ENG
No.Name
15Elliot Daly, FB
14Anthony Watson, W
13Manu Tuilagi, C
12Owen Farrell, C
4
11Jonny May, W
10George Ford, FH
9Ben Youngs, SH
1Mako Vunipola, P
2Jamie George, H
3Kyle Sinckler, P
4Maro Itoje, L
5Courtney Lawes, L
6Tom Curry, FL
7Sam Underhill, FL
8Billy Vunipola, N8
Replacements
16Luke Cowan-Dickie, R
17Joe Marler, R
18Dan Cole, R
19George Kruis, R
20Mark Wilson, R
21Ben Spencer, R
22Henry Slade, R
23Jonathan Joseph, R

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: International Stadium Yokohama
9:00 AM, November 2, 2019
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'12-32 End of second half
80'
80'Siya Kolisi holds the trophy aloft -- South Africa, your Rugby World Cup winners, 2019!
80'Siya Kolisi, the first black captain of South Africa's rugby team, heads up to the podium to collect his medal, followed by the rest of his victorious team. Former South Africa captain John Smit, who won it in 2007, said that if Kolisi lifted the trophy it would be a far more significant moment for South African transformation than when Nelson Mandela presented Francois Pienaar with the same trophy in 1995. It is certainly going to go down as an iconic image in rugby history, that is for sure.
80'Richie McCaw is driven into the stadium by Michael Leitch to deliver the Webb Ellis Cup to the podium. The man who lifted the trophy four years ago at Twickenham symbolically handing it over to the new champions in Yokohama.
80'George Ford speaking after the match: "We're massively disappointed -- South Africa got one over on us today, and we have to take it on the chin. It's tough when they get a lead like that, they can keep kicking penalties, but congratulations to them, they were the better team on the day."
80'SOUTH AFRICA -- RUGBY WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS 2019!!!
80'South Africa will finish this game firmly on the front foot, deep inside England's 22. They want to run the clock down and they can. They have been immense -- battering England up front in the first half and then slicing them apart with two glorious tries in the second half.
79'Drop goal attempt by Pollard which nearly hits the corner flag, so badly does he slice it. It doesn't matter, their name is literally being engraved on the Webb Ellis Cup right now.
78'Drop goal-missed
77'Faf de Klerk gets substituted, and the crowd rise as one as his smiling face fills the screens in the stadium. The third era of South African World Cup winners, each 12 years apart, has been born.
77'Player substituted - Faf de Klerk , South Africa
77'Substitute on - Herschel Jantjies , South Africa
76'Final throes of this match, and England have to look for something truly magical. Probably the hardest few minutes of rugby they'll ever play, knowing that the dream is over.
76'Player substituted - Ben Youngs , England
76'Substitute on - Ben Spencer , England
75'12-32 Conversion - Handre Pollard , South Africa
74'Slade knocks on in the tackle -- and that is going to be the match! CHESLIN KOLBE TRY! He sprints clear of what little cover is left and South Africans in the stadium and all over the world go wild. South Africa are going to be Rugby World Cup Champions, 2019!
74'12-30 Try - Cheslin Kolbe , South Africa
73'Knock on by England in contact, and a long boot downfield is caught by Farrell. His pass wide looks blatantly forward but isn't spotted. England have the ball but they're 60 metres from where they need to be. Youngs searches for something, but this South Africa defence isn't about to spring a leak at this stage.
72'The ball comes out and then De Klerk kicks it into touch around halfway inside his own half. Challenge extended to England, they need something, fast.
71'But... the worst thing that can happen to a side chasing a game at this stage is to have a scrum. One reset bleeds 45 seconds off the clock, another would bleed another 30 seconds, South Africa in no rush at all.
71'Jonathan Joseph comes on for England. He's become somewhat the forgotten man of English rugby, but if anyone can score two quick tries...
70'Player substituted - Jonny May , England
70'Substitute on - Jonathan Joseph , England
68'England probing, probing, probing. They have a penalty advantage. Youngs goes quickly with a tap penalty. Watson gets it on the right and England are up to South Africa's five metre line. But it's a knock on and a gilt-edged chance has gone for England. There won't be many more.
68'England have to try everything now. Youngs is almost clear but his pass is nearly intercepted by Kolbe, but dropped. Scrum England. They need two tries in 12 minutes...
