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Hello and welcome to ESPN's live text commentary of what is the penultimate match of this Rugby World Cup. South Africa take on Argentina for the bronze medal.
It's been a fantastic six weeks - yes, the main event is tomorrow, but a lot is still at stake tonight. Will Bryan Habana finally break Lomu's try record? Will Victor Matfield get the send off he deserves? Or will Argentina give us one more memory in what has been a superb tournament from the Pumas? Find out here...
Tristan Barclay is our man at London's Olympic Stadium - you can follow him on Twitter at @tbarclayespn
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| 1 |
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Underway at the Olympic Stadium. Amorosino with an early clearance kick down field to relieve the pressure - and Argentina have a turnover ball on the return! Great start from the Pumas.
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| 2 |
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Argentina of course beat South Africa in the Rugby Championship earlier this summer, earning their first ever Test victory on Springbok soil. First scrum of the evening - South Africa have a slight advantage in the pack weights...
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| 3 |
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Loose from Le Roux. Went for the one-handed pass and needlessly put the ball under pressure. Burger cleans up, though. Ruan Pienaar with a fabulous tap and go, stealing some hard yards through the middle.
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| 4 |
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Well, well. That could be costly. Referee John Lacey shows no hesitation in showing Tomas Cubelli a yellow card for not pulling back quick enough.
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| 5 |
0 - 5 |
And South Africa take advantage straight away. A quick tap-penalty is eventually worked across to JP Pietersen, who grounds in the right corner under pressure. A nod to the TMO and the try is awarded!
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| 6 |
0 - 7 |
Lovely kick from Pollard to add the extras. Fast start from the Boks.
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| 10 |
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| 11 |
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Habana thinks he's got a try...but no! Denied by the TMO. Breaking Lomu's record will have to wait. Amorosino got a hand on the ball right at the last moment. Great piece of last-ditch defending.
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| 13 |
0 - 10 |
Herrera gets pinged for obstruction - and South Africa will take the points here. Easy as you like from Pollard.
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| 14 |
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| 15 |
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Blood replacement for Argentina, Juan Figallo off. Cubelli is now back on, so the Pumas are back to full strength.
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| 16 |
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Argentina concede another penalty in the scrum -- they were so good in that department against Australia, but so far it has eluded Daniel Hourcade's men.
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| 17 |
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Boom! Montoya with an absolute gut-busting tackle on Burger. Think the whole world felt that one...
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| 18 |
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Habana breaks free -- he's sharp, he thinks he's clear but referee Lacey brings it back for a knock on.
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| 19 |
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| 20 |
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20 minutes in and it has been a tight and scrappy affair - as expected? Maybe so, but South Africa lead 10-0. Argentina, though, have won a penalty and clear from their own 22.
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| 21 |
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That's better from Argentina -- electric distribution across the pitch and Cordero is away, scything through the South African backline until he is tackled out of touch.
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| 23 |
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Classy again from Argentina, moving right to left but Le Roux has enough time and space to let a grubber kick roll out of play.
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| 25 |
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Sloppy penalty conceded by South Africa for offside - Argentina lineout on the Springboks' 22.
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| 26 |
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Brilliant from Cubelli! Superb footwork sees the scrum-half dance through the South African defence, but he's hauled down before the try line.
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| 27 |
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Another tap and go penalty from Pienaar. He's not hanging around tonight.
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| 28 |
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South Africa are trying to force it to Habana. Pollard with a lovely sidestep through the middle, before lobbing his pass towards the wing. However, he's overcooked it and Habana can only knock on in his attempt to catch and drive towards the line.
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| 30 |
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Another rush of blood from Sanchez - and another penalty conceded by Argentina at the breakdown. Very costly from the Pumas. Pollard to kick for the posts...
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| 32 |
0 - 13 |
Easy points! Such an unnecessary penalty to give away. Pollard with the easiest of kicks and South Africa lead 13-0.
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| 34 |
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Lobbe loses the pill in the tackle and Habana is away! He kicks and bursts through, but is penalised for clipping the heel of Sanchez ahead of him. Anyone else feel this isn't going to be Habana's night?
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| 35 |
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| 37 |
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Lovely hands from Cubelli works the ball on the inside -- Argentina look to attack, but the South African defence holds firm. Every sniff of a Pumas try has been expertly snuffed out from Heyneke Meyer's side so far.
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| 38 |
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Lobbe's furious with himself for giving away another soft penalty in the breakdown. South Africa kick for the corner.
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| 39 |
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A try here could be massive either way. Matfield and Pienaar making ground towards the Argentina five. Yet another penalty conceded by Argentina -- that's eight this half -- and Pollard will kick for goal.
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| 40 |
0 - 16 |
And Pollard makes it! He's currently the highest scorer of the Rugby World Cup, with that penalty taking him past Nicolas Sanchez.
