South Africa thrash England 32-12 to lift 3rd Rugby World Cup in Japan

In a stunning final match, South Africa beat England 32-12 to lift their third World Cup title on Saturday in Yokohama. The Springboks broke English hearts with a stellar performance in the showcase event which starred Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe. This was the second time that both the teams met in the final, with the previous one being back in 2007 in Paris. The final was all the more historic for the Springboks, as Siya Kolisi became the first black captain to lift the Webb Ellis Cup. 

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Duane Vermeulen named Man of the Match

Just a week after England stunned the All Blacks to proceed into the finals, they were downplayed in every aspect as South Africans rushed to secure three out of three victories in the World Cup final. South Africa's defence had upped their ante as they registered a tackle success rate of 90 per cent, missing just 14 of 154 hits in the match and rarely let England get past the line. 33-year-old Duane Vermeulen was named the Man of the Match as he made 7 tackles, earned two turnovers and ran for 49 metres throughout the game. The Victorious Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus while speaking about the dominating display of game said, "The boys believed in themselves and we know each other well. We prepared well because we knew England was never going to be easy. We were fortunate too but I am proud of the boys and all I can say is we are really enjoying at this stage."

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Siya Kolisi: "We have faced a lot of challenges"

South African captain Siya Kolisi, the first black South African to captain his country and to lift the World Cup said, "The team has faced a lot of challenges and has been through a lot but the people of South Africa were always behind us. They always supported us. We are grateful for their support. We came together with one goal and wanted to achieve it."

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