South Africa Springboks 2019 Rugby World Cup Champions

England 12-32 South Africa, the scoreboard read in the Yokohama skyline night in Japan and the Springboks had won a record-equalling third Rugby World Cup title.

Twenty two points from the boot of nerveless fly-half Handre Pollard and second-half tries from wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe ground England to a halt as they spend the whole night failing to penetrate the mean and tough South African defence that was not giving much in terms of space and room for penetration.

England trailed 12-6 at the interval after taking a hammering in the scrum and making a series of handling errors that in a way exposed their victory over the All Blacks as much of a fluke.

Four penalties from captain Owen Farrell kept them in the game but they never looked like closing that gap as the Springboks produced an outstanding display to match those of 1995 in Johannesburg and 2007 in Paris to claim their third Webb Ellis trophy.

By Gerald Dandah