The Latest: England’s Sinckler leaves field after head knock

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — The Latest at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday (all times local):

6:10 p.m.

England prop Kyle Sinckler has left the field for a head injury assessment after apparently being knocked out attempting to tackle South Africa winger Makazole Mapimpi in the third minute of the final.

He lay motionless until medical staff treated him on the field, but was able to walk off.

The score was 0-0.

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6.03 p.m.

Players from both teams have belted out their anthems and South Africa has kicked off against England in the Rugby World Cup final.

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi led South Africa out for his 50th test cap. South Africa has won both previous times it has reached the Rugby World Cup final, beating New Zealand in 1995 and England in 2007.

England, the 2003 champion, is into the final for a record-equaling fourth time.

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5:30 p.m.

Coaches Eddie Jones and Rassie Erasmus have met for the obligatory hand shake as their teams go through the warmups on the field ahead of the Rugby World Cup final.

England coach Jones, who guided Australia to the 2003 World Cup final — lost in extra-time to England — and helped on the Springboks’ winning campaign in 2007 that culminated with a win over England, has plenty of experience at this end of the tournament.

Erasmus, a former Springbok backrower, is there for the first time.

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3:45 p.m.

Steve Hansen has endorsed Ian Foster to replace him as All Blacks head coach.

Hansen, who was Graham Henry’s assistant before taking over as head coach and guiding New Zealand at the 2015 and ’19 World Cups, says his current assistant has a “good head-start.”

Hansen, who had a stint as head coach of Wales before returning to join the All Blacks coaching staff, said even if he wasn’t asked by New Zealand rugby officials, “I’ll probably offer an opinion.”

“I guess with hindsight, because (Foster) has been there for the last eight years and done a fantastic job and understands what happens, he’s got a good head-start over everybody else on what’s needed, Hansen told a news conference Saturday, the day after the All Blacks beat Wales 40-17 in the third-place playoff. “He’s known for a long time that I’ll be leaving and he’s put together a very strong team and if that team comes together they’ll have a lot of ingredients that are needed.”

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2:55 p.m.

It’s the first final since 2007 that hasn’t included New Zealand. Not that you’d know it in Yokohama.

The streets leading to the International Stadium are filling up with rugby fans and many of them are wearing All Blacks jerseys.

Traveling New Zealanders would have expected to see their team in the final, given the expectations back home and the fact that the All Blacks won rugby’s biggest prize back-to-back in 2011 and ’15.

Instead, they had to make do with the bronze medal after the All Blacks beat Wales 40-17 in the third-place playoff on Friday.

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2:45 p.m.

On the 44th day, there was the Rugby World Cup final.

The tournament that kicked off on Sept. 20 with host Japan beating Russia will conclude Saturday with two-time champion South Africa against England.

The Springboks are hoping to continue a sequence of winning the Webb Ellis Cup every dozen years. They beat New Zealand in 1995 at home and had a 15-6 win over England in Paris in 2007.

England’s 2003 win — in extra time against Australia — is the northern hemisphere’s only Rugby World Cup title to date. Eddie Jones’ England team has had to beat two-time champion Australia in the quarterfinals and three-time champion New Zealand just to make the championship match.

Siya Kolisi, the first black player appointed as Springboks captain, is aiming for a piece of history.

Prince Harry will represent Britain’s royal family at the final.

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