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All the reaction to South Africa’s win over England in the Rugby World Cup final

South African rugby star Faf de Klerk bared it all to Prince Harry after his side’s World Cup win, much to his teammates’ amusement.

6 min read
November 3, 2019 - 10:21AM
Kevin Pietersen is still dividing opinion.
Kevin Pietersen is still dividing opinion.

South Africa won its third Rugby World Cup, defeating England 32-12 on Saturday night.

The Springboks outclassed their rivals and celebrated an emotional victory many said would help bring the country together.

Here’s all the reaction to the tournament decider.

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READ: World reacts to classy Cup moment

PRINCE HARRY PHOTO IS SIMPLY LAUGHABLE

South Africa halfback Faf de Klerk wasted no time getting into party mode after full-time, stripping down and celebrating in a pair of patriotic green, yellow and black budgy smugglers.

Rejoicing with his teammates in the dressing room as the Springboks downed champagne from their newly acquired Wedd Ellis Cup, de Klerk sported some interesting attire as he showed off just how passionate he is about South Africa.

British TV presenter Piers Morgan joked on Twitter it was the “final indignity for England”.

De Klerk even had the courage to greet Prince Harry in his casual get-up, much to the amusement of his teammates.

Faf de Klerk's teammates saw the funny side of his interaction with Prince Harry.
Faf de Klerk's teammates saw the funny side of his interaction with Prince Harry.

PIETERSEN SLAMMED FOR WORLD CUP TWEET

England cricket great Kevin Pietersen spent his career rubbing people the wrong way and he’s just as divisive in retirement.

Born in South Africa, Pietersen moved to England to pursue a professional career when he felt he was being denied opportunities in his homeland. His social media channels are full of pictures and glowing words about his post-cricket experiences in South Africa, but having played 104 Tests for England you’d think he would have been torn about who to cheer for on Saturday night.

Pietersen tweeted an emotional message after the Springboks claimed victory that had the Twittersphere all riled up.

You get the feeling the 39-year-old would have been criticised regardless of who he congratulated given his history, and punters on social media were quick to rip into him.

More than 400 people commented on his tweet with the vast majority taking satisfaction in calling out Pietersen’s perceived hypocrisy given he has a Three Lions tattoo on his left arm.

“Has the tattoo rubbed off Kev?” one Twitter user wrote.

“Are you changing that 3 Lions tattoo you have back to a Springbok?” another person said.

To be fair to Pietersen, he also tweeted after the match to praise England’s travelling fans.

“English travelling fans are THE BEST! Absolutely incredible what they do for their players!” he wrote.

REF CRITICISES ENGLAND FANS

Pietersen may have been impressed with the England supporters in Japan but former international referee Jonathan Kaplan wasn’t, criticising them for booing whistleblower Jerome Garces after the match.

Garces was booed as he collected his medal following the Springboks’ 32-12 win over England after he handed out five scrum penalties to South Africa.

However, Kaplan defended the French referee, saying the jeering English fans were “looking at the wrong culprit”.

“Jerome did not have a perfect match — no referee in a World Cup final ever has — but England’s fans should be questioning their own scrum rather than the officials,” Kaplan wrote in a column for the Telegraph.

“Clearly the scrum was decisive in this match, but Jerome was simply rewarding the dominant team. It is rare to see such superiority in one facet of the game at this level but it was clear from early on that the Springboks were far more powerful at the set piece.”

MEDALS NO CONSOLATION FOR GUTTED ENGLAND DUO

England players were absolutely shattered.
England players were absolutely shattered.

Distraught England pair Maro Itoje and Kyle Sinckler refused to wear runner-up medals around their necks following the devastating defeat.

The loss was a heavy fall from grace for England, who last weekend against the All Blacks played with belief, skill and without fear. But last night they were nervous, they second-guessed themselves, and even appeared a little fearful of going into contact.

Star lock Itoje had one of his worst games for England, while giant prop Sinckler ​also had a horror night, going off injured with just three minutes played after appearing to collide with Itoje’s elbow.

The duo were labelled “petulant” for refusing to wear their runner-up medals as they were presented by World Rugby boss Bill Beaumont.

Sinckler allowed Beaumont — a former England and British Lions captain — to place the medal around his neck, but immediately removed it. Itoje, meanwhile, shook hands with Beaumont before gesturing that he didn’t want to wear the medal and grabbing it in his hands as he trudged off the field.

