England 15-13 South Africa – World Cup semi-final LIVE: RG Snyman roars over for the Springboks to bring them back within touching distance… and set up tense final 10 minutes in Paris

Agony for England. South Africa hold on for the win.

A mistake by Billy Vunipola as he lets the ball slip. It’s all over.

After a crucial scrum on the half way line, South Africa win the penalty.

Pollard elects for the posts. Can Pollard put the Boks in front with less than three minutes to go?

It goes straight through the posts. South Africa take the lead and England are behind for the first time today.

The Springboks have continued with their controversial approach to calling for a scrum on their own 22-metre line following Willie Le Roux calling the mark from a catch.

Will it pay off and they win another penalty?

They do not. South Africa ship the ball out then win a scrum on the half-way line.

Well, well, well… RG Snyman smashes through England’s defence to score the first try of the match for South Africa.

An excellent kick from Pollard set up a lineout on the England 5m line. Fourie then made a ferocious break which set up the try.

The Liecester fly-half makes no mistake with the conversion either.

There’s just two points in it…

This is such a tense stage of the match, as England have a good lead but South Africa are turning the tables in the scrum, which will give them a platform to fight back. Maybe this time, Jamie George can’t be expected to play for the full 80 minutes. England’s pack under serious set-piece pressure. This game isn’t over.

The Boks’ bomb squad are starting to boss the scrum as Ox Nche dominates his opposite number Sinckler.

How are the nerves England fans?

We are well and truly heading to crunch time. South Africa trail by nine points.

After a dropped ball from South Africa, Farrell pounces on the mistake with a brilliant cross field kick.

Cheslin Kobe then fails to control it and knocks the ball on. England now have a very dangerous scrum near the South Africa 5m line.

But it’s a dissapointing penalty to South Africa. Great opportunity missed.

The final member of England’s bomb squad, Kyle Sinckler, makes his way to the field.

For the Boks, they have now emptied their bench with the addition of former Saracens prop Vincent Koch.

What a kick by Owen Farrell. After a brief spell of pressure from the Boks, the England captain produces a moment of magic.

Johnny Wilkinson – who is in attendance – will be watching on proud.

Ellis Genge, Ollie Chessum and Danny Care are on – it had to be done.

Borthwick has responded to South Africa’s wholesale changes with some of his own.

Is it a sign of desperation or genius?

South Africa’s coaching staff have used all their replacements bar Vincent Koch.

What effect will these fresh legs have on the game?

It will be fascinating to see how Steve Borthwick deploys his replacements as this second half wears on. The starting team are playing superbly but it is tiring graft in the rain so some big decisions are looming for the head coach about where and when to stick or twist.

Jamie George won’t want to see that line out again.

The Saracens hooker is really struggling in the rain as the ball completely slips out of his hand and flies in the air. South Africa turn the line out over and there is now a scrum.

England will now have to deal with one of the best scrum-halfs in world rugby as de Klerk makes his way on to the pitch.

Pollard gets the second half underway and the Boks win a line out in England’s half.

Sensational first half by England. Really smart. Played the conditions just right. Dominated the Springboks in the air and on the floor. George Martin’s tackle on Franco Mostert was an astonishing demonstration of legitimate brutality. Freddie Steward has been imperious. Elliot Daly has chased and harried opponents non-stop. Alex Mitchell is impressively executing his orders, to put the South Africans under constant pressure. Very, very good – so far.

If your hearts weren’t beating already, Mitchell’s clearance just in the nick of time to end the half has helped.

As the rain continues to pour, England will definitely be happy with the scoreline so far.

It has been a physical, bruising affair with handling the top concern. Ultimately, England’s kicking game and brilliant defence is the difference so far.

The Springboks will be looking for a quick turnaround when the second half gets underway.

Farrell hits an excellent kick just before the half-time whistle.

England’s lead is now doubled. After some early domination that certainly felt deserved.

It didn’t look like Manie Libbok was injured when he went off, to be replaced by Handre Pollard, in which case that is a ruthless, early change by South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber. It is a reflection of how South Africa have been unable to exert tactical control so far, in the difficult conditions, as England have done. Pollard will bring the Springboks a more organised, structured dimension.

After some sloppy ball carrying from Billy Vunipola – who is a blood replacement for Tom Curry – South Africa looked as though they were about to score a try.

A poor pass from de Allende means the advantage is brought back.

Pollard has the opportunity to get his first points of the night, which he does. 9-6.

With just thirty minutes on the clock, South Africa’s starting fly-half Libbok has been taken off after some less than impressive kicking. Brutal!

Leicester’s Handre Pollard is brought on in his place.

South Africa are certainly rattled early doors, but could this be a stroke of genius by Erasmus?

Owen Farrell is going to have to tread carefully here because the Springboks are targeting him with wind-ups. Cobus Reinach was quick to antagonise the England captain after South Africa were awarded a penalty and when he reacted to the scrum-half’s provocation, his team were marched back another 10 metres. Given that outcome, the wind-ups will surely continue.

After some brilliant work by Steward, again, to force turn-over ball, England win a penalty.

Farrell attempts a little dink over the defence for a try, but Daly can’t reach it.

The England captain lines up for the posts and hits three points to make him the second all-time Test points scorer.

Libbok makes no mistake with his first kick of the game.

The Boks reduce the deficit to three.

