period of possession so far. A ball out the back to Mo’unga narrows up the defence and they break down the left. De Klerk takes out Telea off the ball, allowing Mo’unga to kick down the line to just outside the 22.

12 mins: New Zealand get away with it twice. Firstly, they blatantly pull down a dangerous maul without being penalised. Then Codie Taylor comes in from an offside position to kick the ball out of a ruck 5m from his own line. Penalty, but inexplicably no yellow.

Meanwhile, Frizell’s card will stay at yellow. The TMO is happy he didn’t target Mbonambi’s leg, but instead fell on it.

Pollard slots the easy penalty inside the 22.

10 mins: Brilliant all round. Kolbe kicks across the park straight into the arms of Willemse. He somehow manages to grubber into the 22 just as Telea makes a tackle. Barrett is supreme on the cover defence, coming from nowhere to save the try but he is tackled into touch.

9 mins: It’s messy ball at the back of the scrum, but despite it hitting the deck Smith manages to recover. He eventually clears, finding touch but South Africa take the lineout quick. That lineout will be fascinating with no specialist hooker on for the ‘Boks.

8 mins: South Africa are winning the kicking battle. Mo’unga is targeted in the backfield and Kolbe beats the All Blacks 10 to it. There is a collision in the air and it looks like it will be a New Zealand scrum as Kolbe got a fingertip on it. He needs treatment after landing heavily but looks to be ok.

6 mins: Both sides continue to kick aplenty. Pollard’s chip causes problems for Jordan but he manages to claim under pressure from Kolbe. His offload is ill-judged though and he’s fortunate a black jersey falls on the ball instead of a green one.

5 mins: It’s been a good few minutes from Pollard as he follows up his penalty by claiming a dangerous box kick from Smith. Arendse then nearly wins it back as de Klerk launches a kick of his own.

4 mins: Pollard slots the resulting penalty. Meanwhile, Mbonambi was getting extensive treatment on that leg. Remember, he’s the only hooker in the South African squad and despite his desperation, he has to go off. Deon Fourie is on for him.

YELLOW CARD SHANNON FRIZELL

Wow, early drama in just the third minute. The All Black flanker looks to be in big trouble here. He drops his weight into the exposed leg of Bongi Mbonambi when trying to clear a ruck. Referee Wayne Barnes has a look, says it meets the yellow card threshold and sends it for a bunker review. Based on Barnes’ language, you wouldn’t be surprised if it’s red.

1 min: Right then, the pre-match traditions are out of the way. It’s time for action in Paris! We are underway.

Here come the teams then. Anthems before the haka, which promises to be a belter. Siya Kolisi just loves singing his anthem, doesn’t he?

La Marseillaise rings out in Saint Denis as the All Blacks line up for the haka.

An emotional Aaron Smith taking in the ground ahead of kick-off. A number of All Blacks are moving on to pastures new after tonight, the majority taking up contracts to play in Japan. Like Ireland, New Zealand will only pick domestic-based players.

This is brilliant from Nick Mullins. On commentary duty for ITV tonight in Paris, he has offered a fascinating insight into the preparation behind the broadcast.

Meanwhile closer to home, Leinster bounced back from defeat last weekend to see off the Sharks at home in the RDS. You can read the report of their first URC win of the campaign below.

[ Leinster put opening defeat behind them as they see off Sharks at the RDS ]

Matt Williams has also been previewing the game. He isn’t a fan of their ploy of relying on the scrum late in game for penalties. Some call it un-attractive rugby, others would say South Africa are playing to their strength. What do you think?

[ New Zealand’s Band of Brothers face battle for rugby’s soul ]

Any rain should favour the Boks, especially after the introduction of the Bomb Squad and if the game is still tight. That potential eventuality does temper the feeling that Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, Sam Cane and co will front up like England did and the All Blacks have more tries in them, but either way this mighty collision should fit the occasion.

—  Gerry Thornley

[ Rugby World Cup: New Zealand could have last laugh in final of contrasts ]

Rugby correspondent Gerry Thornlyy says the conditions probably will favour South Africa, but still backs the All Blacks to win.

According to the Springboks’ own social media team, this is their most experienced team ever to line out in a Test match. It remains unclear if this is in terms of age or caps, or World Cup finals given most of these players were part of the victorious outfit in Japan four years ago.

Nienaber/Erasmus have made a few changes. Handré Pollard starts at 10 after replacing Mannie Libbok after just 30 minutes during last week’s semi-final, Libbok drops out of the 23. Faf de Klerk is also promoted from the bench to start at scrumhalf.

On the bench, well, what else can you focus on other than the split of seven forwards and one back. Doing it in the pool stages against Ireland is one thing, a World Cup final is another altogether. Willie le Roux is the only back among the replacements, as Jean Kleyn and Jasper Wiese return after a few weeks out of the 23.

Trevor Nyakane replaces Vincent Koch - who won the final scrum penalty against England - at 18.

Team news: New Zealand make one change to the side that demolished Argentina in the semi-final. The secondrows once again flip-flop, with Brodie Retallick promoted to start as Sam Whitelock drops to the bench.

Sam Cane once again leads the side from the backrow.

Hello all and welcome to live coverage of the Rugby World Cup decider.

New Zealand vs South Africa, the only two countries with three World Cup wins go head-to-head to become the first team with four.

There are subplots aplenty. A side the world sees as a more attacking outfit vs a more kick-heavy and defensive unit. Ian Foster vs Jacques Nienaber in their last matches in charge. Joe Schmidt vs Rassie Erasmus, the battle of the former provincial head coaches. It promises to be a cracker.

We’ll start the build-up now until kick-off (8pm), before live commentary starts.