South Africa beat England 32-12 in Yokohama on 2 November 2019 to win the men's Rugby World Cup. Siya Kolisi captained the Springboks and Rassie Erasmus coached them. The victory joined the country's 1995 and 2007 titles, giving the 2019 team a defined place in that history.
Handré Pollard contributed 22 points through six penalties and two conversions. His kicking turned opportunities into a steadily growing score. England's points all came from four Owen Farrell penalties, making the different sources of scoring useful for understanding the final result.
South Africa led 12-6 at halftime. Match reporting identified pressure at the scrum as a major influence, with England repeatedly forced onto the back foot. The opening half built an advantage through the forwards and kicking before the later tries made the winning margin larger.
Makazole Mapimpi scored the first South African try after an exchange with Lukhanyo Am, and Cheslin Kolbe added the second. They were the Springboks' first tries in a World Cup final. The two earlier title-winning finals had been won without South Africa crossing the try line.
Kolisi's captaincy added another historic dimension: he was the Springboks’ first Black Test captain. Lifting the trophy placed that leadership at the centre of a major national sporting achievement, while the match itself remained the product of contributions across the team.
The 2019 final is best remembered with both layers intact: its wider significance and the specific rugby that won it. Pollard's points, forward pressure and the finishing of Mapimpi and Kolbe explain the score. The third title belongs to that date, separate from later World Cup campaigns.