England v South Africa LIVE: Rugby World Cup 2023 score and result as Springboks snatch win at the death
Steve Borthwick’s England were agonisingly beaten by reigning champions South Africa to a spot in the 2023 World Cup final where the All Blacks await
England suffered defeat in the most agonising circumstances as world champions South Africa emerged victorious at the Stade de France to set up a colossal Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand. Steve Borthwick’s men performed admirably and executed a sublime game plan, backing up their quarter-final victory over Fiji behind the magnificent kicking of Owen Farrell.
But the Springboks showed their resilience and rallied late in the second half, also relying on kicking, with Handre Pollard, on after half an hour following a ruthless move to hook the struggling Manie Libbok, shining and subsequently hitting the match-winning penalty. South Africa scored the only try of the match, with RG Snyman bundling over with 12 minutes remaining, cutting the deficit to just two points and allowing Pollard to snatch victory and ensure a mouthwatering encounter with the All Blacks.
Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi admitted the contest was a tough watch at times: "It was ugly today, really ugly, but that's what champions are made of. England, credit to them, they were written off. They showed who they are. All credit to them, my team, it was ugly, but we found a way to fight and get back into the game. I'm really proud of them, especially the guys who came off the bench.
“England did so well in the kicking game, they outplayed us in that, our discipline was awful. But we showed who we are and what we can do. The All Blacks are playing really well, but we want to thank the South Africans who stuck with us and travelled over, next week will be tough, it'll be special, hopefully we can defend it.” Follow all the reaction and analysis from a pulsating semi-final below.
England are ready for South Africa’s ‘dark arts’
Indeed, England are ready for scheming from South Africa.
Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus is accomplished at what Wales head coach Warren Gatland describes as “dark arts”, such as using mind games to give his side an edge, especially through the use of social media to “control the agenda”.
The most recent example are rumours that the Springboks used HIAs in their quarter-final victory over France last Sunday to give forwards Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Bongi Mbonambi a rest – a claim denied by Erasmus.
England’s attack coach Richard Wigglesworth insists his side know they will be targeted in the last-four showdown in Paris and even believes that their media output is being monitored closely.
“I’m sure that, with the smarts of their coaching team, they will try to throw stuff at us, no doubt. Will that be the winning and losing of this game? Probably not,” Wigglesworth said.
“It will probably be the big bits of the game that decides that and then they’ll give those little nuances a chance. I wouldn’t like to guess what they are going to try and do because I know they will watch and hear everything we say. I wouldn’t like to try and give anyone a head start.”
Springboks desperate to deny favourites tag but reality set to bite England
South Africa have been doing their best to play down the favourites tag, in a week of mind games leading up to this semi-final showdown tonight. Here’s Luke Baker o their efforts to downplay England’s underdog status:
South Africa revel in mind games and winning the mental battle that always precedes the on-pitch war. More often than not, it eventually leads to victory once the final whistle has blown.
Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus particularly enjoys this arena, whether attempting to name England’s team on a Monday ahead of the weekend’s game, making pointed remarks about referees or taking to Twitter/X to defend his players against slights – both real and perceived.
So the context of this weekend’s Rugby World Cup semi-final against England provides an interesting challenge.
Springboks desperate to deny favourites tag but reality set to bite England
South Africa have been downplaying England’s underdog status in the pre-match mind games ahead of Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semi-final
England vs South Africa
Good evening from a rather wet and wild Paris, where the wind is whipping around the suburb of Saint Denis and the rapidly filling Stade de France with kick off creeping ever closer. The inclement weather isn’t likely to do much for a game we were already expecting to be pretty kick-heavy - the aerial contest, and any resultant scrums, will obviously be key.
It’s been a long day for both sets of players, plenty of thumbs a-twiddling with a 9pm kick off local time. Can England lift their game to meet the Springboks’ might?
New Zealand head coach Ian Foster: ‘I don’t care who wins’
New Zealand boss Ian Foster plans to enjoy a bowl of popcorn while watching England’s blockbuster with South Africa after his side eased into the Rugby World Cup final by dispatching Argentina.
Foster can put his feet up for tonight’s colossal semi-final clash between Steve Borthwick’s men and the Springboks thanks to a crushing 44-6 success over Los Pumas in Paris.
The 58-year-old expects an “interesting contrast of styles” in the other last-four fixture and is not bothered who the All Blacks face in next week’s showpiece match at Stade de France.
