South Africa will have the chance to defend their Rugby World Cup crown in next Saturday’s final against New Zealand after edging England 16-15 in a gripping semi-final at Stade de France..
The reigning champions were never in front until a long-range penalty from replacement Handre Pollard with just two minutes left on the clock.
Under unrelenting rain, scrum-half Alex Mitchell and fly-half Owen Farrell went to the air again and again for England, whose defence and breakdown work was ferocious as the Springboks had few answers.
Four Farrell first-half penalties to one from Manie Libbok and one from Handre Pollard – who replaced Libbok after just 30 minutes – put England 12-6 up at half-time lead, which Farrell extended to 15-6 with a thumping drop-goal.
But with the Springboks bench exerting increasing a huge influence, replacement second-row RG Synman crashed over after 69 minutes and Pollard’s conversion brought them to within two points.
But another scrum penalty after 78 minutes gave Pollard the chance to break England’s hearts and send South Africa into their fourth RWC final.
“It was a big moment but it is what you want as a player on this stage, to have moments like that as a fly-half is what you live for. It was fun,” said Pollard, who was named the Mastercard Player of the Match.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s a lot of relief in this moment. Frustrated we weren’t at our best tonight, especially in that first half. We knew we had so much more to give but fair play to England, I think they put us under pressure in exactly the right areas. But jeez, the fight we showed, never giving up, it is what we stand for as a team and as a nation” added Pollard.