68'Substitute on - Frans Steyn , South Africa
68'Player substituted - Willie Le Roux , South Africa
67'12-25 Conversion - Handre Pollard , South Africa
66'So... here's what happened... there's a debatably forward pass by South Africa to Mapimpi, who kicks ahead, it's brilliantly gathered by Am who then flicks it back to Mapimpi and it's a try. That's going to stand. Makazole Mapimpi, World Cup final try scorer. World Cup winner?
66'Cheeky kick over the top from Le Roux is well gathered by Daly and England are going to have to build from deep inside their own half. The clock is now becoming their foe as well as the Springboks. Fabulous high kick from Youngs, with an equally good chase from Mark Wilson -- but here come South Africa! A chance here. TRY SOUTH AFRICA!! IS THAT THE WINNING TRY?! We're going to the TMO!
66'12-23 Try - Makazole Mapimpi , South Africa
64'A high ball from Pollard is fiercely contested by Mapimpi and Daly, and the decision goes South Africa's way when it's essentially a tied ball. South Africa have leaned on Garces far better than England in this match, shall we say...
64'Substitute on - Francois Louw , South Africa
64'Player substituted - Siya Kolisi , South Africa
63'It's 59 metres out. It's on an angle to the left of the posts. He's closer to his own posts than theirs. And that is a shocking effort! It barely gets 10 feet off the ground before landing way short, and Daly punts it back to halfway. It bled some time off the clock, and didn't cost South Africa any territory, so a smart decision all round.
63'Penalty against Anthony Watson for a blatant barge on Mapimpi during the kick chase. It's in South Africa's half, but Pollard is going to have a shot at goal! This would be one for the ages if this goes over...
62'High kick from Farrell, one of the highest of the match, but Le Roux took that well under pressure. De Klerk does the usual, and Daly does fantastically to catch it with bodies falling all round him.
61'Into the final quarter (unless there's extra time...) Kolbe under pressure and does well to wheel round and move the ball inside. De Klerk box kicks. May takes it at halfway. Can England find a moment of inspiration here?
60'An exchange of kicks at the restart, and Vermeulen gets bundled into touch by three English tacklers. Huge roar from the fans wearing white in Yokohama. This match is bubbling fantastically.
60'Player substituted - Sam Underhill , England
60'Substitute on - Mark Wilson , England
60'Player substituted - Eben Etzebeth , South Africa
60'Substitute on - RG Snyman , South Africa
60'Substitute on - Luke Cowan-Dickie , England
60'Player substituted - Jamie George , England
60'12-18 Penalty goal - Owen Farrell , England
59'Farrell with a kick at the edge of the 22, from the left of the posts. It's a bit closer to the left upright than Farrell probably would have looked, but it's up and good and the deficit is six once more.
58'Vermeuelen gets pummelled at the restart by Curry and Billy Vunipola, and Dan Cole slaps him on the back in celebration. It's all getting very feisty and brutal down there.
58'9-18 Penalty goal - Handre Pollard , South Africa
57'Pollard knocks over his sixth successive penalty and the lead is nine once more. And then immediately from the restart, England have a penalty!
56'Penalty to South Africa, deep in England territory, as England play the ball on the ground at a ruck. Great work from South Africa, who kicked smartly and chased well to create that chance.
54'England's fans are in full chorus now. They'll descend into hush for Farrell to kick though. Huge moment in this final. Just wide, missed by about a foot on the right side. Big let off for South Africa, who are having their first bad spell of the match.
52'Everything, every single contest, is now right on the fringes of fair and unfair and referee Garces is going to have to have his wits about him. There's a lot of finger pointing from each side, and South Africa appear the most rattled -- Curry forces them into a penalty for not releasing, and Farrell will have another shot at the posts from almost exactly the same area as he's just been successful from.
52'9-15 Penalty goal - Owen Farrell , England
51'Farrell with arguably the biggest kick of his career. 46 metres out, to the right of the posts, and a miss would hand the advantage back to South Africa. If he lands it, game on. Peach, straight as a die, England trail by 6.
50'And now England turn the tables! They absolutely destroy the South Africa scrum and earn a penalty of their own! The biter has been bit, and have England worked out what South Africa have been doing throughout this match? If so, we have a real contest on our hands!
50'England disrupt a South Africa lineout and will get a scrum, South Africa caught on the wrong side of the ball as things collapse. Meanwhile, Henry Slade comes on for George Ford -- Farrell moves to flyhalf, Slade at centre. Very, very interesting, and a roll of the dice from Eddie Jones.
