A scrum penalty in the 77th minute, orchestrated by replacement prop Ox Nche saw Handre Pollard slot the necessary three points to help the Boks eke out a 16-15 win over England in Paris.
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By their own admission, the Boks were not their best on the night and at one stage were trailing 6-15. The defending champions however, found a way to win in a knockout game for a second consecutive weekend.
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At full-time a fracas ensued between the South African and English players, which is believed to have started after England replacement scrumhalf Danny Care took exception to Willie le Roux’s wild, goading celebrations.
Watch the altercation below:
The introduction of Nche to the Springboks’ front row changed the complexion of the contest with South Africa starting to get an edge in the scrums, which ultimately set the platform for RG Snyman’s try and Pollard’s match-winning penalty.
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Steve Borthwick’s men dominated the collisions, set-piece and breakdown for 60 minutes. It was only the sheer depth of the South African bench and the drop-off between England’s starting and finishing props that appeared to turn the match in the Boks’ favour.
The 2023 Rugby World Cup final has been confirmed with three-time champions New Zealand to play three-time and defending champions South Africa at the Stade de France on Saturday, 28 October.
The All Blacks swept Argentina aside with ease in the other semi-final and have scored a competition-leading 325 points.
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“We’ll have to come up with a plan [against the All Blacks],” said Man of the Match Handre Pollard after Saturday’s game.
“They’re really playing an explosive game, punishing teams from all over the park.
“We’ll have to do homework for that.”
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