At about 11pm this evening, at the Stade de France, Paris, either New Zealand or South Africa will become Rugby World Cup champions for a record fourth time. Four-year plans and more than six weeks' hard graft have all come down to this as the All Blacks, arguably rugby's most famous side, meet defending champions the Springboks. Whatever you're doing, cancel it, unless it involves watching the Rugby World Cup 2023 final – today's game should be a classic.
The teams are in and Brodie Retallick starts for New Zealand, with Sam Whitelock to come off the bench. Handré Pollard gets the nod at stand off, with Mbongeni Mbonambi again starting. We've listed the starting lineups below...
Kick-off in the biggest rugby match in the world is nearly upon us, so it's time to take your seat in front of a screen and enjoy all the action. It's a rotten night in Paris, unfortunately, so whoever can make the best of the wet conditions and master the kicking game will go a long way to becoming world champions.
NEW ZEALAND Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Tele’a; Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax; Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (captain), Ardie Savea
Replacements: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Tamaiti Williams, Nepo Laulala, Samuel Whitelock, Dalton Papali’i, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown
SOUTH AFRICA Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Duane Vermeulen
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese, Willie Le Roux
New Zealand vs South Africa in the Rugby World Cup is airing for free in the U.K., on the ITVX streaming service. Don't worry if you're abroad right now, because you can watch New Zealand vs South Africa live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
► Time: 8 pm UK / 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT / 6 am AEDT (Oct. 28)
US: Peacock
UK: ITV1 | ITVX (free with license fee)
IRE: RTÉ 2 | RTÉ Player (free)
AUS: 9Now (free) |Stan Sport
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
New Zealand will have a sense of revenge spurring them on this Saturday. They lost 35-7 to South Africa in a dispiriting warm-up fixture, while longer memories will also go back to the 1995 World Cup final when Joel Stransky's extra-time drop goal secured the Springboks' memorable first world crown at the All Blacks' expense. Will Jordan's eight tournament tries stand out, but scrum half Aaron Smith has again found his form alongside playmaker Richie Mo'unga. Sam Whitelock plays his final international.
South Africa, though, are the final specialists. The Boks have emerged victorious in three out of three Rugby World Cup showpieces and go into 2023 with a winning mentality few can match. Trailing for almost all of last weekend's defeat of England, Jacques Nienaber's side fought back to take the lead with two minutes to go.
Handré Pollard was a first-half replacement for Manie Libbok, the fall guy in slippery conditions that favored the kicking game, and will be in contention to start the final after a quicker-than-expected return from injury.
It's back flair vs forward pressure. The oval ball game doesn't get bigger than this. Make sure you know how to get a New Zealand vs South Africa live stream. Luckily, we’ve got all the information on that below, including how to watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 final from anywhere.
How to watch New Zealand vs South Africa in Ireland for free
How to watch New Zealand vs South Africa in the U.K. for free
How to watch New Zealand vs South Africa in the U.S.
Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcaster is the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand vs South Africa, which will be streamed live on Peacock and will also be available to watch live on regular TV channel CNBC. The match kicks off at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT.
You can sign in to Peacock, which starts at $5.99 per month for ad-enabled streaming or $11.99 for ad-free, and it's showing all of the Rugby World Cup games.
Remember, if you're away from the U.S. at the minute, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can still watch the New Zealand vs South Africa live stream without being geo-blocked. Keep reading on to find out how to get yourself set up.
How to watch New Zealand vs South Africa in Australia
In Australia, you've got two options for watching the Rugby World Cup. First is your free option as TV channel Channel Nine will be showing the New Zealand vs South Africa World Cup final. The game will also be streaming on 9Now.
Secondly, online streaming service Stan Sport, which has shown every single game up to this point, will again be a place to watch New Zealand vs South Africa. The match kicks off on Sunday, October 29 at 6 am AEST, so make sure the coffee is brewing.
Not in Australia right now? Make sure you get yourself a VPN to ensure you don't miss a second of the New Zealand vs South Africa live stream from Rugby World Cup 2023.
How to watch New Zealand South Africa in South Africa
Good news, rugby fans in South Africa you can also watch the Springboks in action against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final for free. Kick-off is at 9 pm SAST.
SABC will be showing the final, plus on SABCSport.com’s live streaming channel. There are, however, restrictions on the OVHD platform, meaning millions will not be able to view the matches carried by SABC. Check local listings for more details.
Another option is pay-tv channel SuperSport, which has shown every fixture throughout the tournament. There are various SuperSport packages available, whether you want to watch via DStv or stream.
If you're currently outside South Africa but don't want to miss any of the New Zealand vs South Africa action, then get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.
How to watch New Zealand vs South Africa everywhere else
Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a national broadcaster is streaming the Rugby World Cup, particularly if your country has a team playing in the tournament.
However, in some places there is a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the rugby. Thankfully, you can solve this issue with a Virtual Private Network (a VPN).
A VPN lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch events like the Rugby World Cup 2023 tournament even if it is not directly broadcasting where you are. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch.
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures
Friday, October 27
Bronze Final: Argentina vs England
Saturday, October 28
Final: New Zealand vs South Africa
