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South Africa to play New Zealand in World Cup final after beating England

South Africa's lock RG Snyman (3rd R) vies in a maul during the France 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-final match between England and South Africa at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris, on October 21, 2023. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP)

By AFP | 22 Oct 2023

History will be made as whoever wins the southern hemisphere duel next Saturday will be the first team to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy for a fourth time.

South Africa will play New Zealand in next weekend's Rugby World Cup final after a late Handre Pollard penalty sealed a dramatic 16-15 win over England at the Stade de France on Saturday.

History will be made as whoever wins the southern hemisphere duel next Saturday will be the first team to lift the Webb Ellis Trophy for a fourth time.

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Owen Farrell hit four first-half penalties and a huge drop-goal to put England into a 15-6 lead, but a converted RG Snyman try brought the Boks back into the game, and Pollard was on hand to land the winning 49-metre penalty with three minutes to play.

Pollard, who once again proved the heartbreaker for the English having scored 22 points in the 32-12 victory in the 2019 World Cup final, came on after just half an hour of the match.

South African head coach Jacques Nienaber made a huge call in removing the ineffective and out-of-sorts Manie Libbok and replacing him with Pollard.