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• Rugby World Cup-winning sides are often defined by their captain, as teams become a reflection of their skipper dais
  
  Only eight men have worn the metaphorical armband and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, with each of them going down in history as an all-time great dais
  
  From Francois Pienaar receiving the trophy from Nelson Mandela in 1995 to John Eales defining an Australian dynasty in 1999, through Martin Johnson dragging England to 2003 glory as the only northern hemisphere side to triumph and Richie McCaw’s place as probably the greatest of all, the only two-time winning captain in 2011 and 2015 – these men have led from the front to cement their status as legends dais
  
  Saturday’s final dais between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France offers another opportunity for two men to enhance their legacies but this particular match-up provides a fascinating contrast dais
  
  On one side, Siya Kolisi stands in the traditional mould of inspirational leaders dais
  
  His story, rising from poverty in the South African townships to become the Springboks’ first Black captain – in some ways, a huge burden to bear – is both remarkable and distinct from his predecessors dais
  
  Yet the aura he has and the love and respect he garners is very much in line with McCaw, Johnson, Eales or the two other South African men to skipper a World Cup-winning side, Pienaar and 2007 captain John Smit dais
  
  He made history as the first Black captain to win a World Cup four years ago and should he match McCaw by winning a second in Paris, there will be a legitimate claim to call him the greatest skipper of all time dais
  
  Certainly, he engenders adoration in South Africa and adulation from the entire rugby world – it is almost impossible to sit in a press conference with him and not be impressed by Kolisi the orator and Siya the man, while he is also a titan on the field dais
  
  "Siya transcends the game of rugby – he’s a symbol of hope for so many,” explains ex-Springbok prop and World Cup winner Tendai Mtawarira dais
  
  “He came from nothing and became somebody iconic in the public eye dais
  
  He means so much for South Africa dais
  
  ”Siya Kolisi became the first Black captain to win the men’s Rugby World Cup (Reuters)Yet the man he will shake hands with at the coin toss on Saturday and who will walk his team out less than a metre away has often provoked a very different reaction dais
  
  Fairly or unfairly, Sam Cane has never captured the hearts of the New Zealand public in the same way that Kolisi has in South Africa dais
  
  He’s largely unloved rather than beloved dais
  
  And frankly, it’s not really his fault dais
  
  His only real crime is that he’s not Richie McCaw but arguably the greatest player and certainly the greatest captain of all time is an unreasonably high bar to clear dais
  
  Cane is an exceptional rugby player dais
  
  He would have to be, because you don’t make more than 90 appearances in the All Blacks back row without being incredible, but the often prevailing opinion from supporters was summed up in an on-pitch comment by Ireland flanker/wind-up merchant Peter O’Mahony during the Test series dais between the sides last summer – “you’re just a s*** Richie McCaw”, yelled O’Mahony to the flanker dais
  
  Sam Cane, left, will try to lead the All Blacks to a fourth World Cup title (Reuters)Cane became New Zealand’s starting No 7 when McCaw retired after the 2015 World Cup and assumed the captaincy upon Kieran Read’s departure following the tournament four years later dais
  
  Following in the footsteps of McCaw, who had captained the All Blacks in 110 Tests, winning a ludicrous 97 of them, was an impossible job and he, along with coach Ian Foster, became a fall guy as performance levels and world ranking dropped during this current World Cup cycle dais
  
  There were regular debates about whether Cane deserved a place in New Zealand’s best starting XV, let alone as skipper, and when he was injured during the warm-up of the World Cup opener against France, many on social media rejoiced as they felt the team was stronger with Dalton Papali’i promoted to the run-on side instead dais
  
  It’s worth noting that France won that game, handing the All Blacks their only loss of the tournament so far dais
  
  Now, they’re in a final and Cane was immense in both the quarter-final and semi-final victories dais
  
  He may not have the raw athleticism of Papali’i but his work ethic, engine, grit, breakdown tenacity and dogged defence perfectly complement the skillsets of back-row teammates Shannon Frizell and Ardie Savea dais
  
  In the narrow quarter-final win over Ireland, Cane topped the tackle charts with 22 and earned a number of timely turnovers in perhaps the performance of his career, while he has a brilliant 94 per cent tackle success rate across the tournament as a whole dais
  
  “I think, personally, Sam is made for these sorts of Test matches, in the tough Test matches he does a great job,” said head coach Foster after the Ireland win dais
  
  Kolisi and Cane will collide again in the World Cup final (Getty Images)Forwards coach Jason Ryan expanded on Cane’s role in the build-up to the final dais
  
