As the dust settles on the preliminary rounds of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, two giants of the rugby world, South Africa and New Zealand, prepare to face off in a highly anticipated final.
These two sides are familiar foes and never more so than in a grand final.
In the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, both South Africa and New Zealand have faced a pool-stage defeat, with the former losing to Ireland and the latter to France. Interestingly, each team later overcame the very opposition that defeated the other in the quarter-finals. However, that’s where the similarities largely stop.
Statistically, the All Blacks dominate in several key performance indicators. They lead in red-zone efficiency, averaging 3.89 points every time they enter the opposition’s 22, make the most line-breaks with 13.5 per game, and have the highest number of carries over the gain-line at 84.5 per game with a leading 61% success rate.
Additionally, their scrum success is impressive at 94%, and they top the charts with a 98% lineout success rate. On the other hand, the Springboks excel in only a couple of areas in comparison.
But historically, there might be only one stat that fans really care about, at least for the time being. In finals, the Boks lead the battle. Sure, it’s only been one meeting, but let’s not split hairs right?
Overall, though, here’s how the sides match up.
New Zealand’s RWC Final Performances
| Year | Opponent | Score | Margin | Venue |
| 1987 | France | 29-9 | 20 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 1995 | South Africa | 12-15 | -3 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 2011 | France | 8-7 | 1 | Eden Park, Auckland |
| 2015 | Australia | 34-17 | 17 | Twickenham Stadium, London |
South Africa’s RWC Final Performances
| Year | Opponent | Score | Margin | Venue |
| 1995 | New Zealand | 15-12 | 3 | Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
| 2007 | England | 15-6 | 9 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis |
| 2019 | England | 32-12 | 20 | Yokohama Stadium, Yokohama |
Head-to-head
| Total Games | 105 |
| New Zealand Wins | 62 (59.0%) |
| Draws | 4 |
| South Africa Wins | 39 |
| New Zealand Points/Game | 37.3 |
| South Africa Points/Game | 3.8% |
New Zealand at Home
| Games | 48 |
| Wins | 34 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Losses | 11 |
South Africa at Home
| Games | 53 |
| Wins | 25 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Losses | 27 |
Neutral Venue
| Games | 4 |
| New Zealand Wins | 3 |
| South Africa Wins | 1 |