New Zealand await, and tonight, we discover if South Africa can uphold their side of the bargain as widely expected to make next Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final an all-Southern hemisphere affair… or if - whisper it – England can somehow rip up the script and take their place in the decider once again.

In either case, let’s hope that tonight’s semi-final is a much closer contest than last night’s was — and if we’re lucky, a bit more reminiscent of some of the Grade A rugby we were treated to last weekend.

Kick-off is at 8pm.

Ben O’Keeffe, who refereed France v South Africa last Sunday, is the man in the middle again tonight — and as Murray Kinsella reports, the French fans in the Stade de France are still holding their grudge.

Heavy booing for referee Ben O’Keeffe.

French fans not happy after last weekend. pic.twitter.com/SXiwahgGL6

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) October 21, 2023

TEAM NEWS: Here’s how England will line out this evening; Freddie Steward, Joe Marler, and George Martin all come back into the side which started the quarter-final win over Fiji.

England

• 15. Freddie Steward
• 14. Jonny May
• 13. Joe Marchant
• 12. Manu Tuilagi
• 11. Elliot Daly
• 10. Owen Farrell (captain)
• 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

TEAM NEWS: And here is the South Africa 23, unchanged from last Sunday night’s epic quarter-final.

South Africa

• 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 (captain)
• 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. Handré Pollard
• 23. Willie le Roux

Here come the teams! It has been raining in Paris for most of the afternoon — and it still is now, even if it appears to have eased off slightly. Who will the conditions benefit most?

KICK OFF: Owen Farrell gets us underway — and Joe Marchant very nearly gathers the kick-off to get England on the front foot immediately. South Africa tidy up and clear their lines.

2 mins – Pieter-Steph du Toit looks to have poached the ball, but Ben O’Keeffe spots an infraction at the breakdown; it may have been against Franco Mostert for not rolling away quickly enough. This will be a very kickable penalty for Farrell.

3 mins — ENGLAND PENALTY! England 3-0 South Africa: No mistake there from Farrell. England take an early lead.

6 mins – South Africa have the put in to the first scrum, and after one reset, it’s solid from both sides. Libbock puts boot to ball, but Freddie Steward is perfectly positioned underneath to claim it.

7 mins – Alex Mitchell sees space in behind the South African defence and his kick hops into touch inside the 22. And then Mbonambi’s throw into the lineout isn’t straight — huge opportunity for England here with a scrum inside the 22.

10 mins – Ben Earl picks from the back of the scrum, puts his head down and drives towards the line. Courtney Lawes carries next… and just as Siyi Kolisi arrives to pounce for a big turnover, he’s whistled by Ben O’Keeffe, who felt that he wasn’t entitled to play the ball. Even after looking at the replay, it’s very difficult to see why that might have been the case. Big call.

11 mins — ENGLAND PENALTY! England 6-0 South Africa: It’s as straightforward as they come for Farrell, and England stretch their lead.

What an opening 10 minutes from England!

Near perfect from them, nailing their plan so far.

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) October 21, 2023

15 mins – Big turnover for England! South Africa look to get moving with a lineout maul but when it disintegrates, the ball is there for Ben Earl to snap up. Farrell kicks it away — but Tom Curry was ahead of the kick. South Africa penalty… and they kick it to touch.

15 mins – Another big moment… and it already feels like there’s been plenty. England turn the ball over from the lineout maul and win a penalty — but then Manu Tuilagi pushes Cobus Reinach and the penalty is reversed by Ben O’Keeffe, much to Owen Farrell’s consternation. South Africa kick to touch and we go again.

17 mins – South Africa spill it forward as they drive for the English line, and from the resulting scrum, Steven Kitshoff is pinged. England penalty, and a chance for them to relieve the pressure.

18 mins – This is turning into a real scrap, where every breakdown is being contested as life and death… and so far, England are definitely getting the better of things. They’ll be thrilled with these opening 20 minutes.

21 mins – SOUTH AFRICA PENALTY! England 6-3 South Africa: Owen Farrell is skating on thin ice here. Alex Mitchell is pinged for sealing off at the breakdown, which is a South Africa penalty, and Farrell is insistent that Mitchell was pushed. Ben O’Keeffe brings the penalty forward another 10, and Libbock slots it.

23 mins – Smashing work from Courtney Lawes who dives on a loose pass from Damian Willemse and gathers it. A few phases later, Kolisi is pinged for not rolling away at the breakdown. 

24 mins — ENGLAND PENALTY! England 9-3 South Africa: Again, it’s straightforward for Farrell.

26 mins – Clever set play from the Springboks at the lineout as Mostert drops it back inside to Arendse — but then just as South Africa look to make headway, Courtney Lawes shows up with another massive turnover.

28 mins – That’s another lineout from Mbonambi that’s not straight and penalised accordingly; South Africa have been far from their best so far here.

29 mins – Eben Etzebeth is offside at the breakdown, allowing England to kick the penalty into South African territory, but then Franco Mostert gets up to swat the lineout back on the Springboks’ side.

31 mins — South Africa substitution: My days, what a call from Nienaber and Erasmus; Manie Libbock is called ashore and Handre Pollard is on at out-half with 50 minutes to play.

33 mins – Cobus Reinach hangs a kick up, and although Freddie Steward spills it inside his own 22, it goes backwards. Vunipola knocks it on a few phases later, and there’s a lot of South African pressure before play is brought back for a penalty advantage against Joe Marler. They’ll take the points here.

