Steve Borthwick's England suffered semi-final agony at the hands of South Africa in the Rugby World Cup.
Carlisle-born Borthwick's side led for much of the game in France.
But a late fightback by the reigning worlds champions delivered a devastating 16-15 defeat to England.
Handre Pollard's penalty with three minutes remaining gave South Africa the advantage.
It came minutes after RG Snyman's converted try had brought the Springboks back into the contest.
England, via four Owen Farrell penalties and a further drop goal from the captain had enabled Borthwick's side to get in sight of a famous victory.
Two Pollard penalties and a further penalty kick by Manie Libbok kept South Africa in it.
And their late exploits set up a final against New Zealand.
England, who had been unfancied heading into the tournament, must now prepare for a third-placed showdown against Argentina.
"Immense credit to South Africa," said Borthwick on ITV.
"From our point of view, we came into tonight and I thought we'd win the game.
"The players should be proud of their performance and the supporters in the ground, and watching at home, can be proud of their team."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel