England miss out on place in Rugby World Cup final

England fell agonisingly wanting a supreme upset and a fifth Rugby World Cup final as South Africa came on strong to grab victory in Paris.

England were canny and dedicated in the principle half of, raining down kicks into the South Africa backfield, forcing a trusty provide of penalties.

Owen Farrell converted four to ship his aspect into the destroy with a 12-6 lead.

The Springboks chopped and changed their line-up after the destroy, but a Farrell plunge-goal edged England additional definite and to the brink of a seismic shock.

Nonetheless, an RG Snyman strive 10 minutes from time lower the underdogs’ end result in 15-13 earlier than the Boks’ scrum energy earned Handre Pollard the match-winning penalty in the 77th minute.

It changed into a brutal ending for an England team who had led from the third minute till three minutes from time.

White shirts slumped to the sodden Stade de France turf, whereas in other places the tension and physicality of the contest spilled over with groups of avid gamers confronting every assorted.

It changed into characteristic of an England aspect who never took a step support and took the fight to their fancied opposition.

The efficiency changed into also vindication for coach Steve Borthwick, who turned into Leicester from relegation candidates to Premiership champions in 18 months and has produced one more spectacular salvage job to handbook England within a whisker of a final.

• England devastated after World Cup semi-final defeat – reaction and the highest scheme it came about

After beating hosts France by a equally diminutive margin on the identical stage remaining weekend, South Africa will return to take on Contemporary Zealand in the showpiece match with all aspects chasing a story fourth title.

England’s concept flounders in Paris rain

England had been outfoxed and outmuscled by the Springboks in the remaining Rugby World Cup final and at Twickenham remaining autumn, but they started fancy the favourites, setting about South Africa with confidence and a clear concept.

Joe Marchant objective about got maintain of Farrell’s opening plunge-out after England destroy up their forward hotfoot to support the Boks guessing.

Elliot Daly soared over Kurt-Lee Arendse to tap support an Alex Mitchell box-kick, Courtney Lawes snaffled loose ball on the ground and Freddie Steward, support in the starting line-up for the reason, gobbled up anything kicked into England’s contain backfield.

South Africa regarded disconcerted by England’s barrage.

Referee Ben O’Keeffe, under the microscope after his controversial handling of the Boks’ remaining-eight win over France, pinged Pieter-Steph Du Toit and Siya Kolisi in quick succession.

Farrell kicked penalties from both for a 6-0 lead inside 10 minutes.

South Africa tried to plunge support on their staples: one-out runners, driven line-out, scrum stress and low-possibility percentages. However England denied them a toehold.

A Springbok rolling maul changed into sent into tailspin. George Martin, in for his physicality, compelled a knock-on from Franco Mostert with a juddering hit.

Manie Libbok nibbled three points support for South Africa, but after fat-support Damian Willemse had slung a loose wander to position his team under stress, Farrell restored the six-point distinction from the tee.

Trailing 9-3 with 32 minutes gone and errors littering their play, South Africa swapped out Libbok at cruise-half of in favour of Pollard.

The momentum swap changed into behind coming though. England, bristling with perception, headed down the tunnel 12-6 up – the identical interval lead South Africa had loved in Yokohama four years in the past – after one more alternate of penalties.

South Africa’s replacements helped them reel in the hosts per week in the past and they continuted to empty their bench, searching for a solution.

Faf de Klerk, Willie le Roux and Snyman were introduced inside six minutes of the restart, with the totemic Eben Etzebeth among these to offer formula.

England’s contain replacements had the greater affect initially though. Ellis Genge thundered into contact to notify up a supreme platform for Farrell to plunge a goal to switch his aspect 15-6 definite and more than a converted find out of reach after 53 minutes.

England’s followers, who appeared outnumbered throughout the stadium earlier than kick-off, were all of sudden outsinging the champions’ beef up, with Swing Low sweeping the stands.

In the ruin, though, it changed into Springbok followers who cheered remaining and loudest.

South Africa second row Snyman barged over shut to the posts to slice England’s end result in two points and his team’s energy in depth in some scheme wrestled a nerve-shredding finale their formula.

Replacement props Ox Nche and Vincent Koch milked the notify-fragment for a penalty and Pollard, as in 2019, changed into rock-trusty off the tee.

‘Gutted we don’t gain a crack at the huge one’

England captain Owen Farrell on BBC Radio 5 Dwell: “I am unbelievably proud of this community and what they gain got done over this previous few months together.

“It has no longer all gone our formula as every person knows, we gain had everything thrown at us – it has been a rollercoaster.

“I’m elated about the place we gain constructed to, but gutted we don’t gain a crack at the huge one next week. I am hugely proud of this community and I am hoping everyone support home is as effectively.

“We came up with a concept during the week and the climate conditions played a section in it. We started the game genuinely effectively, we afraid them every so regularly and they made a pair of adjustments to trade what they were doing.

“However credit to them fighting their formula support into it and finding a fashion to win at the terminate.”

‘It changed into genuinely gruesome but that’s what champions are constituted of’

South African captain Siya Kolisi: “It be honestly the full onerous work we gain put in which came off. It changed into genuinely gruesome but that’s what champions are constituted of.

“Credit to England, they gain got labored onerous. They were written off earlier than the World Cup but gain pulled themselves together and shown who they’re.

“They don’t seem like a team you’re taking evenly, all credit to them for being in the semi-final. To my team as effectively, it changed into gruesome fancy it changed into remaining week but we found a fashion to fight support.

“I am genuinely proud of the fight we confirmed, especially the blokes who came off the bench once again.”

‘England shall be inconsolable for a long time’

England’s 2003 World Cup winner Matt Dawson on BBC Radio 5 Dwell: “Focus on about fine margins and alternatives. One opportunity from South Africa and they gain got taken the spoils, they needs to be applauded for it.

“England were elegant. They are going to be inconsolable for a long time – they gain got given everything. South Africa had no belief what they were doing till they true caught a tiny little bit of a spark in that scrummage and it gave them some momentum.”

‘South Africa found a chink in the armour’

Ragged South Africa captain Bobby Skinstad on BBC Radio 5 Dwell: “The scrum changed into everything. South Africa clawed their formula support, they got support to their feet gently and shut to a 50-yard penalty from Handre Pollard – a match-winning penalty.

“Hats off to England but section of what we find out about in this game of rugby is that winners find systems to win. South Africa found a chink in the armour and exploited it.”

Line-ups

England: Steward; Could well also, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Farrell (capt), Mitchell; Marler, George, Cole, Itoje, Martin, Lawes, Curry, Earl.

Replacements: Esteem Mitchell (53), Genge for Marler (53), Chessum for Martin (53), Sinckler for Cole (56), Vunipola for Curry (69), Lawrence for Tuilagi (74), Ford for Could well also (78). Not Worn: Dan.

South Africa: Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Kolbe; Libbok, Reinach; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Pollard for Libbok (32), De Klerk for Reinach (43), Le Roux for Willemse (44), Snyman for Etzebeth (46), Nche for Kitshoff (49), Smith for Kolisi (51), Fourie for Vermeulen (51), Koch for Malherbe (56).

Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (Contemporary Zealand)

Assistants: Mathieu Raynal (France) and Paul Williams (Contemporary Zealand)

TMO: Brendon Pickerill (Contemporary Zealand)