South Africa 37 Argentina 13
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PARIS - Bryan Habana scored two breathtaking tries as South Africa ended Argentina's glorious World Cup adventure with a 37-13 semifinal win at the Stade de France here this morning.
The Springboks will now face England, whom they beat 36-0 last month at this ground in a Pool game when they return here for Sunday's final (NZ time).
South Africa, World Cup winners' on home soil in 1995, had this match all but won at halftime thanks to tries from Fourie du Preez, Habana - who touched down again late in the second half to become the tournament's leading try scorer with eight - and Danie Rossouw which put them 24-6 ahead at the break.
Meanwhile, experienced fullback Percy Montgomery landed all seven of his goalkicks as South Africa made it twelve wins out of twelve against the Pumas, who were appearing in their first World Cup semifinal.
South Africa coach Jake White said that last month's win over England, which was a record tournament defeat for the champions, will have no bearing on Sunday.
"It counts for nothing when you play in a World Cup final. France have been dominated by New Zealand in recent times and ended up beating them in the quarter-final."
South Africa skipper John Smit also said he was expecting a tough challenge from England.
"They've proved a lot of people wrong. They've been playing World Cup-winning rugby in their last two games," said the hooker.
"They seem to have got the formula right and there seems to be a good spirit amongst the players. They have done well to get respect and they all work for each other."
Pumas coach Marcelo Loffreda, now set to join English champions Leicester after six years in charge of Argentina, said: "I'm very proud of the players. We don't have the same conditions as other teams, we don't have an annual international competiton.
"Nevertheless we were beaten by a greater team. They were markedly better than us and we were victims of our own mistakes."
Argentina captain and veteran halfback Agustin Pichot added: "All of our players gave everything they had.
"It was an honour and privilege to be captain of a team like this at the end of my career, a team which has achieved impossible things. We didn't get right to the end, we were missing a little bit."
Argentina, who had got this tournament off to a thrilling start with a 17-12 victory over hosts France in the opening match, were undone by South Africa's greater attacking flair and defensive discipline.
After some engrossing battles between two powerful scrums, South Africa took the lead in the seventh minute with a 70 metre solo interception try from halfback du Preez who picked off a pass from inside centre Felipe Contepomi.
Montgomery added the tricky conversion out on the left and the Springboks were 7-0 ahead.
Then a penalty exchange between Felipe Contepomi and Montgomery left the Springboks 10-3 up.
Felipe Contepomi was off-target with a 19th minute penalty attempt.
It was noticeable that when the teams tried to run the ball, after a series of aimless kicks, mistakes ensued with Felipe Contepomi kicking a penalty after South Africa centre Francois Steyn didn't release on the edge of his 22.
However, individual flair from Habana, saw him score South Africa's second try two minutes later.
Steyn saw his cut-out pass find left wing Habana out on the touchline where the flyer, after regathering his precise chip over the top of the Pumas' defensive line, outpaced the remaining cover in style.
Montgomery, South Africa's most-capped player and leading points scorer, made it three from three and the Springboks had stretched their lead to 17-6.
Worse followed for Argentina when a self-inflicted wound helped set up a third Springbok try on the stroke of halftime.
Juan Martin Hernandez, dropped a ball in midfield which Steyn seized on before finding fellow centre Fourie who released the onrushing Schalk Burger. The flanker then duly delivered a try-scoring pass to send in No 8 Rossouw.
Argentina, whose rise to fourth in the world rankings has been all the more impressive given they don't play in a major annual competition, then caught South Africa cold with a controversial try early in the second half.
After working an overlap, Manuel Contepomi dived over the line under a challenge from Montgomery. New Zealand referee Steve Walsh then called on English replay official Tony Spreadbury to check the grounding.
From one angle it looked as if the outside centre had lost control but Spreadbury, an experienced Test referee in his own right, confirmed the try.
Felipe Contepomi converted his twin brother's score and South Africa's lead had been cut to 24-13. But he then missed a penalty which, had it gone over, might have rattled Springbok nerves.
Two more Montgomery penalties removed any doubt over the result before Habana, intercepting on the edge of his 22, raced clear for a flamboyant try under the posts four minutes from time.
That still left time for an unseemly mass flare-up which saw Springbok flanker Juan Smith yellow carded.
Then, in a separate incident, Felipe Contepomi was also sin-binned for flicking an arm into the face of South Africa first five-eighths Butch James - a sad note on which to end Argentina's World Cup campaign.
South Africa 37 (Bryan Habana 2, Fourie du Preez, Danie Rossouw tries; Percy Montgomery 3 pen, 4 con) Argentina 13 (Manuel Contepomi try; Felipe Contepomi 2 pen, con). Halftime: 24-6.
- AFP
