The Springboks beat France 29-28 to set up a Rugby World Cup semifinal against England in Paris next week.
The Springboks are through to the World Cup semifinals thanks to mining a deep well of resolve that is impossible to coach. It comes from experience and a culture of never knowing when to quit. They simply found a way against all the odds.
Never have there been four better Rugby World Cup quarterfinals and this, the fourth and final one of an epic weekend, was the best.
It was dramatic and heart-stopping, courageous and cruel. Spare a thought for France. In front of their home crowd they gave their all and could just as easily have won.
The game was always in the balance even to the final, desperate denouement when the home side had possession and tried to find a way through the belligerent green wall. France spilled the ball and that was that — Kurt-Lee Arendse kicked it dead and the Springboks lived to fight another day.
England await at Stade de France next weekend in a repeat of the 2019 final.
The Boks scored four tries and came from six points down with 13 minutes to play, to win after being rocked back on to the ropes for much of the second half. They simply refused…