Despite the impeccable performance of the English team in the majority of the game, the reigning world champions only needed ten minutes to turn the score around and end the dream of those led by Steve Bortwick. By 16-15, the Springboks advance to the final, where they will face a tough New Zealand, who are looking to take home their fourth World Cup.
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It was at the Stade de France where a penalty from South African Handre Pollard sent the Springboks to their second consecutive world final after a close match by the English, who had a slight advantage over what is considered the best team in the sport in the world. moment.
After the final whistle, the South African captain dedicated a few words to the English team, who seemed surprised by their good performance in the tournament.
“The credit goes to England. They were considered dead before the World Cup, but they pulled themselves together and showed who they are. They are not a team that can be taken lightly, but my team found a way to come back from the game,” he said. Siya Kolisi, who added that this type of complexities in the match is “what makes champions.”
Although the English team was able to take control of the match most of the time, taking the ball away from the reigning champion and having a solid structure to stop the South African attacks, it seemed that they lacked creativity to convert their offensive attempts into points.
“They found a way to win in the end. There’s a reason why South Africa is the current world champion and number one in the world. Now is the time to do a global reflection,” said the English coach after the game.
An unexpected hero gives the Springboks a finalist ticket
Malcom Marx’s early injury caused the South African team to have to look at options to replace him already in the tournament, when the name of Handre Pollard appeared on the list of the Springboks technical team, placing him as a risky bet, which ended in the semi-final. to invoice for South Africa.
Pollard scored the decisive penalty that brings the South Africans closer to World Cup glory once again, after he himself led the Springboks to the championship at the World Cup in Japan in 2019. Although he was sidelined before this edition due to physical problems , Handre Pollard managed to repeat the feat.
“It was a great moment, but it’s what you want as a player on this stage, to experience moments like that as a fly-half. It’s been fun,” said the South African athlete, who highlighted the difficulty on the way to the World Cup in France, caused by his constant injuries.
Now, the Springboks will be the second protagonists of a historic final against New Zealand to be played on October 28, where both teams will seek to win their fourth world championship and establish themselves at the top of Rugby.
With Reuters
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