Six tries in the opening 31 minutes. Sparkling, end-to-end rugby. And in the end, it all came down to one point.
Hosts France and defending champions South Africa served up arguably the finest half of World Cup rugby ever seen in the opening 40 in Paris.
France then led a tight second half until Eben Etzebeth’s 67th-minute try gave his side a lead they held onto.
It meant France’s wait for a first World Cup goes on, while South Africa face England in the semi-finals.
Delighted former South Africa winger Bryan Habana called the win “as special as it comes”.
“That’s as colossal, as gladiatorial and unbelievable as I’ve ever seen a Springbok team go,” he told ITV.
“They dug deeper than a Springbok team has ever dug to come out against an unbelievable French side.”
In contrast, France flanker Francois Cros said the 29-28 defeat was “a cruel outcome” with the loss being France’s first at home since 2020.
“I just can’t find the words, it’s a pity for us, for the squad, for the event, for the public which has been supporting us.
“It’s very, very hard tonight. Tonight is so hard for French fans and the team but we will be back,” he added.
France’s dream crushed by ruthless Boks
Fabien Galthie’s men had such high hopes going into the competition on home soil and an excellent pool stage which began on opening night with victory over New Zealand had only further increased expectations among supporters.
They were also boosted by the of star man Antoine Dupont after injury to face the Springboks and Les Bleus flew out of the traps to take an early lead.
What followed was an extraordinary half of rugby in which the two teams traded blows in an epic contest which left pundits asking if there had ever been a better first half and whether the World Cup final could possibly match the standard of this pulsating quarter-final.
France led at the break courtesy of a Thomas Ramos penalty and Ramos stretched the lead to six in the second period before Etzebeth’s try and Handre Pollard’s penalty gave the Springboks a lead they did not relinquish, to crush the home players and crowd.
Jacques Nienabar’s side were as aggressive in defence and ruthless in attack as ever, taking almost every opportunity that came their way.
France enjoyed more territory but the Springbok defence repelled wave after wave of attacks and always seemed to know the right moment to pounce to get points on the board.
France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert showed some wonderful moments throughout the game but could not quite get his team over the line.
“We could have taken some chances in the second half but you have to congratulate the Springboks for resisting our attacks.
“There is a feeling of a lot of disappointment and frustration. It is sad and very disappointing for us… it is hard to accept going out,” he added.
South Africa ‘play for the nation’
Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi was among several substitutions made early in the second half and praised the impact off-the-bench of his team-mates.
“We knew how tough it would be with France at home and honestly I want to say well done to them for what they’ve achieved.
“We really wanted it. Credit to the guys who came on they made the difference most importantly the supporters of this team back home they can’t afford to be here but the videos the schools singing for us and sending us videos that’s what we play for.
“We play for the nation, it’s not about us, it’s about the people back home and that’s what’s driving us,” he said.
Nienaber said his side’s experience of playing in big games had helped pull them through.
“We knew it was going to be this tight. I think everybody knew it was going to be a big battle. There were two good teams and fortunately for us, we were on the right side of things.
“They’ve been there before, they’ve been at a World Cup before and they’ve found solutions during the game,” Nienaber added.
South Africa will go into Saturday’s semi-final against England as favourites and will be hoping for a repeat of their victory over the side they beat in the 2019 World Cup Final.
The game in Paris kicks-off at 20:00 BST with the prize of a place in the final against either Argentina or New Zealand.
Man-of-the match Bongi Mbonambi said it was going to be a “massive challenge”.
“We’ve still got two more games to go, this is still nothing,” he added.
Future remains bright for French rugby
As for France, the dream of a first World Cup may be over, but the future remains bright and Galthie confirmed he will stay on and is already looking ahead to next year’s Six Nations.
“There is a French team that will continue to play, they will soon be playing the first match of the Six Nations in Marseille,” he said.
“No regrets, none. For four years, we wrote a beautiful picture for French rugby, the players can be proud, coaches can be proud.
“What we’ve been through at this tournament is another chapter in the story of the French team,” added Galthie.
