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The greatest Rugby World Cup final? Huge expectations for All Blacks-Springboks showdown

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Saturday's 106th showdown between gigantic rivals New Zealand and South Africa has elevated rugby's biggest game — if that was at all possible — to a potential do-you-remember-where-you-were moment for everyone who follows the sport, young or old, from New Zealand, South Africa or elsewhere.

Through 102 years of games in a duel that's remained rugby's most ferocious even when there's no silverware at stake, the All Blacks and the Springboks have met head-on just once in a World Cup final before.

Either South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber or New Zealand coach Ian Foster, both departing after the World Cup, will leave behind a magnificent legacy. And above it all, defending champion and No. 1-ranked South Africa plays No. 2-ranked New Zealand, ensuring a final of epic proportions anyway is also, officially, a meeting of the two best teams in the world.

With a century of clashes to draw on, when the All Blacks have been clearly dominant overall, it's two Springboks victories that stand out — 28 years apart — as maybe the most consequential now. For New Zealand, the memories of the mighty 1995 All Blacks and their unexpected loss to the old enemy desperately need to be purged. This final is the first chance, more than a quarter of a century later, for real, lasting closure.

 

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