By Nick Powell, Online Editor
France………………………………………..28
Tries: Baille 4, 31; Mauvaka 22
Conversions: Ramos 5, 32
Penalties: Ramos 40+1, 54, 73
South Africa…………………………….29
Tries: Arendse 8, De Allende 18, Kolbe 26, Etzebeth 67
Conversions: Libbok 10, 28, Pollard 67
Penalties: Pollard 69
South Africa set-up a rematch of the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final as they shocked hosts France in another thrilling quarter-final in Paris.
In one of the great first halves of World Cup rugby, the sides scored three tries each as Cyril Baille bagged a brace for France with front row partner Peato Mauvaka also crossing, while Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe went over for the Springboks.
France led with penalties either side of the break from Thomas Ramos, but Eben Etzebeth’s try put South Africa in front in the last ten minutes of the game.
And the 2019 champions exchanged penalties with Les Bleus before clinging on for an extraordinary quarter-final triumph.
South Africa, as well as fierce rivals New Zealand, will be strongly-tipped to make it into the final having come through two high-class quarter-finals to make the last four.
For France, it is a heartbreaking and abrupt end to their home tournament and missed opportunities early in the second half will leave them with a sense of what might have been.
Roared on by a vocal home crowd in their first game back in Paris since the tournament opener, Les Bleus came flying out the blocks with Baille’s early try.
After Dupont produced two superb kicks to pin South Africa back, the first which was seized upon by his fellow half-back Matthieu Jalibert, and the second which forced a goal-line dropout after being hunted down by Louie Bielle-Biarrey, a French maul barrelled towards the line.
It went down close to the whitewash, but with the South African defence at sixes and sevens Dupont found Penaud on the blindside, who fed Baille for a try in the corner.
After Thomas Ramos just about landed the conversion, France almost had another as Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi knocked on and his opposite number Peato Mauvaka sped away, but Eben Etzebeth produced an inspired knock backwards to kill the attack.
And it wasn’t long before South Africa were back level, Cobus Reinach’s box kick went backwards off Gael Fickou, and Arendse sped away before Mannie Libbok brilliantly tied things up off the tee.
France were still having the better of play, but after Ramos saw a penalty attempt fall short by a similar margin as his conversion had inched over the Springboks had a chance to go back on the attack.
Again a high kick caused France problems as Mannie Libbok’s spiral bomb couldn’t be defused by Cameron Woki, with de Allende seizing possession this time, getting up to within a few metres of the line and finishing himself two phases later.
But France were soon back on the attack, and with ferocious ruck speed they soon won a penalty only a few yards out from South Africa’s line. Dupont quick-tapped, and again a front rower scored in the right corner as Mauvaka finished a deserved leveller.
With Libbok having missed his second conversion Ramos had the opportunity to give France the lead, but Kolbe terrifically charged-down his attempt off the tee and it remained at a dozen apiece.
And the thrills didn’t stop there, relentless South African line-speed saw them nick back possession on halfway, and a perfectly weighted kick from Jesse Kriel was seized upon by Kolbe for South Africa’s third try.
Despite the shot clock running down for his conversion, Libbok made no mistake and extended the lead to seven, but France inevitably had a response.
Dupont fed Penaud on the blindside, who kicked through to push South Africa deep. After the Springboks cleared Dupont again pinned them into the corner with Kolbe forced into touch, and into the corner flag.
France’s maul was not as potent as their earlier drive, but being so close to the line they only required a few phases before Baille completed a second half brace as he went over from close range.
The game finally settled down, but there was to be one more moment of drama before the players headed down the tunnel as Etzebeth was sent to the sinbin, with a review to come in the TMO bunker, after head contact in a tackle with Uini Atonio, the only French front rower who hadn’t scored in the first half.
Thomas Ramos used all the time the shot-clock afforded him to send the penalty over with the clock in the red, and give France a 22-19 lead at the end of a classic first forty minutes.
Etzebeth’s yellow card was not upgraded over the break, meaning France would have just over nine second half minutes to capitalise on their man advantage.
Knock-ons from Penaud and Jalibert helped South Africa survive the first French salvo, but more Dupont magic saw him snipe through a gap, chip over the top and then win the ball back for France.
Jonathan Danty held on and the Springboks again cleared their lines, and even after two brilliant attacking darts from Jalibert South Africa had received no damage on the scoreboard as Etzebeth returned.
Both Springbok half-backs and skipper Siya Kolisi were subbed off as changes were made early in the second-half with fatigue clearly setting in.
Nonetheless that didn’t stop starter Atonio winning a scrum penalty against substitute Ox Nche only a few moments after the latter entered the field, and Ramos took three points off the tee to extend Les Bleus’ lead to six.
It felt as though the momentum was turning though, and South Africa set up a close range chance as Dorian Aldegheri, newly on for Atonio, conceded a scrum penalty to Nche.
But it was followed by a sloppy lineout, and as France’s defence began to respond to the onslaught they were faced with Willie Le Roux knocked on to give Les Bleus much-needed breathing space.
It wouldn’t last, however, as Faf De Klerk produced an incredible through-the-legs pass to set Handre Pollard up for a line-break, before de Allende kicked through to leave Dupont isolated.
South Africa won a penalty, and though a clever move off the tap-and-go didn’t initially work, Etzebeth crashed over before Pollard converted for a one-point South African lead.
France won the ball back at the restart, but after they were pushed back to halfway Kwagga Smith won a turnover, and Pollard knocked over a long-range penalty.
Les Bleus cut the gap back to one with a penalty of their own through Ramos, but after Kolbe missed a drop goal attempt, the French full-back kicked a 22-metre dropout straight out in a moment that looked to be costly for the hosts.
And though Les Bleus eventually relieved the pressure and Penaud created a string of openings, the ball – and the William Webb Ellis Cup – was ripped out of France’s grasp before South Africa booted clear to seal a famous victory.
FRANCE: Ramos 7, Penaud 8, Fickou 7, Danty 7, Bielle-Biarrey 7, Jalibert 7, Dupont (c) 9, Baille 8 (Wardi 50, 7), Mauvaka 9 (Bougarit 64, 6), Atonio 8 (Aldegheri 58, 5) Woki 5, Flament 6 (Taofifenua 50, 6), Jelonch 7 (Cros 51, 7), Ollivon 8, Alldritt 8
Not Used: Lucu
SOUTH AFRICA: Willemse 6 (Le Roux 51, 6) Arendse 8, Kriel 8, De Allende 9, Kolbe 9, Libbok 7 (Pollard 45, 8), Reinach 8 (De Klerk 45, 7); Kitshoff 6 (Nche 51, 8), Mbonambi 9, Malherbe 8 (Koch 63, 7), Etzebeth 8, Mostert 8 (Snyman 45, 7), Kolisi (c) 6 (Fourie 46, 6), Du Toit 6 (Smith 61, 7), Vermeulen 7 (Smith 51-61)
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