South Africa stun France and set up England tie
The Springboks were at their most stubborn as they wrecked France's dream at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday. The defending champions dug deeper than normal for one of their most resilient performances to knock the highly rated French out of their home World Cup by a riveting 29-28 in front of nearly 80,000 baying fans at Stade de France. "For all the support we’ve had, it’s heartbreaking,” France flanker Charles Ollivon said. France played all the attacking rugby for the first 60-plus minutes, and the crowd loved it, leaving South Africa to feed off crumbs and cling on before suddenly swinging the momentum in the final 13 minutes when lock Eben Etzebeth made up for an earlier yellow card by barging over near the posts. That put South Africa ahead for the first time since a breathless, six-try opening 30 minutes. While France came within a point of the Springboks at the end, their great hopes of a first title and clinching it at home slipped away when replacement prop Reda Wardi lost possession in a last, desperate attack after the clock ticked past 80 minutes. The French were stunned, none more than brilliant scrumhalf and captain Antoine Dupont, who made it back from a broken cheekbone in the pool stage to lead his country. His return was meant to be triumphant, but at the end the world's best player slipped down on one knee and tossed his protective scrumcap on the grass in despair. “That will make us learn. But today, it’s hard to take," Dupont said. "A lot of frustration.” France attacked from deep in the last play of the game after the final hooter. After 10 phases, the ball was stripped from Wardi by RG Snyman and Faf de Klerk, and Kurt-Lee Arendse scooped it up and hoofed it out to confirm a semifinal against England next weekend. England advanced after ending Fiji’s crowd-pleasing run at the tournament with a tense 30-24 win, earlier in the day. In a welcome result for the northern hemisphere after quarterfinal losses for Ireland and Wales on Saturday, the English countered a second-half fightback by the Flying Fijians as captain Owen Farrell kicked a drop goal and a penalty in the final eight minutes in Marseille. (AP)