21/10/2007 11:00

"Boks rule the world!" read the headline in the Sunday Independent while the front-page of The Sunday Times merely read "Glory Boys!" over a picture of skipper John Smit and the team holidng the Webb Ellis trophy aloft.

For the Afrikaans' Rapport paper, the Boks had made a nation proud - including the anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela.

The 15-6 win, which came 12 years after the Springboks' first triumph, marked a sharp turnaround in fortunes for a team that was bundled out of the 2003 tournament in the quarter-finals after a race row marred their build-up.

"This epic victory is all the sensational given the despair of Rugby World Cup 2003, and for the Springboks to have risen from the canvas to win the title is nothing short of miraculous," said the Sunday Independent.

"Enjoy it South Africa, and be proud of your team because it is doubtful there has been a team more deserving of the game's richest spoils."

The paper said that the team's veterans were the stars of the show on Saturday night, particularly Montgomery who kicked 12 of the 15 points.

"The senior Springboks were magnificent in marshalling the forces. Among the forwards Victor Matfield, Os du Randt and John Smit were outstanding, at the back Percy Montgomery quite brilliant."

The Sunday Times also said the experience of the Boks was vital in ensuring the door was closed on England long before the referee blew the final whistle.

"In the end, the most experienced SA test side yet held their nerve better than England .... to effectively shut the match down from as early as the third quarter."

It also pinpointed Montgomery's performance as the key to victory, saying the blonde fullback, who had been dubbed 'Percy the Peacock' by the English tabloids, "got his revenge at the Stade de France".

The lack of tries in the game meant that the final was far from a classic, a point that was not missed amid the euphoria over the result.

"Both sides will be grateful that there is no column for how it looked in the history books because it was an ugly game," said the Sunday Times.

The crucial moment in the game came shortly after half-time when England's Mark Cueto thought he had scored a try in the corner only for the television match official to rule that he had been pushed out of touch.

"It was the turning point of the match," said the Sunday Independent.

"Smit pulled his players into a huddle and they left it with their jaws set. England were given short shrift, the match was controlled and South Africa muscled their way to victory."

The front-page of Rapport had a picture of Smit holding the trophy aloft under the headline "Bravo Bokke!"

"The World Cup is ours. Full Stop."

The paper said that it had received an sms immediately after the final whistle from former president Mandela, reading: "We are a winning nation. Excellent! Well done men. You are our pride."

The match also made onto the frontpage of the City Press, which has a mainly black readership, with a picture of Smit and President Thabo Mbeki illustrating a story headline: "Green and Gold Joy".