South Africa are awarded a penalty after Mitchell is off his feet at a ruck.

But England are marched back a further ten yards after some back chat by the England captain.

Someone needs to calm the fly-half down.

After England did brilliantly to stop a South Africa maul, a penalty has been awarded to the Boks after some ill-discipline by Manu Tuilagi.

Libbok kicks for the corner but tackling machine George Martin – brought into the side by Borthwick – makes a try saving tackle which forces South Africa to knock on the ball.

England then win a penalty from the scrum. Stellar defence so far.

What a start for England. Absolutely everything going their way. Their aerial barrage has unsettled the Springboks, their carrying has been powerful and effective, they’ve already stolen a South African lineout throw, been steady in the scrum and knocked over both penalties. Very impressive.

South Africa concede the second penalty of the match and England are next to the five-metre line.

Farrell elects for the post again to increase England’s lead and he cooly slots over.

After some world-class catching by Steward, a brilliant piece of quick thinking by Mitchell puts South Africa under pressure with a line-out 10m from their line.

And after a wonky throw from the Boks hooker, England win a scrum metres away from the try line!

After a couple kicks from both teams, England win a penalty which Farrell will gratefully kick.

Can he get his first three points?

He does. 3-0 to England. What a start!

Owen Farrell gets us underway with a cute, high ball. It’s a knock-on from England, though.

But South Africa send it long which high-ball specialist Freddie Steward safely takes.

There are plenty of English and South African fans present tonight.

A huge night of rugby awaits…

There is a slight possibility that, surely for the first time in sporting history, a French crowd might be backing England. Only by default though.

The locals are booing the Springboks with gusto here so they might just get behind their cross-Channel rivals, as the lesser of two evils…

Eyebrows were raised when lock Ollie Chessum and prop Ellis Genge were dropped to the bench.

But it appears manager Steve Borthwick has a plan – to bring a significant physical impact off the bench during the second half.

Alex Bywater assess the match-ups of Genge and Sinckler against Deon Fourie and Ox Nche.

The Princess of Wales has cheered England on twice already this tournament, making solo trips to stadiums to watch the Red Roses first take on Argentina in the group stage, and then their quarter-final clash with Fiji last week.

However, she is not expected to be present at today’s match.

In her absence, she wrote a Tweet to the squad wishing them the best of luck, signed off with her initial, ‘C’ for Catherine.

It’s always interesting watching the pre-match dynamics and body language.

While Steve Borthwick is monitoring his team’s preparations – especially the forwards – South Africa’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, has wandered away from his squad to observe the opposition closely from near the halfway line.

He is pacing around with hands in pockets, scrutinising the English practice drills.

Who better to give advice to beat the Springboks than the defence coach who faced them in the quarters?

However, the Wigan local feels England have a good chance of winning despite most people writing them off.

‘I think England have got a good chance because they play a similar style.’

South Africa have named an unchanged side to face England in tonight’s semi-final.

The Springboks beat hosts France 29-28 in an epic quarter-final last Sunday.

With no changes made, here’s the South Africa line-up for tonight.

South Africa: Willemse; Arendse, Kriel, De Allende, Kolbe; Libbok, Reinach; Kitshoff, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Etzebeth, Mostert, Kolisi (capt), Du Toit, Vermeulen.

Replacements: Fourie, Nche, Koch, Snyman, Smith, De Klerk, Pollard, Le Roux.

Both teams have started their warm-ups here at a rain-soaked Stade de France but most of the attention is on the referee.

Ben O’Keeffe has emerged for his own pre-match preparations and is being loudly, repeatedly booed.

It seems that French fans in attendance are not ready to forget the New Zealand official’s handling of their narrow quarter-final defeat against the Springboks. O’Keeffe is going to be under scrutiny and a lot of pressure tonight.

The England players look focused and ready for tonight’s mammoth clash against the Springboks.

Joe Marler, Ben Earl, Tom Curry and Ollie Lawrence check out the stadium.

Prior to tonight’s kick-off, there has been a great deal of discussion about both side’s starting XVs.

With the Springboks known for their scrummaging and kicking games, it may well prove to be a masterstroke by Borthwick.

Here’s how England are setting up for tonight:

England line-up: Steward; May, Marchant, Tuilagi, Daly; Farrell (capt), Mitchell; Marler, George, Cole, Itoje, Martin, Lawes, Curry, Earl.

Replacements: Dan, Genge, Sinckler, Chessum, Vunipola, Care, Ford, Lawrence.

England coach Kevin Sinfield has told his players to seize their moment in Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa and avoid a lifetime of regrets.

His team are 80 minutes away from facing New Zealand in the final but first they must upset the odd against the world champion Springboks.

Woodward: One of my favourite sayings is: ‘Great teams are made of great individuals.’ In my coaching career, I always thought the best players thrived under pressure.

If I was in Steve Borthwick’s shoes as England head coach tonight, I would be putting the maximum pressure I could on the team. There would be no big Churchillian speech. I would tell this England squad that if every individual does their job properly, we can beat South Africa and claim a place in the World Cup final.

For every player and staff member involved at the Stade de France, there will be huge pressure. You do not want to be the one who lets the team down.

Good evening everyone and welcome to tonight’s Rugby World Cup action.

We’ll be bringing you all the latest from England’s blockbuster battle with South Africa, so stick with us until kick-off for what promises to be a spectacular fixture!