France 28 South Africa 29: Springboks stun hosts to set up England semi-final in repeat of 2019 Rugby World Cup final
THE Springboks sent a chilling World Cup warning to England with an extraordinary quarter-final KO of hosts France.
Siya Kolisi’s defending champions finally came out on top in a stunning Paris clash, which saw an incredible six tries in a breathtaking 30-minute first-half spell.
Fans branded the first 40 minutes the “best half of rugby ever”.
Springboks legend and World Cup winner Bryan Habana insisted: “It was the most unbelievable performance I have ever seen from a South African team.
“That’s as colossal, as gladiatorial and unbelievable as I’ve ever seen a Springbok team go.
"They dug deeper than a Springbok team has ever dug to come out against an unbelievable French side. It was as special as it comes.”
Victory ended France’s 18-match winning run at home and South Africa now meet Owen Farrell and Co in Saturday’s semi showdown in the same Stade de France stadium.
The Springboks giant lock Eben Etzebeth — who had been earlier sin-binned for an illegal head-to-head challenge — grabbed the match-winning seventh try of the brutal, exhausting, incredible contest.
Wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe, plus centre Damian de Allende scored South Africa’s other three.
French skipper Antoine Dupont returned from a fractured cheekbone but he could not quite mastermind his troops to victory in the greatest game of the tournament.
That was despite two tries from prop Cyril Baille plus another from hooker Peato Mauvaka.
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The French had led 22-19 at half-time but Etzebeth’s powerful run and try in the second half proved decisive.
The South Africans will also look back on a stunning charged down conversion from Kolbe in the first half, which prevented Les Bleus grabbing two extra points that ultimately would have won them the game.
Kolisi said: “We knew how tough it was going to be against a French team at home. The guys off the bench made a huge difference.
“Our supporters can’t afford to be here but we are playing for them at home.”
