England's hopes of reaching their fifth Rugby World Cup final were shattered in a nail-biting showdown against South Africa at the Stade de France. The defending champions, South Africa, managed to hold onto their title aspirations by clinching a 16-15 victory.
Steve Borthwick's inspired team took the lead and maintained it until the 78th minute when Handre Pollard's decisive penalty secured the Springboks' narrow one-point win, mirroring the intensity of their quarter-final clash against France.
The match began with a promising start for England, with Owen Farrell landing a pair of penalties within the first 10 minutes. In contrast, South Africa missed a couple of opportunities for three-point kicks and struggled to match England's dominance in the maul. Tensions escalated early on when a scuffle broke out in the 15th minute, but Borthwick's resolute defense continued to answer South Africa's challenges. Manie Libbok finally put the Springboks on the scoreboard in the 21st minute, thanks to Farrell's transgression.
However, Libbok's errors eventually caught up with him, leading to his replacement with Pollard just after the 30-minute mark. South Africa gradually gained momentum in the semi-final, even though both teams grappled with errors, likely due to the slippery pitch in Saint-Denis. England managed to maintain a six-point lead at halftime, courtesy of two more kicks from Farrell.
England's lead extended to nine points in the second half when Farrell executed a spectacular drop goal in the 53rd minute. However, South Africa rallied and set up a thrilling final 10 minutes by scoring the first try of the night. The move was orchestrated by three of Nienaber's substitutions, with Pollard's incredible kick into the 22 setting up Faf de Klerk's pass to RG Snyman from a line-out. England couldn't stop the Munster titan from crashing over, and Pollard added the extra points.
Despite their scrum dominance, South Africa opted for a 77th-minute penalty just inside England's half. Pollard's remarkable kick sailed through the posts, putting South Africa ahead for the first time in the semi-final.
With only two minutes remaining, England didn't have enough time to attempt a last-minute kick, and another skirmish ensued before Borthwick's disheartened team paid tribute to the Springboks with a guard of honor.
South Africa is now set for an eagerly anticipated showdown with New Zealand for the Webb Ellis Cup, while England, experiencing only their second-ever semi-final exit from the World Cup, will face Argentina in the battle for a bronze medal next Friday.