October 17, 2007	Wednesday	Shawwal 4, 1428

PARIS, Oct 16: Bryan Habana equalled Jonah Lomu’s World Cup tryscoring record to help South Africa join England in next Saturday’s final with a ruthless 37-13 win over Argentina at the Stade de France on Sunday.

Habana showed why he remains the deadliest finisher in the game with two spectacular tries as the Springboks produced an awesome display of power and speed to reach their first final since they won the Webb Ellis Cup at home 12 years ago.

Argentina had provided one of the great feel-good stories of a tournament packed with surprises by making the last four for the first time but wilted under the enormous pressure applied by the Springboks.

The Pumas were unable to dominate the South African scrum the way they had with other teams and made too many crucial mistakes after being battered by the South African defenders.

The Springboks scored four tries, all from Argentina mistakes, with Habana helping himself to two to overtake Australian Drew Mitchell as the tournament’s top tryscorer and match New Zealander Lomu’s record haul of eight in the 1999 World Cup.

Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez and number eight Danie Rossouw also crossed while fullback Percy Montgomery kicked seven from seven for a personal haul of 17 points.

The Pumas managed a consolation try from outside centre Manuel Contepomi but made too many fundamental errors to mount a sustained challenge.

They gifted the Springboks a try after just seven minutes when du Preez intercepted a poorly-judged pass from Felipe Contepomi and sprinted 70 metres, then conceded two more tries before halftime off turnovers.

Habana’s instincts for making something out of nothing saw him score a 60-metre try after Schalk Burger stripped Argentine number eight Gonzalo Longo of the ball and Francois Steyn flung it wide to Habana who chipped the ball over Lucas Borges to score at the other end of the field.

Felipe Contepomi booted two first-half penalties to calm Argentina’s nerves before another blunder on the stroke of halftime handed the Springboks a third try, flyhalf Juan Martin Hernandez dropping a sloppy pass from Agustin Pichot that led to Rossouw scoring.

Argentina briefly threatened to make a comeback when Manuel Contepomi was given the benefit of the doubt and awarded a try early in the second half but they faded in the last quarter as tempers started to fray.

The Springboks piled on 13 unanswered points and Habana bagged his second with an 80-metre intercept before Juan Smith and Felipe Contepomi were both yellow-carded.

South Africa will go into Saturday’s final as overwhelming favourites after thumping England 36-0 in the pool stage, while Argentina play tournament hosts France on Friday in a repeat of the opening game which the Pumas won.

Meanwhile, England needed a late penalty followed by a drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson to edge out France 14-9 in a nail-biting showdown on Saturday and advance to the final.

The fastest try in World Cup semi-final history, by wing Josh Lewsey after just two minutes, and nine points from the boot of their invaluable flyhalf kept alive England’s hopes of becoming the first team to retain the trophy.

France, who were a point ahead when Wilkinson passed his second penalty with five minutes left before wrapping it up with his drop goal, had to be content with three penalties from flyhalf Lionel Beauxis and could not repeat their quarter-final feat, when they upset favourites New Zealand a week ago.

On a dry evening on the outskirts of Paris, France, losing finalists in 1987 and 1999, failed to sparkle and could not avenge a semi-final defeat by England in the 2003 semi-finals and a rainy night in Sydney, in which Wilkinson had kicked all England’s points.

A week after upsetting Australia to advance to the last four, England, who had worried their fans when they were hammered 36-0 by South Africa in the pool stage, emulated Australia as the only team to reach successive finals.

England made a promising start, France fullback Damien Traille hesitating under a kick from England scrumhalf Andy Gomarsall and Lewsey seizing the ball, resisting Traille’s tackle and touching down in the left corner to give England the lead.

Wilkinson missed a tricky conversion and France reduced the arrears six minutes later through a Beauxis penalty before capturing the lead with another one from nearly 50 metres that followed a scrum infringement by England in the 18th minute.

Six minutes later, lock Fabien Pelous left the pitch after sustaining a rib injury in a clash and was replaced by the powerful Sebastien Chabal.

Wilkinson then missed a long-range penalty and France changed ends leading 6-5 after a tense first half featuring poor place kicking from both sides and little to thrill the 80,000 crowd.

France put England under sustained pressure early in the second half and were rewarded by three more points from Beauxis’s boot.

England responded by bravely charging forward and a Wilkinson penalty, his first points from three attempts, put them just one point behind on 48 minutes.

Suffering in the scrums but dominating in the lineouts and defending bravely, France held on to their lead until England, who showed more initiative in the second half, received the help they needed from their ever reliable number 10.

Feeling France needed support, the crowd started singing the French anthem, the Marseillaise, with their team a point ahead on the scoreboard with a few minutes remaining.

Then Wilkinson struck twice and only the 30,000 England contingent went wild, courtesy of a man who again lived up to his reputation for never letting them down.—Reuters