South African Springboks beat France, score, highlights, reaction, which teams are in the semi-finals

Defending champions South Africa beat France 29-28 in a thrilling encounter to reach the Rugby World Cup semi-finals next weekend.

The Springboks kept alive their hopes of a record fourth title thanks to flyhalf Handre Pollard’s second-half points, setting up a final four against England in Paris next Saturday.

In-form France were knocked out in the quarter-finals while leading at the break, a huge disappointment for the expected home support.

The Springboks will next face England, who previously narrowly beat Fiji.

The attacking quality displayed in the first half and the tension of the second half led many to declare it one of the greatest Rugby World Cup matches of all time.

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New Zealand and Argentina will face each other in the other semi-final, meaning three of the four semi-finalists are teams from the southern hemisphere – despite the recent dominance of European teams in the world rankings. rugby.

The elimination of Ireland and France – the world’s No. 1 and No. 2 teams – so early in the tournament tilted the World Cup given they were among the heavy favorites to win.

France captain Antoine Dupont returned from a fractured cheekbone suffered last month as the host nation chased a first semi-final berth since finishing runners-up for the third time in 2011.

French President Emmanuel Macron was present among the 79,500 spectators who awaited a match of the highest quality between the French team of Fabien Galthie, third in the world ranking, and the Boks of Jacques Nienaber, second.

All eyes were on Dupont’s return and the 26-year-old was involved when the hosts opened the scoring.

He fed Damian Penaud who found pillar Cyril Baille with a deft pass in the corner to send the Parisian public into delirium.

Full-back Thomas Ramos made it 7-0 with the conversion and, although France appeared to be in control, the Springboks responded quickly when Kurt Lee-Arendse took advantage of a bouncing kick.

Manie Libbok, inconsistent from the start so far this World Cup, but picked ahead of World Cup-winning flyhalf Handre Pollard at the opener, then brought things back to level after 10 minutes, closing out a exciting start to the match.

The Boks got going after the quarter and benefited from another high ball as center Damian de Allende crashed over a few phases after collecting a high-and-under from Libbok.

Libbok missed the extras and Dupont was again instrumental in putting Peato Mauvaka in the same corner as Baille earlier in the match for the hooker’s third try of the tournament.

Ramos’ difficult conversion was surprisingly reduced by Cheslin Kolbe to make it 12-12 before the Boks regained the lead, which would prove costly in the final result.

Lock Eben Etzebeth harassed Dupont in a scrum before center Jesse Kriel set up Kolbe with a kick before Libbok scored the extras with the clinical Springboks leading 19-12.

An unusually open first 30 minutes concluded with the teams tied at 19 as Baille won his double with the French peloton in front at the time of the breakdown, but Nienaber’s side were efficient with their possession.

South Africa went into trouble, with Eben Etzebeth shown a yellow card for making contact with Uini Atonio’s head as he tackled the mammoth.

Ramos scored the resulting penalty to leave France leading 22-19 at the break. Just five minutes into the second half, Cobus Reinach and Libbok were replaced by Faf De Klerk and Pollard as hostile home fans whistled for both men to enter the pitch.

Etzebeth received the same treatment upon returning from the bin with a tantalizing half hour to spare.

France controlled territory and possession as Ramos increased his advantage as the tournament’s top scorer with a penalty to make it 25-19.

But momentum shifted back in South Africa’s favor as Etzebeth made up for his earlier mischief by crashing over for a try, with Pollard’s conversion putting the Boks back in front at 26-25 heading into the final 15 minutes.

Pollard, from his own half, exchanged a penalty with Ramos in a nerve-wracking finish.

France had possession with the clock in the red, but De Klerk curled a crucial strike of the ball into the hands of Reda Wardi, with Kurt-Lee Arendse pulling the ball away to end France’s dreams of a maiden World Cup triumph. world.