Following their hard-fought 16-15 win over England on Saturday night, the Springboks booked a place in the Rugby World Cup final where they will play New Zealand.
Jacques Nienaber’s side staged a dramatic second-half fightback from 15-6 down to win the match by one point thanks to a late Handre Pollard kick.
The All Blacks swept aside Argentina 44-6 to reach their first Rugby World Cup final since 2015
The two sides will meet for the first time in a final since 1995.
Springboks book back-to-back Rugby World Cup finals
Since 1995, Springboks and New Zealand have played in four World Cup finals, with both teams winning two each. The stage is now set for two of the most successful rugby sides in history.
Springbok coach Nienaber said after the match that his team needed to improve if they are to defend their trophy.
“Credit to England – they had a good tactical plan and they put us under pressure,” he said.
“We’ll have to improve on that if New Zealand uses the same tactic (in the final). But one has to commend the strength of this team for the way they find a way to get a result.
“It took us 70 minutes to get a foothold in the match, and the players refused to give up and fought until the end. I’m very proud of them for that,” said Nienaber.
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