Man what a game, those last 10 minutes almost killed me! Handre Pollard kicked England out of the Rugby World Cup in a thrilling and bruising encounter at the Stade de France as a penalty in the dying minutes saw the Springboks move on to a second successive final. With remarkable symmetry, they overcame northern hemisphere opposition by a single point in consecutive weeks on the same ground with the same referee.

It was the cruellest of outcomes for Steve Borthwick’s men, who dominated the collisions, set-piece and breakdown for fully 60 minutes, and it was only the sheer depth of the South African bench and the drop-off between England‘s starting and finishing props that turned the match in the Springboks‘ favour.

Written off before the tournament, criticised as lucky on account of the draw by all quarters, England will have found new respect from all in the sport today, putting the teeth back into their forward pack and the credibility back into their rugby culture.

But South Africa’s love affair with the World Cup continues, and their sheer refusal to allow themselves to be beaten sets them aside, as they meet New Zealand in Paris next Saturday.