FAILURE rarely comes quite as glorious as this.
An England team which has been praised so rarely in victory, were absolutely outstanding in defeat here in the northern suburbs of Paris tonight.
GettyEngland were left gutted as their World Cup dreams died[/caption]
AFPSouth Africa produced a stunning comeback against a brave England to reach the final[/caption]
Dethroning these world champion Springboks was supposed to be an impossibility.
But for the vast majority of this tense World Cup semi-final, England were on the brink of a miracle – leading the mighty Boks by nine points clear heading into the final 12 minutes.
That they failed to get over the line was no kind of choke.
They were edged out by a single point but they have not been able to hold their heads so high for several years.
Had they held on, it would have been the greatest upset achieved by any England side in any major tournament in any sport.
So the fact that they came so very close is cause for acclaim.
An England side which finished fourth in a dismal Six Nations campaign and were humiliated by Fiji at Twickenham in their final warm-up match, were desperately near to contesting a World Cup Final against the All Blacks here at the Stade de France next Saturday.
This was supposed to have been the closest thing you will get to an impossibility at the sharp end of any major tournament.
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Few people who know this game well gave England a cat in hell’s chance.
But for 70 minutes, Steve Borthwick’s side laughed at the oddsmakers, ridiculed the naysayers and took the absolute piddle out of those who attempt to analyse and predict this most chaotic of sports.
Don’t believe a word these people tell you in future.
There are two types of people who watch rugby – those who claim to be experts and those who are honest.
Everywhere you looked, there were heroes in white shirts.
Captain Owen Farrell, whose trusty right boot kicked England to glory.
Freddie Steward, dropped for last week’s quarter-final against Fiji but absolutely determined not to drop a single high ball here.
Maro Itoje, who won his titanic duel with Eben Etzebeth so comprehensively that the hulking South African lock was hauled off early in the second half.
George Martin, an inspired choice from Borthwick in the second row, an L-plated tank who smashed through the green-and-gold lines time and again.
And Courtney Lawes, who used every ounce of experience and brawn to unsettle a team who had been built up as pretty damned near invincible.
That list should be longer because every one of Borthwick’s men were extraordinary.
For England, this had represented not so much a step up in class but a leap over an almighty chasm.
The draw had been kind to them and those quarter-finals between the Springboks and France, and between the All Blacks and Ireland, had often resembled an entirely different sport to that which England had been playing.
But Borthwick’s men were here, they were unbeaten, and in any sport, life always brings hope.
England gave the Boks such an almighty fright from the word ‘go’ that it took them deep into the final quarter of the match for them to mentally recover.
It was a filthy old night in St Denis, with swirling wind and teeming rain, the sort of weather which might have acted as some sort of leveller.
Within just a minute on the clock, England forced a penalty and Farrell was unerring with his kick.
Then Itoje stole a line-out, Alex Mitchell put the champions under pressure with a cunning kick for touch and Farrell was soon doubling England’s lead with a penalty right underneath the sticks.
Time and again, England’s forwards were disruptive in the line-out and the scrum and the Springboks were looking rattled.
Handbags were brandished and England were relishing the scrap, with Manu Tuilagi to the fore and old Dan Cole jutting out his chest like a portly little pub landlord who means ‘last orders’ when he says it.
Big George Martin demolished Franco Mostert and although Manie Libbok slotted one over, England’s six-point advantage was restored.
Steward panicked his opposite number Damien Willemse, Lawes made the interception and Farrell was booting it between the sticks once more.
So muddled were the holders that fly-half Libbok was hooked on the half-hour, his replacement Handre Pollard landed a penalty within minutes after a blunder from Billy Vunipola, on as a head-injury replacement.
But before the break England were six points ahead again – their forwards beating up the supposedly indestructible Boks, who were committing the vast majority of the errors.
After the break, Farrell’s kick towards the corner was fumbled and England were camped deep in South African territory once more.
The totemic, towering Eben Etzebeth was dragged off early in the second half, a clear sign of English superiority up front.
Farrell then lined up his drop-goal and the improbable was turning into glorious reality.
Finally, though, South Africa stirred and replacement RG Snyman went over for the first try of the match with just 11 minutes left on the clock – Pollard dealing with the afters to reduce the deficit to just two points.
Before that, the normally stony-faced Borthwick was shown on screen smiling widely.
Suddenly though it was unbearably tight.
South Africa won a scrum penalty and Pollard slotted over the kick.
English hearts were shattered but the spirit they showed will be saluted for a long time to come.
AFPRG Snyman went over to score the first try and close the gap[/caption]
GettyOwen Farrell produced a magical drop goal to put England 15-6 in front[/caption]
GettyEngland looked fired up from the outset and were in control[/caption]
PAReferee Ben O’Keeffe had an early talk with the two captains[/caption]
GettySouth Africa looked shellshocked as they struggled to cope with England[/caption]
AFPFreddie Steward did well under the high ball in Paris[/caption]
PASouth Africa’s fly-half Manie Libbok was taken off after just 30 minutes[/caption]
APTempers bubbled over in the repeat of the 2019 World Cup final[/caption]
ReutersSouth Africa congratulated Snyman for his effort[/caption]