Share
2nd November 2019
12:53pm GMT
Dan Cole of England is driven up in the scrum by Tendai Mtawarira of South Africa and concedes a penalty. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images )[/caption]
The Boks were more expansive than in the semi final but they were happy to go after high balls and go for scrum penalties. When they weren't annihilating England at that set-piece, the likes of Eben Etzebeth and Du Toit were causing trouble at the line-out and around the breakdown.
Du Toit's brief was simple - don't worry about carrying and get into the English at the breakdown. He hit 28 rucks and was first man in on 18 occasions.
South Africa won seven turnovers - two for Vermeulen and one for Cheslin Kolbe, Mapimpi, Malcom Marx and Damien De Allende - but Du Toit was the thundering antichrist that England could not solve.
He slowed up their ball, annoyed the hell out of Ben Youngs and was responsible for a few fearsome clear-outs when the Springboks were on the front foot. He chipped in with a turnover too. Of course he did.
He also stuck 11 tackles and assisted Kolbe for his try that, when converted by Pollard, made it 32-12. An emphatic win that few would have predicted.
[caption id="attachment_207714" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Pieter-Steph du Toit of South Africa celebrates victory with Siya Kolisi following the Rugby World Cup 2019 Final. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)[/caption]
In 2012, Du Toit won the Under 20 World Championship with Pollard and Steven Kitshoff. Such was his potential that he was drafted into the Springbok senior team within the year. He has racked up 54 caps in six years and has been a go-to player for his country. He was named South Africa's Player of the Year in 2016 and 2018.
He will have some competition for that award this year. Kolbe and Mapimpi were both class at the World Cup while Kolisi, Vermuelen, Etzebeth, Lood De Jager, Mtawarira, De Klerk, De Allende and Frans Malherbe all did themselves proud. Mbongeni Mbonambi and Malcom Marx as the two hookers? Ridiculous depth.
On Sunday, World Rugby will dole out their end-of-year awards (the Test stuff is over with until 2020) and South Africans will emulate Ireland, in 2018, by sweeping the board.
Rugby officials should just do the right thing and present the World Player of the Year award to the collective Springbok forwards that gobbled their way through the knock-out stages.
Vermeulen was a deserving man of the match but Pieter Steph Du Toit was Player of the Tournament.
On Sunday, the Cape Town native will follow Schalk Burger (2004) and Bryan Habana (2007) in taking home the World Player of the Year accolade. Every player that felt his force will acknowledge that the right call was made.
Explore more on these topics:
