RUGBY

LATE KICK GIVES SOUTH AFRICA ‘UGLY’ WIN OVER ENGLAND IN RUGBY WORLD CUP

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Photo Credit: Stephanie Lecocq / Reuters

Replacement fly half Handre Pollard kicked a last-gasp penalty as South Africa somehow found a way to get past a dominant England and claim a 16-15 victory that sent them into a Rugby World Cup final against fellow triple champions New Zealand.

The defending champions looked on the verge of defeat on Saturday as England’s kicking game kept them pegged back in their own half on a rainy Paris night and earned a 15-6 lead in the semifinal, but they hit back with a try by RG Snyman before replacement Pollard landed a penalty from almost on the halfway line to snatch victory.

NEW ZEALAND BEAT IRELAND IN EPIC RUGBY WORLD CUP QUARTERFINAL

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Photo Credit: Gonzalo Fuentes / Reuters

Three-time champions New Zealand inflicted more World Cup heartbreak on Ireland, beating them 28-24 to bring a bitterly disappointing end to Irish captain Johnny Sexton’s stellar career.

The All Blacks put in a brilliant defensive performance to prevail 28-24 over Ireland in a titanic match on Saturday, setting up a meeting with Argentina for a place in the final and destroying Irish dreams of a first world title.

The defeat ended Ireland’s run of 17 successive Test victories and denied Andy Farrell’s team the chance of a first-ever semifinal.

The All Blacks played for 20 minutes with 14 men against the Six Nations champions and had to dig deep to defend their try line through 40 phases in the dying seconds as the top-ranked Irish searched for a winning try.

UPSET! PORTUGAL ROCK FIJI TO MAKE WORLD CUP HISTORY AS WALLABIES KNOCKED OUT

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Photo Credit: Getty

Fiji went down to a shock 24-23 defeat by Portugal in Toulouse on Sunday but still qualified for a World Cup quarter-final with England and ensured the elimination of Australia.

Fiji, who only needed one point from the game, finished runners-up in Pool C behind Wales and will play the English, whom they beat at Twickenham in both sides' final World Cup warm-up match, in Marseille, a day after the Welsh take on Argentina at the same Stade Velodrome.