• Tweeter

  • republish

After defeating Wales 19-16, South Africans will face England in the Rugby World Cup final. REUTERS / Edgar Su

South Africa, winner of Wales (19-16) this Sunday, October 27 in the semi-final, will face England in the final of the Rugby World Cup, Saturday, November 2 in Yokohama.

The Rugby World Cup final will be identical to the 2007 edition, where the Springboks had won their second title at the expense of the English (15-6). Twelve years later, the South Africans , also crowned in 1995, sign their return to the final after a match locked and punctuated many mistakes.

" It was really a scary match. We had lost our last four games against them. And the match could have turned for them. I respect them so much as well as their coach. I think we were a little lucky, "said Rassie Erasmus, the South African coach.

Both teams were tied (16-16) five minutes from the end, when scorer Handré Pollard offered his team a penalty of 35 yards on the left of the Welsh posts. Pollard scored fourteen of his team's nineteen points, whose only try was scored by Allende's Damian, while winger Josh Adams scored the only Welsh test.

Already beaten in the semi-finals in 1987 against the All Blacks 49-6, and in 2011 against France 9-8, the Welsh let slip a third opportunity to climb into the final of the World Cup.

(With AFP)