New Zealand barely broke sweat in booking an unprecedented fifth World Cup final appearance and now have the luxury of an extra day’s rest as they await the identity of their ultimate opponents.
“I’ll be watching it,” said Foster. “I’ll probably have some popcorn and sit there and watch it and I don’t care who wins. We’re very much in a focus-about-ourselves stage.
“One thing that extra day does give us, it gives us a bit of a chance to have a break mentally and not to spend too much juice worrying about if it’s them, if it’s them.
“They’re both good teams. South Africa have been playing some brilliant rugby the last few weeks and are clearly on top of their game.
“But we’ve also seen an English side that just build away quietly and are probably starting to understand how they want to play and they’re starting to get really good at how they want to play and believe in that.
“It will be an interesting contrast of styles.”
Recap: Argentina’s World Cup hopes crushed beneath frightening display of New Zealand’s strength
Before we take a closer look at tonight’s mouthwatering contest between England and South Africa, first a look at what happened last night, by Harry Latham-Coyle in Paris:
Rugby beauty comes in many forms – as New Zealand showed against Argentina. Perhaps it is Will Jordan that takes your fancy, his 31 tries in 30 Tests rugby’s equivalent of the golden ratio. Perhaps you are entranced by Mark Tele’a, sinewy and sinuous, gliding in and out of contact like an electric eel. Or could it be Richie Mo’unga and his teasing grin, most often flashed at a grasping Argentine after a coquettish click of the heels on a night where the fly half seemed to step into space at will.
But it was the All Blacks’ muscle-men and their rugged charm that laid the foundations for the decorative touches elsewhere. And to think New Zealand had entered this tournament with questions about their ability to assert themselves up front; this was a frightening display of forward strength, leaving Argentina’s Rugby World Cup dreams buried beneath the black mass.
Argentina hopes crushed by fearsome display of New Zealand’s strength
Argentina 6-44 New Zealand: The All Blacks were at their physical best in a one-sided semi-final and a tilt at a record fourth World Cup crown awaits
England v South Africa line-ups
And here is how the two teams line up this evening.
England XV: 15. Freddie Steward, 14. Jonny May, 13. Joe Marchant, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. Elliot Daly, 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Alex Mitchell; 1. Joe Marler, 2. Jamie George, 3. Dan Cole, 4. Maro Itoje, 5. George Martin, 6. Courtney Lawes, 7. Tom Curry, 8. Ben Earl.
Replacements: 16. Theo Dan, 17. Ellis Genge, 18. Kyle Sinckler, 19. Ollie Chessum, 20. Billy Vunipola, 21. Danny Care, 22. George Ford, 23. Ollie Lawrence.
South Africa XV: 15-Damian Willemse, 14-Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13-Jesse Kriel, 12-Damian de Allende, 11-Cheslin Kolbe, 10-Manie Libbok, 9-Cobus Reinach; 1-Steven Kitshoff, 2-Bongi Mbonambi, 3-Frans Malherbe, 4-Eben Etzebeth, 5-Franco Mostert, 6-Siya Kolisi, 7-Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8-Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: 16-Deon Fourie, 17-Ox Nche, 18-Vincent Koch, 19-RG Snyman, 20-Kwagga Smith, 21-Faf de Klerk, 22-Handre Pollard, 23-Willie Le Roux.
England v South Africa team news
Steve Borthwick has made three changes to England’s starting XV from the side that defeated Fiji in the quarter-finals.
Marcus Smith doesn’t make the matchday 23 as Freddie Steward slots back in a full-back. Ellis Genge drops to the bench with Joe Marler in as the loose-head prop and George Martin takes Ollie Chessum’s place in the second row.
South Africa have named an unchanged side for their Rugby World Cup semi-final against England.
After pipping France in Paris last week, Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus have kept faith with the same starting line-up and bench.
Why England believe against South Africa this time, even if you don’t
The England players will remember the feeling. Look back on the images of that night in Yokohama and see the empty eyes, despair writ large on wounded faces as South Africa celebrated beyond them. The Springboks had not just secured World Cup victory but romped to it, an England side coursing with optimism after a stunning semi-final performance against New Zealand left lifeless and limp.
To some extent, it is a low from which England have never recovered.
Read Harry Latham-Coyle’s full semi-final preview below:
Why England believe against South Africa this time, even if you don’t
England are heavy underdogs as they look to write the wrongs of their World Cup final defeat to South Africa in 2019
England v South Africa – Rugby World Cup
Welcome along to live coverage of this Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and reigning champions South Africa in Paris.
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