Ceaseless kicking, mistakes ad nauseum; Fine margins and one man's game-changer; A vastly different ball game; South Africa will face England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final on Saturday November 2: Kick-off 9am
Sunday 27 October 2019 19:41, UK
We look at the major talking points after South Africa's dramatic late 19-16 Rugby World Cup semi-final victory over Wales in Yokohama.
Here's what stood out at a wind-swept Stadium Yokohama...
If two things characterised this semi-final, it was poor kicking and handling errors.
It was a thoroughly bruising encounter, with massive physicality demonstrable at either end, but between the two sides they kicked out of hand on 81 occasions throughout the 80 minutes - more than a kick a minute.
It was relentless and seemingly the prime tactic of both. An out-and-out kick-fest, it was done in tandem.
Wales' 41 kicks was their most from hand in a World Cup game for 28 years since playing Argentina in 1991 (48), while South Africa's 40 was their most in 12 years since the 2007 final against England (also 48).
More often than not, such kicks in the blustery wind of Yokohama resulted in dropped balls and missed catches, were far too long or were miscued and misplaced.
Wales half-back pair Gareth Davies and Biggar were guilty of rather aimless and pre-ordained kicks, with the former subbed off on 48 minutes and the latter replaced 10 minutes later.
Heading into this game there were latent similarities in styles between the nations, but surely, up against a side who historically favour a tight, arm-wrestle-type contest, this was the night for Wales to open up and try to stretch this giant Springbok squad.
They didn't attempt to do so and within their adopted game-plan were routinely shut down by the Boks. In fact, Wales made only 189 metres with ball in hand - just the second time in 32 years of World Cup matches they failed to make at least 200 metres (against New Zealand in 1987).
South Africa's primary method of attack within the game also seemed to revolve around the boot of Pollard, and often these were far too deep, preceded mistakes or were ably dealt with by Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny.
Devoid of the individual talent of Cheslin Kolbe, met by a side closer to them in terms of physicality - victories over Japan, Italy, Canada and Namibia were firmly rooted in outright physical dominance - and faced with a swirling breeze, the Boks, like Wales, created very little.
Curiously, the kicking in general play was juxtaposed wildly with the outstanding displays of Pollard, Biggar and Halfpenny off the kicking tee - not a single effort was missed or hit poorly.
Perhaps those involved were inhibited by nerves and the significance of the occasion, but more than just poor kicking, there were unforced errors throughout the Test also.
After a piecemeal first half where clear-cut chances were reduced to nil and a meaningful spell of attacking rugby not visible until near the half hour mark, twice Springboks dropped the ball under no pressure into touch: Faf de Klerk (43 minutes) and Willie le Roux (48 minutes) - something rarely, if ever, seen at this level.
Wales countered such a passage of unkempt play by hacking on two kicks within their own half, both of which were charged down in quick succession and fell loose. It was scrappy and a seemingly endless stream of knock ons.
In all, the sides had 17 handling errors, 23 turnovers conceded and 17 penalties given away between them. It was bitty, fragmented, tight and disjointed.
Ultimately, it was the relentless forward power of the Springbok pack which garnered the majority of their points: of Pollard's four penalties, one was engendered by a scrum drive, while the maul - particularly potent again - was the genesis of two, including the match-winner.
Often in a Test as high-profile as this, when the stakes are so large and every action means so much, it is the small things which can turn a contest.
When Adams went over for Wales in the corner with 15 minutes remaining, and Halfpenny lashed over the touchline conversion, it breathed oxygen into the efforts of Warren Gatland's charges.
They had the momentum as the game was reaching its conclusion.
Replacement Rhys Carre ripped possession back off Malcom Marx, before South Africa were caught offside and gave away a penalty with 10 minutes left. Rhys Patchell kicked Wales into the Bok 22 - exactly where any side in a World Cup semi-final at 16-16 would crave to place themselves.
They built into 10 phases to set up a drop-goal attempt, and endeavoured to execute a winner with seven minutes remaining - Patchell's drop from distance falling well short.
Still, Wales had the ball back off a lineout after South Africa's clearance kick and were probing in the right areas again - the palpable questions being whether South Africa could maintain their discipline and avoid giving away a penalty, and when Wales would seek to pull the trigger on another drop-goal effort.
Then, the dying embers to the Test were entirely flipped around. And they were so by one man: Springbok and Bath flanker Francois Louw.
In the next midfield attack, the flanker jackalled onto the ball magnificently, surviving the cleanout attempt of Ross Moriarty, and winning a crucial penalty for holding on.
It allowed Pollard to kick up to the Wales 22, marking it two-fold in terms of supreme importance: it not only relieved enormous pressure but afforded South Africa critical territory in the championship minutes of a Test - the final five.
It was from the very next phase that the winning penalty was forced - the subsequent rolling maul interrupted by a side-entry from prop Dillon Lewis. Pollard slotted it and the Boks had a lead to see out. Fine margins indeed.
Louw's breakdown work changed the entire complexion on the climax to the Test. In a Rugby World Cup semi-final, it was an immense moment.
Without wishing to put too much of a dampener on Sunday's proceedings, the variance in quality between this Test and Saturday's encounter between England and New Zealand was verging on stratospheric.
The two matches almost resembled entirely different sports.
On Saturday, the skill-level was incredible. The pace, power, offloading, decision-making, tackling, kicking. Everything was of a sharper, higher, more attuned level and standard. It was mesmeric viewing.
The loudest cheer on Sunday in the first hour came when Halfpenny and Davies got into a mix-up, knocked on the ball, headed it between them and then De Klerk came in to do likewise. This was followed later by a Mexican Wave around the stadium - an act impossible to imagine occurring 24 hours previously in the midst of England vs New Zealand.
In boxing terms, were the Springboks to perform as they did on Sunday and England as they did on Saturday in next week's final, the fight would have to be stopped in the opening seconds of the bout.
But, in elite sport and World Cup finals, things rarely work out that way.
The challenge on England to replicate their performance is no easy task, while they now enter the final as favourites too - something which brings about its own very unique pressure and a different dynamic.
For the Boks, they've gone, by hook or by crook, from a humiliating 57-0 defeat to New Zealand in 2017 to a Rugby World Cup final two years later. They will give it everything in Yokohama.
But, one would imagine, they'll need to turn up in different form to tonight to stand a chance.