50'Substitute on - Henry Slade , England
50'Player substituted - George Ford , England
49'They've popped up AGAIN at the scrum! England penalised for the same infringement for the fourth scrum in a row. South Africa just absolutely dominating at the set piece, and it's the foundation of everything the scoreboard is telling you.
48'Gang tackling by South Africa strangles England at the breakdown and it's a scrum to South Africa, killing the England attack. This is a really steep slope to climb for England now.
47'De Klerk slices a box kick too short, and May takes it well to give England a look at an attack deep in South Africa territory.
46'Pollard will line this up from just inside the England half, out on the left. Very testing kick, but other than a nervy first effort, he's looked smooth in this final. Cracking swing of the boot, and over it goes. South Africa lead by two scores.
46'Player substituted - Mako Vunipola , England
46'Substitute on - Joe Marler , England
46'6-15 Penalty goal - Handre Pollard , South Africa
45'Destruction in less than five seconds. England pop up, penalty South Africa, plus ca change.
45'South Africa bringing off Mtawarira and Malherbe, changing up their pack. Might that give England a chance to do something in the scrum for the first time. Here's a chance immediately...
44'Player substituted - Frans Malherbe , South Africa
44'Substitute on - Vincent Koch , South Africa
44'Player substituted - Tendai Mtawarira , South Africa
44'Substitute on - Steven Kitshoff , South Africa
43'May makes good ground for England, Du Toit hammers Ford as he passes on, and England are doing well just to keep the ball at this rate. They're trying to spread the play far more than they did in the first period, but without much success. And the ball eventually bounces harmlessly into touch, on the opposite side of the field to where this all began, but at almost exactly the same point.
42'England have a chance to kick long and Kolisi blocks Daly's attempt. England scramble to get it all back on an even keel. Ford launches a booming kick high into the sky and Le Roux takes it out of the air well. De Klerk returns the favour and England will have to run from deep.
41'It's a deep kick off and Pollard immediately cracks it back to Daly, who ships inside to Ford, who kicks high into the 22 and Pollard calls for the mark. Another deep kick and England will have a lineout just around halfway.
41'
41'England to kick off... and away we go!
41'England in their dressing room getting one last pep talk from Eddie Jones, all huddled together. Rassie Erasmus, meanwhile, talks to the Boks with everyone sat and looking fairly relaxed. No question who won the first half, but can the Boks hold on in the second? A converted try would give England the lead...
41'Substitute on - George Kruis , England
41'Player substituted - Courtney Lawes , England
41'+26-12 End of first half
41'+26-12 Penalty goal - Handre Pollard , South Africa
40'
40'Pollard with the kick, it's a fairly easy one even from distance. They lead 12-6 as the teams run in at the half -- and no team has EVER come back from a halftime deficit in a World Cup final. Over to you, Eddie Jones and England...
40'Right on cue, South Africa win yet another penalty in the scrum. Advantage, so they'll run it. But it's knocked on and they'll come back for the penalty. A chance to move more than three points in front for the first time.
40'Last chance of the half, but England's long kick off is run straight back down their throats by Duane Vermeulen. De Klerk looks to have knocked on, but no, it went backwards. And then De Allende makes great ground, kicks ahead and Elliot Daly knocks on. The gong goes, but South Africa will get a scrum before the break.
40'6-12 Start of second half
39'6-9 Penalty goal - Handre Pollard , South Africa
38'Pollard will have a go at the posts from 50 metres. It's out on the right as well. Tough kick. The stadium falls silent. It swings round beautifully, look a classic golfer's draw from the tee, right to left it swings and over the bar. Three points, South Africa lead for the third time in the match.
36'South Africa, as has been the case each time they've kicked off in this match, put England under immediate pressure with Mapimpi robbing Daly in the air. There's a brief change of possession in midfield and eventually a penalty against England for not releasing.
35'Farrell knocks the ball over, and England are level again. This is developing into a really good contest.
35'6-6 Penalty goal - Owen Farrell , England
33'England STILL with the penalty advantage but they're going backwards. Another penalty advantage for offside. May on the left flank, tries to flip the ball out but nothing there, and when England go back inside, Tom Curry knocks on. They'll go all the way back for the original penalty (there were two in total) and Owen Farrell makes his point to Jerome Garces that there should be some consideration towards a penalty try. Nothing doing there though with the referee, who dismisses the claim.