35 mins — SOUTH AFRICA PENALTY! England 9-6 South Africa: Not a bother for Handre Pollard.

No messing around from Erasmus and Nienaber.

So rare to see a 31st-minute sub.

They want more control of this game, so send on Pollard.

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) October 21, 2023

38 mins – Another big call from Ben O’Keeffe. It looks a South African penalty all day for Jonny May taking out Cheslin Kolbe in the air, but O’Keeffe feels Pieter-Steph du Toit has obstructed there, and gives England the penalty. This is the hardest of Farrell’s by far, but he’ll go for it.

39 mins — ENGLAND PENALTY! England 12-6 South Africa: And he gets it. England will take a six-point lead into the break.

HALF TIME: England 12-6 South Africa

Back in a few.

England deservedly lead 12-6 at the break.

Huge for them to get in ahead.

Obvs kick heavy here but it's gripping stuff.

English pack has been strong, kicking plan working well.

— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) October 21, 2023

SECOND HALF: We’re back underway. Can South Africa turn the tide back in their favour?

43 mins — South Africa substitution: Another early move by South Africa as Faf de Klerk comes on to replace Cobus Reinach at scrum-half.

44 mins – Farrell dinks a little kick in behind South Africa that bobbles a few metres out from the tryline, and as Damian Willemse goes to gather it, he slips and juggles it into touch. England lineout in a great position.

44 mins — South Africa substitution: And now Willemse is off, replaced by Willie Le Roux. Nienaber and Erasmus are wasting no time in making their changes.

45 mins – That’s a bad miss by Jamie George in a great attacking position — the lineout isn’t straight, and South Africa have the put-in to the scrum.

46 mins — South Africa substitution: And now Etzebeth is gone as well, to be replaced by RG Snyman.

52 mins – HUGE scrum from South Africa who drive England back off their own ball!

52 mins – Oooh, that was close. Pollard kicks it cross-field and in practically one motion, Kolbe gathers and kicks it through again, inviting Le Roux to chase it. He gets there first but as he hacks it on ahead, he puts a bit too much on it and it rolls dead. 

53 mins — ENGLAND DROP GOAL! England 15-6 South Africa: Owen Farrell, take a bow, because that is magnificent. From a few yards inside the South African half, Farrell booms over an absolute monster of a drop goal. It’s a two-score game now and the South African response can’t come quickly enough.

55 mins – South Africa look to respond but Kriel spills it forward. This is so far off what they’re capable of at their best.

57 mins – South Africa are falling apart. Farrell kicks in behind again, and it’s not an easy one for Arendse, but he juggles it forward, and England have a brilliant platform with the attacking scrum inside the 22.

60 mins – BIG scrum again and South Africa win the penalty just as England looked to twist the knife with another score. Who knows how pivotal that might be?

61 mins – And South Africa pretty much hand it straight back as Danny Care drills Mbonambi into touch.

63 mins – Le Roux tries a crossfield kick to Kolbe, but Jonny May wins it in the air. Nothing that South Africa try is working for them here. Fortunately for them, England spill it forward a phase or two later, and they’ll get the ball back — but South Africa need to find answers here and they need to find them fast.

64 mins – South Africa win another scrum penalty, so at least something is going right for them. They kick it into the English half.

65 mins – And then proceed to lose the lineout. My word.

66 mins – Jonny May! South Africa are finally on the front foot and going forward, thanks to a nice linebreak by Snyman and good support by Koch, but May stands firm as Kolbe tries to barrel through him, and then pounces to win the turnover penalty. Another sniff of a South African chance goes up in smoke.

68 mins – South Africa win another scrum penalty as it goes down on the English side, and Pollard kicks it to within about 10 metres of the English line. There’s still time on the clock, but this has a feeling of now or never for the Boks…

TRY FOR SOUTH AFRICA! England 15-13 South Africa (Snyman, 70′)

Finally, South Africa have their breakthrough, and this is going to be a barnstormer of a final 10 minutes.

The Boks win their lineout, Fourie makes huge yards and brings it to within a foot of the line, and on the next phase, Snyman powers his body through the tackle of Joe Marchant to score.

Pollard converts. England’s lead is cut to just two points with 10 minutes on the clock.

73 mins – Willie Le Roux calls a mark — just about in time — and after kicking their last mark away, South Africa call for a scrum with this one in the hope of winning another penalty.

75 mins – The England scrum holds firm, Pollard kicks it long to where Freddie Steward is waiting, and when he tries to chase his own contestable, he spills it forward. So now we’ll have a South Africa scrum in England territory. Just over five minutes to play…

76 mins — Ben O’Keeffe calls for a scrum reset. It feels like this is the game right here…

77 mins – Penalty South Africa! It’s pretty much on the half way line. Will Pollard go for it?

78 mins – Pollard lines it up from 49m… here we go.

78 mins — SOUTH AFRICA PENALTY! England 15-16 South Africa

Pollard nails it. Are South Africa about to get out of jail?

79 mins – England have a lineout on halfway and 90 seconds. Can they get into drop goal territory?

80 mins – The clock’s in the red and South Africa are driving England backwards. They’re just inside half way.

England lose it forward. It’s all over!

FULL TIME: England 15-16 South Africa

That wasn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but what a finish — and what a kick by Handre Pollard to snatch victory from the jaws of the defeat.

Next Saturday night: South Africa v New Zealand in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.

Springboks survive huge scare as Pollard kick edges them past England

That’s all from us for now, but stay with us throughout the rest of the evening for lots more reaction and analysis from Paris.

Thanks for reading.