Beast’s Boks in World Cup final

YOKOHAMA. — A pressure Handre Pollard penalty kick five minutes from time clinched the Springboks a nailbiting 19- 16 semi- final win over Wales at the Yokohama International Stadium to send them into a World Cup final for the first time in 12 years.

Siya Kolisi’s team will play England here next Saturday in a repeat of the 2007 final in Paris, and the good omen of course is that the Boks won that one under the captaincy of John Smit and the coaching of Jake White.

I ndeed, the Boks have yet to lose a final, having won their only other appearance in a deciding game in 1995.

They will go into the game feeling that, just as the Welsh had the previous week in their quarter- final against France, they survived a big test of nerve.

It was anyone’s game as it went into the last 10 minutes and Wales were in the South African half for three or four minutes, with the Boks defending.

But a turn- over penalty effected by replacement flank Francois Louw changed the momentum.

The Boks were able to transfer play back into the Welsh territory, and then came the penalty.

I t was from a wide angle, in other words a difficult kick.

Full marks to Pollard for succeeding with it, to regain the lead for his team.

The Boks were never headed in the game, and for most of it they appeared to have the Welsh at arms- length in a clash that, to be honest, you wouldn’t have crossed the road to watch if you were a neutral and not supporting one of the two sides.

I t was aerial ping- pong for most of the way, just as it was predicted it would be beforehand. Nothing to enthuse about from an aesthetic point of view.

You could almost feel the tension and nervousness in the two sides as they played a game of chess with each other across the first half, neither of them really willing to chance their arm.

When they did attack, it was when they were deep in their opposition half. And even then, two excellent defensive systems were easily the match for any of the opposing team’s intentions.

The Boks were always stronger at forward, though not to the extent that they were against lesser teams en route to this stage of the tournament.

They were stronger in the collisions too, and while they only led 9- 6 at the break, they would have felt fairly comfortable. They were winning the pingpong battle, or at least just edging it, and fullback Willie le Roux was for once fairly safe under the high ball.

What matters is that they are in the last game of the tournament and have a 50/ 50 chance of winning the biggest prize in rugby.

Scores

South Africa 19 - Try: Damian de Allende; Conversion: Handre Pollard; Penalties: Handre Pollard 4.— SuperSport.