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From ESPN's Tristan Barclay at the Olympic Stadium: "It would be hard to describe this as a classic on the evidence of that first half. Argentina, with 10 changes from the side that faced Australia last weekend, are lacking their usual attacking spark, while the Springboks have been stout in defence and good enough at the other end. The crowd seem subdued, probably aware that there is little riding on this match other than a Friday night out. However, the story so far has been Bryan Habana and his quest to break Jonah Lomu's World Cup try-scoring record. He's had at least four half-chances to get the 16th touchdown, but it just hasn't dropped for him yet."
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| 40 |
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Argentina get us back underway at the Olympic Stadium and look to make some quick ground into South Africa's half.
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| 41 |
3 - 16 |
That's absolutely plum from Sanchez -- Argentina have their first points on the board! Wonderful drop goal from the Pumas fly-half.
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| 42 |
3 - 21 |
Immediate response from South Africa, with Habana showing some very quick hands to send Etzebeth away in the left hand corner.
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| 44 |
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This really isn't Bryan Habana's night. This time the South Africa wing drops a simple catch - scrum Argentina near the Springboks' 22.
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| 45 |
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| 47 |
3 - 24 |
Another penalty conceded by Argentina for offisde, this time Lacey has a word with captain Sanchez. Pollard to kick for the posts again. Three of the easiest points you'll ever see.
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| 48 |
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Strauss immediately into the action -- and called offside. Argentina take a lineout on the South African five, but Strauss atones for his error and wins the ball back.
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| 49 |
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| 51 |
6 - 24 |
Francois Louw penalised in the breakdown and Argentina have a penalty -- Sanchez going for goal. He called for the tee and split the posts beautifully.
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| 52 |
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Standing ovation for Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe -- that will likely be the last time we'll see him in a Pumas shirt.
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| 53 |
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And now Burger gets an ovation. Two greats leaving the pitch within seconds of each other.
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| 54 |
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Bright spell from Argentina -- but the stoppages for replacements seems to have eradicated their concentration. Another dropped ball forward, another scrum -- this time in the centre of the pitch.
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| 55 |
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Big chance Argentina -- Cordero is begging the ball on the right side but Desio opts to fake and bundles forward into a tackle instead.
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| 57 |
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This is no appetiser for a World Cup final. It's barely even a bowl of olives and a breadstick.
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| 59 |
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Story of the night from Argentina -- see a lot of the ball, fail to expose the wide areas at the right time and make a silly mistake under pressure at the breakdown. Francois Louw earns a penalty and the Springboks clear into touch to relieve the pressure.
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| 60 |
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Burger's back! With extra sauce. Louw appears to have a blood injury.
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| 61 |
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South Africa lineout on Argentina's five line. They're beginning to turn the screw on Hourcade's side.
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| 62 |
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South Africa concede the penalty and approaching the line -- and madness has descended! Strauss starts some fisty cuffs and we've got a huddle of pushing each other and, rather oddly, smiling. Etzebeth also involved -- Lacey calls both captains over and says 'Come on boys, have a word.'
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| 63 |
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Matfield the latest player to come off -- that'll be goodbye from him on the international stage. Big reception as he walks off.
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| 64 |
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Sanchez wins the penalty for Argentina -- but you get the sense that this one is long over.
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| 66 |
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Handling error from Argentina -- a few push and shoves in the middle -- and now Habana departs. No record breaking try from him tonight which, in a way, feels apt. It's been far from a classic.
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| 68 |
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Pollard's penalty attempt, right in front of the goal, smacks the post. Biggest cheer of the night.
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| 70 |
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Inside the final 10 minutes and this match is feeling like an exhibition run out, almost like a Barbarians game. However, the Argentina fans are still partying -- credit to them, they've been unbelievable throughout the entire tournament.
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| 73 |
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Credit to Argentina, too -- they're still pushing for that try. However, South Africa have stood firm all night. Their forwards have been superb.
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| 75 |
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Springboks happy to let Argentina run at them -- but the Pumas have been well and truly snuffed out tonight. They've simply not been allowed to play the sort of rugby that saw them hammer Ireland. South Africa's aggression and line speed has been utterly brutal.
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| 78 |
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Petti bursts through, Argentina making really good ground now. They deserve a try for their efforts -- but we've got a turnover and South Africa manage to kick clear of their five.
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| 80 |
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Argentina still looking for a try as we go into overtime. Two quick tap penalties and they're nearly there...
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| 80+1 |
13 - 24 |
TRY TIME! Orlandi has done it! He manages to get through the breakdown on South Africa's tryline and ground the ball. Superb finish and well deserved.
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| 80+2 |
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Conversion added - and that's fulltime! South Africa clinch the bronze medal with a 24-13 win in east London.
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| 80+3 |
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From ESPN's Tristan Barclay in Stratford: "The record-breaking try was looking less and less likely as time wore on, but the decision by head coach Heyneke Meyer to replace Springbok wing Bryan Habana after 66 minutes brought more than a few boos from the Olympic Stadium crowd. This was a humdrum evening with little to get fans on their feet, so it felt a bit cheap that Meyer denied them the prospect of seeing a record broken, no matter how slim the opportunities were becoming. Far from a thunderous warm-up to tomorrow's main event, this felt more like a wind-down after a long tournament, although Argentina's try on full-time gave the Pumas support something to cheer."
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