Northern | US
Highlights available at
England
England
15 - 16
Full Time
South Africa
South Africa

England vs South Africa

Events
Commentary

Watch Rugby's Greatest Rivalry LIVE

Two rugby giants collide. Stream live, replays and highlights free on RugbyPass TV.

Watch on RPTV
Starts 8th August 2026 - USA only.

Live Updates

It's all over! The referee has blown their whistle to end the game.

80'

George Ford comes on.

77'

Jonny May comes off.

77'
Penalty Goal

Handre Pollard kicks the penalty.

77'

England decide to make a substitution, with Ollie Lawrence getting some game time.

73'

England decide to make a substitution, with Manu Tuilagi being replaced.

73'
Conversion

The South Africa supporters go wild as Handre Pollard successfully kicks the conversion.

69'
Try

RG Snyman scores the try from close range.

68'

That's a great try assist by Faf de Klerk.

68'

England make a substitution with Billy Vunipola coming on.

68'

England make a substitution with Tom Curry coming off.

68'

Vincent Koch comes on for South Africa.

55'

Frans Malherbe leaves the field.

55'

Kyle Sinckler comes on for England.

55'

Dan Cole leaves the field.

55'
Drop Goal

Owen Farrell has kicked a drop goal.

52'

Ollie Chessum comes on.

52'

George Martin comes off.

52'

Danny Care comes on.

52'

Alex Mitchell comes off.

52'

Ellis Genge comes on.

52'

Joe Marler comes off.

52'

What a run here by Cheslin Kolbe as they get over the gainline!

51'

Deon Fourie comes on.

50'

Duane Vermeulen comes off.

50'

Kwagga Smith comes on.

50'

Siya Kolisi comes off.

50'

South Africa decide to make a substitution, with Ox Nche getting some game time.

48'

South Africa decide to make a substitution, with Steven Kitshoff being replaced.

48'

South Africa decide to make a substitution, with RG Snyman getting some game time.

45'

South Africa decide to make a substitution, with Eben Etzebeth being replaced.

45'

South Africa make a substitution with Willie Le Roux coming on.

43'

South Africa make a substitution with Damian Willemse coming off.

43'

South Africa make a substitution with Faf de Klerk coming on.

42'

South Africa make a substitution with Cobus Reinach coming off.

42'

The second half kicks off.

40'

The half-time whistle blows and both teams head for the dressing rooms.

40'
Penalty Goal

Owen Farrell has kicked a penalty goal.

38'

England sub Tom Curry comes onto the field.

38'

Billy Vunipola departs for England.

38'

Fabulous play by South Africa has led to Damian Willemse being able to wriggle through a gap.

36'
Penalty Goal

The South Africa supporters go wild as Handre Pollard successfully kicks the penalty goal.

34'

Billy Vunipola comes on for England.

32'

Tom Curry leaves the field.

32'

Handre Pollard comes on for South Africa.

30'

Manie Libbok leaves the field.

30'

Trouble here as Kurt-Lee Arendse breaches the defence.

25'
Penalty Goal

Owen Farrell adds the points for England.

23'
Penalty Goal

Manie Libbok adds the points for South Africa.

20'
Penalty Goal

Owen Farrell kicks the penalty.

9'
Penalty Goal

Owen Farrell has kicked a penalty goal.

2'

We are underway as the referee blows their whistle.

0'
Load More

Match Details

England v South Africa
England v South Africa
Rugby World Cup
Semi Final
Sat 21st October 2023, 12:00pm PDT
Sat 21st October 2023, 12:00pm PDT
Stade de France
Stade de France

Points Flow Chart

South Africa win +1
England
South Africa
England
Time in lead
South Africa
76
Mins in lead
4
95%
% Of Game In Lead
5%
71%
Possession Last 10 min
29%
0
Points Last 10 min
3

Key Events

Full Time
Pollard
77'
15 - 16
Pollard
69'
15 - 13
Snyman
68'
15 - 11
Farrell
15 - 6
52'
Half Time
Farrell
12 - 6
38'
Pollard
34'
9 - 6
Farrell
9 - 3
23'
Libbok
20'
6 - 3
Farrell
6 - 0
9'
Farrell
3 - 0
2'
Start

Win Probability

England
18%
Draw
1%
South Africa
81%
Ruck-Won by Kyle Sinckler

Momentum

0'
HT
FT
England
South Africa

22m Entries

Avg. Points Scored
1.5
4
Entries
Avg. Points Scored
3.3
3
Entries

Attack Profile

England
South Africa
More Less More

Defence Profile

England
South Africa
More Less More

Ruck Speed

0-3 secs
29%
38%
3-6 secs
25%
35%
6+ secs
43%
24%
67
Rucks Won
52

Last 5 Penalties

59'
63'
64'
67'
76'
England
South Africa

England vs Springboks Kick Off Times & TV Channel

England face off against Springboks in Rugby World Cup Semi Final on Sat 21st October 2023 at Stade de France. Kick-off in the UK is scheduled for 20:00. In South Africa it’s at 21:00 SAST, 08:00 NZST in New Zealand, 06:00 AEST in Australia and 12:00 EST in the US.

