Pollard penalty breaks England hearts as South Africa reach World Cup final

So near and yet so far. South Africa are into the Rugby World Cup final but this was the night when English rugby was finally reborn. They were denied at the very last by a nerveless long-range penalty from Handré Pollard which took the Springboks through to a final against New Zealand next Saturday but in every other category this was one of the great English sporting nights.

Because these white tornados were utterly unrecognisable from the England who stuttered into this tournament. They flew into everything, harried ceaselessly and played the tricky wet conditions perfectly. At times South Africa barely seemed to know what had hit them as their opponents, spearheaded by Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes, the youthful George Martin and Ben Earl, inflicted varying degrees of pain and suffering.

Even a few days ago it felt barely conceivable this England squad could get so achingly close. Given the cricket World Cup result involving these two nations in India, the pre-game omens had not been especially good either. So much for that theory. Until the final late twist this was right up there with the sensational semi-final win over the All Blacks in Yokohama four years ago.

England were equally as physical on this occasion against a Bok side still apparently sapped by their remarkable win over France the previous weekend. Tactically South Africa were also unusually off key, hauling off their starting fly-half Manie Libbok after barely half an hour. It made little difference as England, 12-6 up at half-time, dug in splendidly to try to gain sweet revenge for their 2019 final defeat by the same opponents.

Farrell, in the kind of game he relishes most, also kicked everything, including a long-range 53rd minute drop goal that seemed to have given his side a critical advantage. In terms of their aerial game, England have seldom been more effective. In the end, though, it was RG Snyman, the big lock, who scored the game’s only five-pointer to drag his team back from the brink.

From England’s perspective it was so cruel. At least they banished many of the bad memories of 2019. The scrum was a genuine contest, the breakdown a constant battle. The previous evening’s semi-final between Argentina and the All Blacks had been horribly one-sided, suggesting a significant gap between the world’s top four nations and everyone else. In this specific type of close-quarter slugfest, though, England are a very different proposition.

The weather also played its part. Initially it had been a foul evening: wild, windy and damp. By kick-off the gusts had reduced in intensity but showers were still peppering the stadium. Which suited England just fine. Anything to level the playing field slightly and make South Africa think twice. The collective anticipation was equally impossible to ignore. Say what you like about big-time rugby but the sense of theatre is hard to beat.

England, fully aware of the need to make an early statement, could not have made a more purposeful start. They won the first ruck penalty, giving Farrell his first three points, nicked an early lineout and held firm at the first scrum. When Bongi Mbonambi was then pinged for not straight, it added to the sense of a nervy South Africa.

Farrell kicked a second penalty, this time for Siya Kolisi contesting a ruck that the referee felt had already been won. If there was little danger of England putting any width on the ball there was nothing wrong with their kicking game and Steward was looking solid beneath the high ball.

South Africa needed some respite and seemed to have found some when England’s back row were penalised for being offside within kickable range. Having opted to go for the corner, though, a big lineout drive was held up and a mass scrap resulted, with Manu Tuilagi eventually penalised. When Steven Kitshoff was pinged for a knee on the ground at an ensuing scrum, English joy was unconfined.

By now the battle was raging in earnest. Farrell needed to keep a clear head but refused to give the ball back to Cobus Reinach after a penalty and was marched back 10 metres when he protested. Libbok kicked the penalty and both sets of supporters took a deep breath.

A third Farrell penalty soon gave England further encouragement, with Mbonambi’s lineout problems also continuing. South Africa did have one promising passage, with Kurt-Lee Arendse bursting around the front of a lineout, but were denied by a vital turnover from Lawes.

Libbok was then given the shepherd’s crook. It appeared a clear admission of the Springboks’s desire to regroup tactically and go back to the tried and tested. In many ways it was also recognition of the obvious. This was never going to be a game of artistic subtlety and Libbok, good player that he is, was less well suited than Pollard to its requirements.

In the end, though, it worked and Rassie Erasmus’s reputation as a miracle worker lives on. England? In August it seemed vaguely possible that they might not make it out of their pool. Up to a dozen of this squad may not make the next World Cup and for some this will be the end of the road. Whatever happens they will remember this near miss for years.