Big in Japan: as Boks face 2023 final, a look back at coverage of their 2019 win

Four years ago, give or take a few days, on November 2 2019, second-half tries by Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe took the Rugby World Cup final away from England as the Springboks ran out 32-12 winners at Yokohama Stadium.

Siya Kolisi, the first black Springbok Test captain, lifted the trophy — the third World Cup title for South Africa.

As Kolisi — named in the loose forwards for Saturday’s 2023 final at Stade de France in Paris (9pm) by coach Jacques Nienaber on Thursday — prepares to lead the Boks out for the dream final against the All Blacks, TimesLIVE looks back at the coverage of South Africa’s last final four years ago.

In 2023 England flank Tom Curry's allegation that Bongi Mbonambi used a racial slur against him in the Boks' semifinal win has dominated many of the headlines.

Mbonambi has been cleared by World Rugby for Saturday's final.

In 2019 Eben Etzebeth's inclusion in Rassie Erasmus' squad despite an ongoing assault charge was the Boks' go-to controversial topic of the moment. 

Etzebeth and cousin Emile were charged with assault after an incident outside a nightclub in Langebaan in the Western Cape.

After the World Cup, the case fizzled out in November 2021 when acting Western Cape director of public prosecutions Nicolette Bell determined there were “no prospects of a successful prosecution”.

In the week before the 2019 final Totalsports announced it was removing posters of Etzebeth from its stores.

There was much speculation on the makeup of Erasmus' team for the final. He quickly and brazenly declared he would make only one change.

Liam Del Carme — in Japan, covering the tournament for Arena Holdings then, and covering his sixth World Cup in France in 2023 (see his 2023 coverage here) — wrote: “A week ago‚ when England coach Eddie Jones and his team made the same hotel their temporary home‚ many wondered whether he was shooting straight with comments about how the pressure is on the All Blacks as well as his assertion that the New Zealand media were fans with keyboards.

“The question now is whether Rassie Erasmus potentially has lines blurred about the makeup of his match-day squad‚ as well as the tactics the Boks are most likely to employ in Saturday’s final.

“Erasmus had made it clear, apart from the reintroduction of wing Cheslin Kolbe, that he was likely to stick to the same players that did duty in the semifinal.”

Much of the build-up to the 2019 final was centred on Kolisi.

His teammates lauded the “kid from Zwide” who became a Bok captain.

Kolisi's dad, Fezakele, took his first trip out of the country to watch the final.

Erasmus admitted he was initially naive about the significance of installing Kolisi as the first black Test captain.

In the Eastern Cape township of Zwide, KwaGqalane’s tavern came alive on the morning of the 2019 final. At the tavern where Kolisi watched the Boks' last win in the tournament in 2007, revellers prepared to celebrate a local hero's attempt at another trophy.

Erasmus kept to his word of making one change to his team.

“Thoroughly emboldened by his players’ performances‚ confident Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus reassembled the men he believes fit for purpose to pluck England’s petals in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final,” Liam Del Carme wrote.

Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, who has since retired, was a big part of the Springbok team's success in Japan, as another prop, Ox Nche, has been in 2023 in France.

At Yokohama Stadium the score was 12-6 to South Africa after a tense first half.

Two Handré Pollard penalties in the second half made it 18-12 before Mapimpi's try in the 66th minute and Kolbe's eight minutes later secured the Boks' victory.