Handre Pollard heroics breaks English hearts in thrilling World Cup semi

SAINT-DENIS – Defending champions South Africa are off to their second-consecutive Rugby World Cup final after beating England 16-15 on a rainy night north of Paris.

It came down to one moment. Handre Pollard was the hero for the Springboks on a heartbreaking night for England and their fans.

On a frigid, wet and gloomy night in Saint-Denis, the bright lights of Stade de France illuminated the French sky as a palpable sense of anticipation continued to build ahead of a blockbuster semi-final.

With rain trickling down from the heavens, the crowd let out a deafening cheer as England captain Owen Farrell kicked off the Test.

Centre Joe Marchant won the race to the ball, but couldn’t quite batter the ball back towards his English teammates. It was an unforced error after mere seconds, but it was far from a bad omen for what was to come.

England tripped at the first hurdle against the reigning world champions but the rest of the half was forcefully theirs as they strategically bested their favoured opponents.

To the delight of the fans who made the trip across the English Channel, captain Farrell nailed a penalty goal after just two minutes to give the so-called ‘underdogs’ a slender lead.

Moments later, halfback Alex Mitchell caught the Springboks on the back foot once again with a clever box kick that dribbled into touch. Parked inside their own 22, hooker Bongi Mbonambi failed to throw the lineout straight.

England were gifted an attacking scrum about 10 metres out from the try line, and why they couldn’t force their way over, the English wouldn’t walk away empty handed.

Farrell converted his second penalty of the night to give England a 6-nil lead inside the opening 10 minutes.

England continued to dominate the ariel battle, and Maro Itoje was especially impactful as they thwarted the Boks’ trademark maul time and time again.

But the Boks did score next.

After giving away a penalty, and then being marched 10 metres, England conceded their first points of the semi-final as flyhalf Manie Libbok knocked over a penalty.

England regained their six-point lead with Farrell converting another shot at goal midway through the half. South Africa looked worried – genuinely, you could see it in the stands.

Libbok made way for Rugby World Cup-winning playmaker Handre Pollard in an eye-catching substitution in the 32^nd minute, but that proved to be a masterstroke.

Pollard added three to the score, but Farrell cancelled that out shortly after. Following a pretty uneventful opening half, England went into the sheds with a hard-fought 12-6 advantage.

The first 10 minutes of the second-half were tense. It felt like a key period for the world champion Boks as they looked to mount a comeback against their inspired rivals.

But their efforts were in vain. England continued to control the Test on the back of their superior kicking game, and they eventually added to their lead through a monstrous Farrell drop goal.

England fans let out another passionate cry of support as memories of their famous semi-final win over the All Blacks four years ago began to resurface.

With 15 minutes to play, England were in control. Time waits for no man, and that was a pressing concern for a helpless Springboks outfit who looked lost for answers.

But the Springboks aren’t the defending world champions for no reason. With their best opportunity of the half, the Boks scored through RG Snyman with just over 10 minutes to play.

Almost suddenly, it was a two-point game, and the Boks had a wealth of momentum spurring them on. Thousands watched on in awe as the clock continued to tick by.

But it came down to one kick. After being awarded a scrum penalty, replacement Handre Pollard was the hero as the playmaker knocked over a long-range penalty in tough conditions.

With the eyes of the rugby world watching on, Pollard had delivered. While England fought valiantly for a comeback, the Boks’ defnece held strong.

South Africa will play southern hemisphere rivals New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final for the first time since 1995. It doesn’t get much bigger than that.