Springboks won the last encounter but Springboks are in the best form of their last 5 games.

World Rankings

Heading into the fixture the two sides are separated by just 4 places in the rankings with Springboks in position 1 and England in position 5, underlining just how tight this match could be.

England vs Springboks Squads

The official squads for England vs Springboks will become available around 24- 48 hours before kick-off. Teams can still make changes up to an hour before the match however.

Other Fixtures

50 - 19
FT
32 - 35
FT
31 - 19
FT
31 - 33
FT
19 - 12
FT
10 - 17
FT
15 - 19
FT
36 - 35
FT
26 - 31
FT
0 - 54
FT
Tomorrow
00:10
Friday
00:10
Friday
06:00
Friday
08:05
Friday
19:05
Friday
22:05
Friday
22:15
Saturday
00:10
Saturday
08:00
Saturday
10:00
Saturday
16:30
Saturday
19:05
Saturday
22:05

Comments

17 Comments
Load More Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free

Who Will Win?

The Springboks will enter this semi-final encounter with England as favourites. Not only did they beat England at Twickenham last November, but South Africa have looked formidable throughout the tournament and dispatched home favourites France at the quarter-final stage.

However, there is the chance of an upset here. After all, England are now the tournament’s only unbeaten side. Plus, although Steve Borthwick’s men were unfancied prior to their first game, they’ve started to play some good rugby and they managed to dominate a powerful Fiji side at the breakdown in their quarter-final. As a result, a South Africa win is far from a foregone conclusion.

Think you know which way England vs South Africa will go? Vote in our poll.

Head-to-Head

Although the Springboks will be the favourites in this upcoming encounter, England have the edge across the last five games these sides have played against each other. This is because England have won three of the last five England vs South Africa matches, while South Africa have won two.

Crucially though, South Africa claimed victory in the most important of these matches: the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.

Team Form

Both sides come into this Rugby World Cup semi-final in great form. England are actually the tournament’s only unbeaten side: they’ve won all five of their games so far.

By contrast, South Africa have lost one game, a narrow 13-8 defeat against Ireland. However, they have beaten both Scotland and France since the tournament started. They also scored 76 points against Romania and 49 points against Tonga.

Below our team form guide, you can see in-depth stats about how the two sides have performed in their last five games, including stats about the number of tries they’ve scored, their overall points difference and the number of times they’ve scored the first try.

Player Head-to-Head

Big stages like the semi-final of the Rugby World Cup are where the sport’s biggest players make their names. After all, one play, one moment of brilliance or one mistake could make all the difference.

With this in mind, here’s how Owen Farrell and Handre Pollard have performed in recent England vs South Africa games. Could either of these star players earn their country a place in the Rugby World Cup final?

Other Fixtures

A Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa is arguably the highlight of the sporting calendar. However, the other Rugby World Cup semi-final featuring Argentina and New Zealand is also taking place this weekend. Check out the latest fixtures and results below.

England vs South Africa 2023: Detailed Match Preview

On Saturday 21st October, 2023, England will face South Africa in a Rugby World Cup semi-final at the Stade de France in Paris.

Both teams won scintillating quarter-final matches, and both will feel as though they’re playing something close to their best rugby entering this clash.

On form, many would predict that South Africa’s power and flair will be too much for England. However, although Steve Borthwick’s men have appeared limited at times, they’re also the only unbeaten team in the tournament and they put together some stunning moves against Fiji. As a result, they may believe that they’re peaking at the right time.

Meanwhile, although South Africa lost against Ireland in the pool stage, they have looked like a dominant force throughout this World Cup and their strength, power and guile were fully on display against France. A repeat performance of this calibre will likely see them advance once more.

We can’t wait to see how this game goes. Let us know what you think will happen in the comments.

When was the first England vs South Africa game? When was the first England vs South Africa game?

The first England vs South Africa game took place way back in 1906, when the two sides faced each other at Crystal Palace in London. This game ended in a 3-3 draw.

Have England ever played against South Africa at the Rugby World Cup? Have England ever played against South Africa at the Rugby World Cup?

Yes. England have faced South Africa at the Rugby World Cup five times before, including in two Rugby World Cup finals. South Africa have won ⅘ of these games, including the 2007 and the 2019 Rugby World Cup finals.

Have England ever beaten South Africa? Have England ever beaten South Africa?

Yes. England and South Africa have faced off against each other in 45 test matches since 1906. England have won 16 of these, while South Africa have won 27. A further two have ended in a draw.

Trending News

Close Panel
Close Panel

Edition & Time Zone

{{current.name}}
Set time zone automatically
{{selectedTimezoneTitle}} (auto)
Choose a different time zone
Close Panel

Editions

Close Panel

Change Time Zone

Search Timezones
Close
ADVERTISEMENT