32'Still the advantage exists, still England look for room, still South Africa refuse to buckle. Youngs to Billy Vunipola, nothing there. Itoje. Nothing there. Cole. A little more space. England are a metre from a try. Youngs to Billy again, nothing. Wide to Farrell, to Daly, to Watson, but too high. Watson does well to keep the ball.
31'First time that England have built phases inside the South African 22. They're within five metres of the line - penalty for England. Youngs looking for space. It goes wide. Ford, nowhere to go. More phase ball.
30'A nice lineout move from England still has a moment of incompetence, with a pass sliding through one set of hands but landing straight into another pair in a white shirt. Still, England come forward with Mako Vunipola causing some damage with a barrelling run.
29'England kick long and will have a lineout on the edge of the South Africa 22.
28'Sam Underhill with the best hit of the half for England, and that's ruffled the Boks, who knock on at the next phase then get caught offside. Super turn of momentum for England and all caused by Underhill, one of the best performers for any team at this tournament.
27'At a lineout, England dismiss with convention and play pitch and catch to just get it out and into play. And then George Ford -- fantastic throughout the tournament -- boots it straight out of play from midfield. Very little is going right for anyone in a white shirt. And yet... more trouble for South Africa, with Etzebeth needing ice on his shoulder. He's carrying on, however.
26'Straight through, South Africa back ahead in double-quick time as England again cause themselves all kinds of issues.
26'3-6 Penalty goal - Handre Pollard , South Africa
24'Another good scrum, but the Boks waste it when there's a forward pass. They did have a penalty advantage though, for Cole springing up out of the front row of the scrum. Tricky kick from out right of the posts for Pollard.
23'Just when England think they can breather, they immediately mess up from the kick off. Itoje is lifted too early, misses it, and Tom Curry knocks on in sheer surprise. Scrum South Africa in the England 22, and this is a great chance.
23'3-3 Penalty goal - Owen Farrell , England
22'Farrell converts -- somehow, England are level in this match, having taking a real battering in the first 20 minutes.
22'De Jager will go off too, and he can barely lift his shoulder to parallel. It's been a lengthy delay for Farrell before he takes this kick.
22'Meanwhile, Mbongeni Mbonambi is coming off for an assessment for a head injury. He doesn't want to come off, but has no option. Over on the other side of the field, Lood de Jager is receiving treatment for a shoulder injury. This is the end of three, four very long months for these players, and it's clearly taking its toll.
22'Substitute on - Malcolm Marx , South Africa
22'Player substituted - Bongi Mbonambi , South Africa
22'Player substituted - Lood de Jager , South Africa
22'Substitute on - Franco Mostert , South Africa
21'Now England make some progress, Mako Vunipola making the first inroads, then Itoje, and the Springboks are penalised for not rolling away, Cheslin Kolbe the man who is trapped. Farrell will have his first look at the posts.
20'Good lineout this time, but South Africa's defence is on show for the first real time in this match. And it's ferocious. Great tackling, great swarming and difficult for England to make any ground at all.
19'More good work from May as he takes a very difficult mark under pressure just inside his own 22. A quick tap and he tries to gain some ground, a Ben Youngs box kick then produces the first South African mistake of the match -- Pollard knocking on and leaving Du Toit miles offside, unwittingly. England kick long and they have a chance to attack the South African 22.
18'Brilliant effort from Jonny May to keep the penalty kick in play, and Daly's boot downfield means South Africa somewhat wasted that opportunity. They get a lineout, but with a gain of about four metres all told.
17'Scrums are bleeding time off the clock and England are probably quite happy about that at this stage. They won't be happy about facing a scrum, mind you -- and right on cue, they're penalised for collapsing the scrum. The Springboks are doing to England what England did to the All Blacks last weekend -- disrupting, dismantling, destroying.
15'Shockingly poor lineout from England, with Etzebeth disrupting Lawes' attempt to grab it in the air. Knock on, scrum South Africa.
14'Anthony Watson survives the latest test from Faf de Klerk's box kicking, and George Ford follows up with a chance to tip field position in England's favour. It works, and England will have a lineout in South Africa's half.
12'Cheslin Kolbe knocks on, but the play will come back for Itoje holding on in the ruck. But... the replay shows Eben Etzebeth drilling Itoje's head with his shoulder at the breakdown. Rather surprisingly, that's not being referred to the TMO -- it looked borderline illegal.