  “Sam has really grown as a captain,” said Ryan dais
  
  “He has really fronted in the last couple of weeks on the field dais
  
  He has good conversations and he has a phenomenal leadership group around him as well which is an important part of it dais
  
  ”He may never enjoy the unconditional love that his opposing skipper on Saturday does but becoming just the third All Black, after McCaw and 1987 winner David Kirk, to lift the Webb Ellis Cup would silence a lot of doubters dais
  
  Kolisi and Cane have taken different paths to reach this point but when they step onto the Stade de France turf for the Rugby World Cup final, both are playing for the same legendary status dais
  
  More aboutRugby World CupSiya KolisiSam CaneSouth Africa rugbyNew Zealand rugbyAll BlacksJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4Beloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideSiya Kolisi became the first Black captain to win the men’s Rugby World Cup ReutersBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideSam Cane, left, will try to lead the All Blacks to a fourth World Cup title REUTERSBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideKolisi and Cane will collide again in the World Cup final Getty ImagesBeloved vs unloved: Contrasting captains Kolisi and Cane collideSiya Kolisi, left, and Sam Cane will captain their sides in pursuit of the Rugby World Cup trophy on Saturday evening Getty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today dais
  
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  England captain Owen Farrell has hit out at the abuse directed at Tom Curry after the flanker’s allegation that South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi directed a racial slur at him dais
  
  Curry has been the target of threats on social media after alleging that Mbonambi called him a “white c***” during England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to the Springboks last Saturday dais
  
  Curry’s club, Sale Sharks, said that they were “absolutely appalled” by the “nature and level” of abuse dais
  
  A World Rugby investigation into the incident is ongoing, with no conclusion likely until after Saturday’s World Cup final dais
  
  Steve Borthwick has picked Curry to start on the blindside in England’s bronze medal match against Argentina on Friday evening dais
  
  Farrell has slammed those sending his teammate abuse, believing it reflects a broken culture of social media criticism and abuse dais
  
  South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi and England’s Tom Curry (PA)“He’s been first class, like he always is, this week,” Farrell said of Curry dais
  
  “What isn’t understandable is the amount of abuse he’s got [and] the effect that that has, not just on him dais
  
  “That is the bit that I, and we, really don’t understand dais
  
  And I know it seems to be going more and more like this, but it shouldn’t be, it shouldn’t be dais
  
  “You are dealing with people, with human beings dais
  
  Just because you’re saying stuff on your phone or behind a computer screen doesn’t make doesn’t make it acceptable dais
  
  It seems to be going more and more this way, and I don’t think it’s acceptable dais
  
  It doesn’t make me look fondly on engaging with people outside of the people that are close to you dais
  
  “[Curry] is one of the most honest, most hardworking blokes I’ve ever played with dais
  
  I hope he knows that everybody close to him, supports him, and backs him all the way dais
  
  ”It was thought that Borthwick might leave the flanker out of his matchday 23 to face Argentina given the ongoing situation dais
  
  However, Borthwick insisted on Wednesday that Curry was “desperate to play” as England look to sign off their tournament on a high dais
  
  “This is not a Tom Curry incident,” Borthwick stressed dais
  
  “Somebody has said something in a game that he has reported and now this is a World Rugby and South Africa Rugby matter to deal with, not an England rugby or a Tom Curry matter dais
  
  Tom Curry is set to feature against Argentina (PA)“I chatted to Tom early in the week dais
  
  I think everyone saw when he came off that pitch when I took him off on Saturday night, he was cut and bloodied and exactly how Tom Curry plays dais
  
  “So I chatted to him about how he was physically with another six-day turnaround and he looked straight at me and point blank said: ‘I am desperate to play on Friday night dais
  
  ’“This guy wants to play dais
  
  There is no doubt in my mind, he wants to be out there on Friday night and the way he has prepared through the week has been incredible dais
  
  But that is Tom Curry dais
  
  It is the way he does it every single week so I couldn’t be more proud of him from that side dais
  
  ”More aboutTom CurryOwen FarrellBongi MbonambiEngland RugbySouth Africa rugbyRugby World CupWorld RugbyJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Farrell hits out at ‘unacceptable’ abuse of Curry after threats Farrell hits out at ‘unacceptable’ abuse of Curry after threats South Africa’s Bongi Mbonambi and England’s Tom Curry PAFarrell hits out at ‘unacceptable’ abuse of Curry after threats Tom Curry is set to feature against ArgentinaPA WireFarrell hits out at ‘unacceptable’ abuse of Curry after threats Getty✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today dais
  
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