The Springboks have defeated Wales 19-16 in the second semi-final to book a date with England in the final next week.
It was a tight arm wrestle for the vast majority of the contest – truly one for the purists. Penalty goals dominated the scoring with just one try apiece; a clutch kick from Handre Pollard in the 75th minute proving to be the difference between the two sides.
South Africa were first to score with Pollard slotting a penalty in the 14th minute. Dan Biggar and Pollard went back and forth throughout the first 40, the halftime score being 9-6 in favour of South Africa.
The Springboks started the second half slowly. Uncharacteristic errors by Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux put them under unnecessary pressure, before Biggar levelled the scores at 9-all in the 46th minute.
South African centre Damian de Allende broke the deadlock with a magnificent effort to score out wide in the 56th minute.
He carried the ball in both hands which put the Wales defenders in two minds, after which he dummied and fended his way over the line.
Wales were gifted with an absolute mountain of possession shortly after. A penalty against South Africa saw the Welsh with a line out throw on the five-metre line.
After 21 phases with the ball (and doing absolutely nothing with it), Wales received a penalty, and skipper Alun Wyn Jones made the brave call to pack down against this monster Springboks forward pack five metres out from the line.
The Boks pushed back hard, but a simple through the hands play saw Josh Adams cross in the corner for Wales in the 65th minute. Locked up at 16-all, extra time looked a likely possibility.
Wales had a great chance to set up for a field goal off the back of a penalty against Francois Louw. They won the line out 35m out, but South Africa forced them back with some brutal defence.
Eventually, Biggar was forced to take the shot from a bad position and did not even get close. The wind had left the Welsh sails – now South Africa were looking for their chance.
A penalty against Wales gave the Boks a piggyback downfield in the 75th minute. A collapsed maul gifted them another penalty, from which Handre Pollard added the three match-winning points, seeing South Africa through to their third Rugby World Cup final.
For Wales, they will face an equally disappointed New Zealand side who were unexpectedly dominated by England in the first semi-final.
For South Africa, it’s onwards and upwards as they face England in a rematch from the 2007 tournament, which should be an absolute cracker.
Wales 16
Springboks 19
Wyn
Guest
DA, have you watched any Springbok games before the knockout stages of this world cup?
Wyn
Guest
Nah Corne why embarrassed or surprised. This year's Rugby Championship gave me a lot of hope for SA. As an SA emigrant 20 odd years ago I have been supporting the Wallabies for the past 10 years or so. Now I always support SA when they are not playing the Wallabies. With Cheika in charge of the Wallabies I did not expect them to get out of their pool and it was certain that they would not get past QF. So right from the start of the RWC I knew who I was backing this time around. Back to RC, Rassie used a second team to beat the Wallbies and then went on to draw with NZ using the first team so it was ubundantly clear that the Boks were going into the world cup with a very real chance. The SA v NZ pool match had very little riding on it and as it turned out SA ended up with the easier route through to the finals. I was fully expecting a NZ v Bok final, but when you are the best team in the world like NZ are, everybody plans to take you down. Eddie planned for the England v NZ encounter for 2.5 years and his plan worked just like he planned the demise of the Boks 4 years ago in Brighton. Now the Boks have gotten to the final with some very ugly but fit for purpose rugby. They are in the final and they deserve to be there. That is the nature of knockout rugby. So, let us all enjoy the final, the Boks are worthy of their place!
Wyn
Guest
If only - I would love to see England v NZ two weeks in a row with something at stake. It would be like the 2nd Bledisloe this year
Graeme
Roar Rookie
Why would someone who complains like this about rugby spend time watching the game?
Gloria
Roar Rookie
So many Kiwis on here slamming the 2nd semi. Here is a tip, the Boks won and definitely played better than the Nuns did. The English domination was absolutely complete, despite the sorta close score. I think the Boks might pull the same kind of surprise against England that the English pulled against the Nuns. And win.
Gentleman Thug
Roar Rookie
Yep - managed to get through the first 15 minutes then changed channels.
Rugbybebop
Guest
yes, and they had recovered the game pretty quickly. If the Springboks can get the game state and their team to that point with 20-25 mins to go, they would be pretty tough to keep contained somewhere i would guess.
Double Agent
Guest
Relying on games that happened in 2018 to make predictions today is just crazy. The England that destroyed NZ on Saturday looked a different team to the one that beat a 14 man Argentina just a few weeks ago. I think we should only go back as far as what's happened in this RWC.
Double Agent
Guest
Extra time????!!!! Oh Goody - more box kicks!
TonyH
Roar Rookie
An absolute Boer-fest. If South Africa play like that in the final, the Poms will pummel 'em!
Gloria
Roar Rookie
Thanks for your advice ‘Andy J’. Think we know what the ‘J’ stands for :laughing:
Peter
Guest
“A sense of destiny!” Oh yeah, white man’s burden, winning it on the playing fields of Eton, doing it for the Empah. Are you smoking what Boris Johnson is smoking?
I don’t know RT,
riddler
Roar Rookie
was he? what i found interesting was that he was there with mitchell. not borthwick nor wisemantel. mitchell deserves some dues as does eddie for picking him. many rightfully saw it as a left field call after gustard went to quins. a few tried to make a drama out of it. mitchell was excellent as an assistant with woodward. sometimes people just have to find their position and being top dog might not be it. laurie fischer could well be that guy in oz rugby,
Peter
Guest
Ah, now I understand why Wales lost. Their angel wings kept getting in the way.
James in NZ
Guest
Sitting next to David Kirk too no less.
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
That will all count for naught when they run out next week Harry. Boks first have to play to their strengths
Rugby Tragic
Roar Rookie
Mate what’s wrong with Willie Le Roux, is it something mental? Serious question. He’s not half the player I remember him to be
Charging Rhino
Roar Guru
Not beating my chest mate. All teams played against tier 2&3 teams. The point I was making is the Boks played the game plan to beat Wales. But they can and have played a running game as we’ve seen during this WC and the RC against ABs, Wallabies & Argentina.
I am not arguing that England are the favourites, I am also not arguing that Boks need to lift their game. But lets get real, England didn’t do anything special, they dominated the basics, the set piece, the rucks and their intensity was higher than what I have seen from them in a while. South Africa can match their set piece, they can match them at the breakdown, and they can match them for intensity, as much as we have areas to focus on, Eddie Jones will also have to find ways to play the Boks, because the physicality is not going to be one sided.