South Africa did what world-class teams do: finding a way to defeat England 16-15 at Stade de France.
The Springboks didn't lead until the 78th minute but that's all they needed as Handre Pollard proved the hero with a 49 metre penalty.
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It sets up an exciting World Cup Final against New Zealand whilst England are left heartbroken after nearly producing the perfect game plan for a shock victory.
So what did we learn?
1. CHAMPION MENTALITY
You simply can’t buy World Cup-winning experience and that was the difference in this game.
This was the most experienced South African side ever and it showed late in the match to come away with the win.
England frustrated South Africa but they never panicked, making the right moves and calls to give them a chance late to win the game.
It’s two weeks in a row the Springboks have found a way late in the game to deliver the killer blow and their incredible run continues.
2. CLUTCH SUB
South Africa made the bold call to pull flyhalf Manie Libbok after just 30 minutes but it paid off in the end.
Libbok is a prodigal talent but his struggles to start the game and with the boot over the tournament lead to Jacques Nienaber making the bold call just before the break.
It allowed Handre Pollard to take over and he played a major part in their comeback win.
It started with a great kick for touch that put them just outside the five-metre line, allowing for RG Snyman to dive over the line.
He then came up with the clutch penalty kick from just inside halfway for the victory, becoming an instant icon.
Credit must go to Snyman and Ox Nche, who turned the tide after England’s forward pack got the better of them for the first 60 minutes.
3. TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE
England played the perfect style of Rugby to give them every chance to win this semi-final and should keep their heads held high.
There was a clear and deliberate ploy to slow the game down whenever possible and turn it into a battle for territory, a signature style of Steve Borthwick and Owen Farrell.
Farrell was unbelievable and deserved to win the game with his 45m drop goal.
The forward pack stepped up to frustrate their South African counterparts and were rewarded with several turnovers at lineout time to go with shutting down their rolling maul.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to handle the power of South Africa’s ‘bomb squad’, who ran over the top of them in the final quarter.
For a team that was ridden off by almost everyone heading into this game, they did themselves proud.
4. LIKE MOTHS TO A FLAME
No matter what they do, New Zealand and South Africa will always find a way to be drawn together and are now set to play out an incredible final.
The two teams have a storied history, with the All Blacks defeating the Springboks in their opening game of the 2019 World Cup before South Africa took out the title.
The record is 1-1 in 2023, with New Zealand taking the game in Auckland before the Springboks thumped them in London.
New Zealand probably would’ve secretly wanted revenge against England for knocking them out in 2019 but they’ll relish another shot at the Springboks after August’s humiliating defeat.
It ensures the Southern Hemisphere dominance will continue at World Cups, with both nations hunting to be the first four-time champions
5. PSA TO THE CROWD
You don’t have to boo Ben O’Keefe every time he is on the screen.
O’Keefe and the referees have come under fire over the past week but when they (especially O’Keefe) are getting booed as they walked onto the field, doing warm-ups and after every penalty, it crosses the line.
We’ve now had a situation where three games in a row before this had at least one team have a crack at the refereeing after a loss.
It sets a dangerous precedent and paints a bad picture and example for the rest of the game
