Handre Pollard scores crucial penalty to set up Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand
, without ever scaling the heights they did in beating France a week ago simply because it took so much out of them, had to draw deep on their vast reserves of character and belief to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in reaching another final.
next Saturday night despite trailing from the third to the 78th minute, thanks to a try from Munster lock RG Snyman and then both a nerveless conversion and unerring, 78th minute, 50-metre penalty by Handre Pollard.had again resorted to his bench early in the second half, but in that match-defining moment had been vindicated in bringing on Pollard, hisHis team had struggled to impose themselves on an English whose strictly limited game plan had revolved around punting the ball high in the air, they kicked out of hand 41 times to 29 by England, in a game where the outside centres and outside backs hardly received a pass on an admittedly rainswept night.Ian Foster insists he does not care who New Zealand face in World Cup finalalso won more duels in the air and the ground, and defending with huge line speed and aggression. Maro Itoje and Courtney Lawes were among those who rose to the occasion big games. South Africa had seemed drained by their huge emotional and physical efforts in beating France a week previously but in addition to Snyman’s ballast, ultimately England’s scrum proved an Achilles heel again, as it had done in the final in Tokyo, particularly after the respective replacements came into the game. From long before the kick-off the French villain of the World Cup, Ben O’Keeffe, was roundly booed by the large French contingent in the crowd who, like Antoine Dupont, believe he was the primary reason they lost here last Saturday against South Africa and hence weren’t watching the hosts take on England.There were as many South Africans as English in the crowd – the latter bringing nothing like the tens of thousands they brought in 2007 or even to Australia in 2003. Yet when the teams were read out before they emerged, all of the Springboks players were roundly booed, none more so that Cheslin Kolbe, the well-travelled former Toulouse and Toulon winger now earning his living in Japan, and Faf de Klerk. But again, the decibel levels reached a different height altogether with the derision that greeted O’Keeffe. Within the first minute ‘Allez Les Bleus” was echoing around the stadium, predictably soon followed by the night’s first offering of la Marseillaise, and then even Swing Low. At least, compared to the previous night’s non-event, there was an atmosphere and sense of occasion to this semi-final.Or what passed for rugby, with the sole choice of tactic with the ball namely to kick the leather off it, interspersed with set pieces, injury timeouts and penalties. In the first half, there were 36 kicks from hand , 20 set pieces and 13 penalties, and around half a dozen injury “timeouts” nearly all of them by England, as they slowed the game to a trickle and were happy to have a stop-start game even more than the Springboks. While the forwards crashed into each other a few times, save for one clever lineout move to release Kurt-Lee Arendse, it was hard to think of the backs having any involvements in an attacking sense. the two inside centres touched the ball twice apiece and neither outside centre, Jessie Kriel or Joe Marchant, had touched the ball once between them.This actually suited England, who are anti-rugby personified, more than the Springboks. It helped that they won all the little moments in the opening 15 minutes or so, be it the work of Freddie Steward and Elliot Daly in the air, and Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi being pinged three times on the ground. Owen Farrell duly kicked two close-range penalties. The Boks opted to turn down a shot at goal and go to the corner, albeit his kick was barely within 15 metres of the corner, and after an early drive their maul ran into a brick wall while Bongi Mbonambi had two crooked throws. Maro Itoje stole another one and George Martin’s big hit forced a knock-on from Franco Mostert. Libbok did open their account with a confidently and well-struck penalty but after Courtney Lawes brilliantly beat Libbok to a loose pass on the ground from Damian Willemse, Farrell made it 9-3 and after a skewed kick Libbok was replaced by Handre Pollard in the 31st minute. There had been worse performers, and none of Cobus Reinach, Willemse and a weary looking Etzebeth would make it to the 47th minute, but this decision betrayed the lack of trust which Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber have evidently had for their less experienced outhalf from the outset. Pollard had a tap over after Itoje made a tackle while on the ground and offside, but when du Toit stepped across to block chasers, Farrell secured a 12-6 interval lead with a 45-metre penalty. South Africa held a 4-1 record over England in World Cup meetings, including wins in all three knock-out ties, namely in the 1999 quarter-finals, and 2007 and 2019 finals. Nor had England led South Africa at half-time in a World Cup match, while the team that have been ahead at half-time have won 10 of the past 11 matches since 2012, with England salvaging a 14-14 draw in Port Elizabeth after trailing 9-8 at the break. The second half continued in much the same vein, with England continuing to take to the skies and win the aerial duels. They also profited on the sodden ground, where neither Willemse, in his last act, or Kolbe, much to the delight of the French crowd, could deal with wickedly angled grubbers by Farrell. In between times, Farrell coolly landed a monster 45-metre drop goal and gave everyone a cold-eyed stare. Swing Low began to reverberate all around the ground with increasing confidence, as well as ‘Mar-o I-to-je’.But Jamie George’s throw was crooked and the Boks scrum, much improved by Ox Nche relacing Steven Kitshoff, shunted the English pack for a relieving penalty. The introduction of Kyle Sinckler for Cole, in a reverse from the final four years ago, did listen to stem a now equally dominant Boks’ scrum, which gave them vital sustenance. Pollard nailed a fourth successive scrum penalty from halfway to within five metres of the corner flag, Deon Fourie exploded off the back of the maul and from the recycle RG Snyman had the presence of mind to twist in the tackle and ground the ball backhanded. Pollard also nailed the conversion and when Freddie Steward, who had been his usual imperious self in the air, sliced a return high kick and then knocked it forward in the air, it afforded the Boks another scrum just inside halfway. Ellis Genge was penalised for going to ground, and after wasting little time, Pollard had struck the ball perfectly and turned away secure in the knowledge that he had bisected the posts and cleared the bar comfortably. England had one last foray from a lineout on halfway, Steward receiving his first pass of the night, but into overtime de Klerk’s tackle forced a knock-on from Billy Vunipola, the scrumhalf sealing the win as he done a week ago.3 mins Farrell pen 03; 10 mins Farrell pen 0-6; 21 mins Libbok pen 3-6; 24 mins Farrell pen 3-9; 35 mins Pollard pen 6-9; 39 mins Farrell pen 6-12; ; 53 mins Farrell drop goal 6-15; 69 mins Snyman try, Pollard con 13-15; 78 mins Pollard pen 16-15. Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach; Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi , Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Siya Kilisi , Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen. Handre Pollard for Libbok , Faf de Klerk for Reinach , Willie le Roux for Willemse , RG Snyman for Etzebeth , Ox Nche for Kitshoff , Deon Fourie for Kolisi, Kwagga Smith for , Vincent Koch for Malherbe . England: Freddie Steward; Jonny May, Joe Marchant, Manu Tuilagi, Elliot Daly; Owen Farrell , Alex Mitchell; Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, George Martin, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Ben Earl. Billy Vunipola for Curry , Ellis Genge for Marler, Ollie Chessum for Martin, Danny Care for Mitchell , Kyle Sinckler for Cole , Ollie Lawrence for Tuilagi , George Ford for May .Mick Jagger on ageing: ‘As you get older, a lot of your friends die. 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