11'Dear, dear -- Ben Youngs, who has been absolutely phenomenal in this tournament, throws a pass clean over the head of everyone and into touch. England, so composed and clinical last week, are having the worst possible day for a letdown.
11'Farrell's restart puts South Africa in their own half for the first time in the match. De Klerk wastes little time in kicking out from the back of the ruck, for a lineout to England.
10'Pollard with a proper nerve-settler this time. You can't miss this. He doesn't. Three points, and a thoroughly deserved lead for the Springboks.
10'0-3 Penalty goal - Handre Pollard , South Africa
8'England don't waste much time in getting the ball out but it's a shambles very quickly -- Billy Vunipola's pass is behind Farrell, who runs into Ford, then gets turned over, clings on and gives away a penalty right in front of the posts. Penalty South Africa, and England are a mess.
6'Second scrum of the match, England put-in, and they need something solid here to get a little bit of momentum and settle themselves into this match. They're clearly second best so far.
6'But not for long! Pollard beats Ford to the high ball in the middle of the England half and South Africa are on the attack! It's knocked on as Le Roux passes to Kolisi, and England get off the hook. This is ALL South Africa so far, though.
5'Terrific run from Willie Le Roux, and there looks like there might be a knock on but South Africa retain the ball. Advantage over, and that works against the South Africans, who are turned over in the ruck when Mapimpi is tackled out on the left flank. And then England live extremely dangerously, with a loose pass going to ground in their own in-goal area, and Jonny May and Elliot Daly have to rescue it. Ford boots long, and England breathe.
4'The first scrum of the match, for South Africa, to restart this match. England have a 20kg advantage in the pack, but the Springboks spin them round, win a penalty and have a chance to attack.
3'Everyone on the England sidelines is looking pretty rocked by this. Joe Marler and Dan Cole, who put on a pretty impressive display in a press conference earlier this week, have lost their cheeky chappy personas, not least because Cole now looks set to play the remaining 77 minutes off the bench. Sinckler is sitting upright and talking to the physios, and he won't need the cart that had been driven out onto the pitch. That's a tremendous relief, and Sinckler goes off, unlikely to remember much of his three minutes on the field at the Rugby World Cup final.
3'High ball tests George Ford in the England half, but he deals with it well before getting pummelled by the onrushing Boks. There's an England man down -- and it's Kyle Sinckler. He's clearly unconscious, unfortunately. And there's a fair amount of concern for the prop. It's a collision with the arms of both Maro Itoje and Makazole Mapimpi in midfield, and he's spark out before he hits the ground. Terrible moment for a player who has been an absolute lynchpin for England, not least in terms of morale.
3'Substitute on - Dan Cole , England
3'Player substituted - Kyle Sinckler , England
2'An early nerve-settler for Handre Pollard. He was perfect in the semifinal. He's 40 metres out... and he's slapped it wide right! That was clearly a tentative strike. Perhaps that almost came TOO early for the South African No.10.
1'Penalty already. England penalised by referee Jerome Garces for not rolling away and the Springboks will take a look at the posts for an early lead.
1'Tom Curry catches cleanly, deep in his own 22, Ben Youngs box kicks from the back of the ruck, and South Africa have set the template they wanted right from the off.
1'It will be South Africa to kick off, Handre Pollard the man to do so... and away we go!
1'The anthems are done, the final stretches and handshakes are taking place... we're moments away from kickoff...
1'
1'Here they come... the crowd rises but there's very little clapping as absolutely everybody is filming it on their phone!
1'Both of the teams are beginning to make the long walk from the changing rooms to the pitch. England are looking particularly relaxed, a fair few smiles and jokes from their number. Owen Farrell, the captain, is striding ahead of everyone at the head of the line and looks like he cannot wait for the shadow boxing to end and the match to begin. Just an anthem or two to go, and then it's show time!
1'
1'
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1'Hello and welcome to ESPN's live coverage of the Rugby World Cup FINAL!

At the end of seven long weeks of rugby, we have an absolutely fantastic clash ahead of us. England have shown flashes of real brilliance in defeating Australia and then New Zealand to get here, while South Africa have brought probably the most physical approach of all to the party, beating first Japan and then Wales into submission in the knockout phase.

For more, here is Tom Hamilton's preview -- complete with a very bold prediction.
1'0-0 Start of first half

Rugby World Cup 2019 News