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Cape Town - We all know there's only ONE statistic that really counts in any rugby match - the final score.
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Saturday's much-anticipated Rugby World Cup blockbuster in Yokohama between reigning champions, the All Blacks, and pretenders to their throne, the Springboks, ended in a deserved 23-13 victory for New Zealand.
While it was merely the first skirmish in what may well end up in a rematch later in the tournament for all the marbles in the final - or in the battle for bronze - both sides will have reason to feel optimistic.
For the All Blacks the win will have given them a massive psychological boost, while the Springboks will be comforted by the fact that they 'won' the second half and have scope for massive improvement.
WATCH | Springboks v All Blacks in 137 seconds!
A winning team never complains about the referee, while a losing side seldom stops.
French referee Jerome Garces will hog online and print space in the coming days.
Sure, he missed numerous penalty offences - for both sides.
Is a neutral referee?
Absolutely.
Is he the reason the All Blacks won?
Absolutely not.
Regardless, the Springboks are now 0-6 under his watch against their fiercest foes - and will be not-so-secretly hoping he isn't assigned the whistle in any of their remaining tournament matches.
What do the official match stats tell us?
That it was predictably a titanic tussle between two of rugby's proudest nations where no quarter was asked or given.
Oh, and that Cheslin Kolbe has a heart of a lion!
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ON ATTACK
METRES CARRIED
South Africa - 370 (Kolbe 124m on his own!)
New Zealand - 367
CARRIES
South Africa - 104
New Zealand - 110
DEFENDERS BEATEN
South Africa - 28
New Zealand - 35
CLEAN BREAKS
South Africa - 7
New Zealand - 12
PASSES
South Africa - 119
New Zealand - 143
OFFLOADS
South Africa - 2
New Zealand - 8
POSSESSION
South Africa - 53%
New Zealand - 47%
TERRITORY
South Africa - 59%
New Zealand - 41%
ON DEFENCE
TACKLES
South Africa - 108
New Zealand - 126
MISSED TACKLES
South Africa - 35
New Zealand - 28
BREAKDOWN
RUCKS WON
South Africa - 87
New Zealand - 77
PENALTIES CONCEDED
South Africa - 9
New Zealand 4
FINAL SCORE?
South Africa - 13
New Zealand - 23
