Peter Jackson: South Africa make history becoming first team to win four World Cups

And so the tournament ended for the All Blacks as it had started, leaving them with nothing other than perhaps an appreciation of how Ireland felt a fortnight earlier.

HISTORY MAKERS: South Africa celebrate winning the Rugby World Cup. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

And so the team toppled by Ireland five weeks ago edged the one overwhelmed by France to finish rugby’s 50-day extravaganza with a double pot of gold.

As the Abba song has been blasting out now for more than 40 years, The Winner Takes It All, enough to guarantee the indomitable Springboks four more years of global rule for South Africa as well as a first prize of circa 5 million Euro and that’s barely the half of it.