New Zealand have booked their spot in the World Cup final by beating South Africa 20-18 in a gripping encounter at Twickenham.
An ill-disciplined display from Steve Hansen's team in the first half offered signs that South Africa could knock out the favourites, but the All Blacks recovered to keep alive their hopes of becoming the first side to defend their title successfully.
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Handre Pollard offered a sign of what was to come in the first half when he started the scoring with a penalty in the third minute, but the signs were ominous when New Zealand hit back with the first try of the afternoon.
A quick lineout caught the Springboks out of position for a moment and the All Blacks capitalised when the ball eventually reached Richie McCaw, whose pass to Jerome Kaino allowed the flanker to slide over in the corner, before Dan Carter added the conversion at the second attempt after Bryan Habana had been penalised for sprinting at the fly-half too early.
New Zealand would dominate with the ball in hand, but South Africa's defensive line fought impressively and they moved ahead with two more penalties as Pollard continued to keep his composure under pressure.
Carter struck the outside of a post with a penalty of his own, and the frustration was clear for the defending champions as long spells continued to be halted by South Africa.
New Zealand conceded a ninth penalty of the first half when Kaino foolishly kicked a grounded ball from an offside position, and Pollard split the posts once again just before the break as the All-Blacks lost their flanker to a 10-minute spell in the sin-bin.
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Conditions became when rain started to more heavily before the start of the second half, and it was the All Blacks who returned with added pace to their play as Carter pulled his side within two with a drop goal prior to Kaino's return.
The momentum had shifted with the score, but the game's decisive moment arrived seven minutes into the second half when Ma'a Nonu finished a patient move through the phases by using the space out wide to find replacement Beauden Barrett, who cruised over for his side's second try.
Moments later, referee Jerome Garces had the yellow card out once again and Habana was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on prior to the try, before Carter added the conversion from close to the touchline to pile on the misery.
However, it did not feel like the same South African side which suffered embarrassment in their opening defeat to Japan, and their resilience was on full show when Pollard pulled it back to 17-15 with a straight penalty after the Springboks had dominated in the scrum.
Carter offered an immediate response by punishing an error from South Africa at the ruck by sending over a penalty, and the stop-start nature of the contest now appeared to suit New Zealand.
The ill-discipline of the first half would return to leave the door open, though, as replacement fly-half Patrick Lambie continued the good work started by the injured Pollard when he scored with a penalty after Kieran Read charged through the side at a maul.
South Africa looked more threatening in a promising spell heading into the closing stages, but New Zealand held firm to protect their slender advantage as the tension continued to build.
It was New Zealand who managed the game well late on, and with South Africa unable to produce that one crucial breakthrough required, the champions held their nerve to set up a final against Australia or Argentina.
Callum Mulvihill