Welsh rugby journalist Simon Thomas defended the pair’s actions on Twitter.

ENGLISH MEDIA REACTS

There were high hopes in England that Owen Farrell and Co. would be able to win the country’s first World Cup since 2003, especially after a near-perfect performance to crush the All Blacks in their semi-final last week.

But it wasn’t to be and England fans and media were left to pick over where it all went wrong for the men in white.

Writing for The Guardian, Robert Kitson said: “Was it big-occasion nerves that undermined them or just the incessant pummelling they took from umpteen big South Africans? Either way, they were a pale shadow of the white tornadoes who tore through the All Blacks.

“Nothing was working for England. Passes fell to earth and uncertainty began to ripple through the team.”

Writing for the same publication, Andy Bull said South Africa’s forward pack won the physical battle up front, which set the tone for the entire match.

“The South Africa pack ate up England’s scrum as if it had been charcoal-grilled and served up in a bun with mustard and fried onions,” Bull wrote. “The Springboks had taken one of England’s biggest strengths and, by attacking it so ruthlessly, turned it into one of their biggest weaknesses.”

South Africa won the little on-field battles that mattered most.
South Africa won the little on-field battles that mattered most.

Chief sports writer for The Independent, Jonathan Liew, said while players and supporters will always have the memories of incredible wins over New Zealand and Australia in this tournament, England wasn’t spurred on by the same motivation of uniting a country that drove South Africa.

“In falling short here, England will realise deep down that they weren’t really interested in uniting a divided country, or inspiring the next generation, or becoming rich and famous,” Liew wrote. “The only identity this England team ever aspired to, the only cause they were ever interested in pursuing, was winning.

“The Springboks were not merely crushing England’s scrum and running lines, but their hope. It was a brilliant display of game management, of a team maximising their strengths, playing the long game, pummelling and pummelling and chipping away at the scoreboard until England, slowly at first and then all at once, broke apart.

“Called upon to play a completely different sort of game to the one required last Saturday against the All Blacks, England too often found themselves in the embrace of the unfamiliar, against a team whose own patterns and traits had been drilled and conditioned and hard-wired over weeks and months. The strategy might have been there, but the muscle memory wasn’t.”

Chief sports writer for the BBC, Tom Fordyce, said: “For England it was a chastening end to a campaign that had promised to end the 16-year wait for World Cup glory.

“They were out-muscled, out-run and out-thought by a team transformed by the leadership of skipper Kolisi and the coaching of Rassie Erasmus.”

JONES AVOIDS WALLABIES SPECULATION

Eddie Jones isn’t thinking to far ahead just yet.
Eddie Jones isn’t thinking to far ahead just yet.

Coach Eddie Jones is focused on “having a few beers” with his deflated England players, rather than on his future, after his side’s loss.

There are growing calls for the Australian mentor to take over from Michael Cheika at the Wallabies following England’s thrilling semi-final win over the All Blacks last weekend.

Several former Australia internationals, including Tim Horan and Stephen Hoiles, even called on Rugby Australia to break the bank to bring him back to the helm 14 years after he was sacked.

Since then another contender, Glasgow Warriors coach David Rennie, revealed he had been approached by New Zealand Rugby over the All Blacks coaching role, vacated by Steve Hansen.

After England’s defeat Jones was cagey about his future.

“It’s not the time to discuss it now,” Jones told ITV. “That’s for the future but for this team there’s no reason why they can’t keep developing.” At the post-match press conference a journalist pressed the Australian, asking if he could see himself launching another four-year project with England’s young side.

“The only thing I’m worried about now, is having a few beers,” Jones said. “And after we have a few beers today, we’ll probably have a few more beers tomorrow. And then probably Monday. And then maybe we have to pull up stumps.”

Jones was also reticent to comment on his earlier call for his reign to be judged by his team’s performance at the World Cup.

“I don’t think that’s relevant at this stage,” he said. “I’m just thinking about my team, they’re hurting badly enough.

“South Africa were worthy winners but I can’t fault the effort of my players. They’ve been outstanding throughout the World Cup and played with a lot of pride and passion.”

With NZ Herald and AAP

Originally published as All the reaction to South Africa’s win over England in the Rugby World Cup final

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