YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) - The Latest at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday (all times local):
8:25 p.m.
Siya Kolisi lifted the Rugby World Cup trophy and the fireworks went off.
Kolisi, who last year became the first black player appointed as Springboks captain, is the third South African leader to win rugby’s marquee event. The second man to do it wearing the No. 6 jersey.
Francois Pienaar led South Africa at the 1995 World Cup on home soil and received the trophy from Nelson Mandela, who was wearing a No. 6 Springboks jersey. The South Africans won their second title in 2007, beating England in the final, and have done it again a dozen years later.
The players danced in the background as Kolisi raised the cup.
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7:55 p.m.
South Africa has beaten England 32-12 to capture its third Rugby World Cup title and produced a first along the way, with winger Makazole Mapimpi scoring a drought-breaking try.
The Springboks won the titles in 1995 against New Zealand and in 2007 against England in try-less finals.
It appeared to be going that way again with the Springboks playing to type and sticking to a physical, forward-dominated game until Mapimpi’s milestone moment in the 67th minute. After the drought-breaker, Cheslin Kolbe stepped inside England captain Owen Farrell and scored on the right wing in the 75th.
Mapimpi was heavily involved in creating the first, taking a pass on the left touchline, and chip kicking ahead for Lukhanyo Am to gather before unloading outside to his unmarked winger.
Handre Pollard, who had scored all of South Africa’s points before then with six penalties, converted both tries.
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6:55 p.m.
South Africa leads England 12-6 after a brutal first half of the Rugby World Cup final.
Handre Pollard missed his first attempt at goal but landed his next four, in the 10th, 25th, 39th and 40th minutes. Owen Farrell kicked two penalties to keep England in touch despite conceding a glut of territory to the Springboks.
The heavy collisions took a toll on both teams, with England prop Kyle Sinckler leaving the field in the third minute after apparently being knocked out attempting to tackle South Africa winger Makazole Mapimpi.
South Africa lost hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi to a head knock and lock Lood de Jager to a left arm injury at the same time, in the 21s minute.
Despite those losses, the Springbok pack continued to dominate the scrum, winning three penalties at the set piece.
South Africa has won both previous times it reached the final, beating New Zealand in 1995 and England in 2007, and both games were try-less.
Despite the rugged physicality of the contest, but teams made attempts to run the ball.
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6:10 p.m.
England prop Kyle Sinckler has left the field for a head injury assessment after apparently being knocked out attempting to tackle South Africa winger Makazole Mapimpi in the third minute of the final.
He lay motionless until medical staff treated him on the field, but was able to walk off.
The score was 0-0.
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6.03 p.m.
Players from both teams have belted out their anthems and South Africa has kicked off against England in the Rugby World Cup final.
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi led South Africa out for his 50th test cap. South Africa has won both previous times it has reached the Rugby World Cup final, beating New Zealand in 1995 and England in 2007.
England, the 2003 champion, is into the final for a record-equaling fourth time.
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5:30 p.m.
Coaches Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus have met for the obligatory hand shake as their teams go through the warmups on the field ahead of the Rugby World Cup final.
England coach Jones, who guided Australia to the 2003 World Cup final - lost in extra-time to England - and helped on the Springboks’ winning campaign in 2007 that culminated with a win over England, has plenty of experience at this end of the tournament.
Erasmus, a former Springbok backrower, is there for the first time.
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3:45 p.m.
Steve Hansen has endorsed Ian Foster to replace him as All Blacks head coach.
Hansen, who was Graham Henry’s assistant before taking over as head coach and guiding New Zealand at the 2015 and ’19 World Cups, says his current assistant has a “good head-start.”
Hansen, who had a stint as head coach of Wales before returning to join the All Blacks coaching staff, said even if he wasn’t asked by New Zealand rugby officials, “I’ll probably offer an opinion.”
“I guess with hindsight, because (Foster) has been there for the last eight years and done a fantastic job and understands what happens, he’s got a good head-start over everybody else on what’s needed, Hansen told a news conference Saturday, the day after the All Blacks beat Wales 40-17 in the third-place playoff. “He’s known for a long time that I’ll be leaving and he’s put together a very strong team and if that team comes together they’ll have a lot of ingredients that are needed.”
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2:55 p.m.
It’s the first final since 2007 that hasn’t included New Zealand. Not that you’d know it in Yokohama.
The streets leading to the International Stadium are filling up with rugby fans and many of them are wearing All Blacks jerseys.
Traveling New Zealanders would have expected to see their team in the final, given the expectations back home and the fact that the All Blacks won rugby’s biggest prize back-to-back in 2011 and ’15.
Instead, they had to make do with the bronze medal after the All Blacks beat Wales 40-17 in the third-place playoff on Friday.
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2:45 p.m.
On the 44th day, there was the Rugby World Cup final.
The tournament that kicked off on Sept. 20 with host Japan beating Russia will conclude Saturday with two-time champion South Africa against England.
The Springboks are hoping to continue a sequence of winning the Webb Ellis Cup every dozen years. They beat New Zealand in 1995 at home and had a 15-6 win over England in Paris in 2007.
England’s 2003 win - in extra time against Australia - is the northern hemisphere’s only Rugby World Cup title to date. Eddie Jones’ England team has had to beat two-time champion Australia in the quarterfinals and three-time champion New Zealand just to make the championship match.
Siya Kolisi, the first black player appointed as Springboks captain, is aiming for a piece of history.
Prince Harry will represent Britain’s royal family at the final.
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