Hansen hopes for bruising Argentina-Australia clash

Video of the match shows McCaw’s elbow clipping Francois Louw about halfway through the first half. He returned later with a bandage on his head and finished the game.

After the match, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen praised 147-test veteran McCaw for his experience and impact on the game: “We’ve probably got the greatest skipper in the game, and probably the greatest player we’ve ever seen”.

South Africa were forced to rely on the boot of Handre Pollards who landed five penalties before he was replaced with 15 minutes to go by Pat Lambie who also kicked a penalty.

New Zealand coach Steve Hansen has stated that he wants Australia and Argentina to play out a hard-hitting semi-final on Sunday. We should have won this game. The victor will advance to the final, the loser into a third-place playoff against South Africa.

Heyneke Meyer said post-game he thought he’d got the game plan “spot on” but that statement could not be any further than the truth.

“It does not mean anything to me”.

Hansen’s side came through a tense encounter with South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday, ultimately prevailing 20-18 to remain on course for back-to-back World Cup wins.

Dan Carter’s decision to kick the dropped goal, for example, was a huge moment, reducing the deficit to 12-10 in the 46th minute and giving New Zealand a platform while flanker Jerome Kaino was still in the sin-bin.

By the time the Springboks came out, the All Blacks had huddled and refocused.

Australia and Argentina meet on Sunday in the second semifinal.

All Blacks flanker Jerome Kaino scored the only try of the first half, collecting a flicked pass from captain Richie McCaw to cross in the right corner in the sixth minute.

New Zealand: B. Smith, Milner-Skudder, C. Smith, Nonu, Savea, Carter, A. Smith, Moody, Coles, O. Franks, Retallick, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw, Read.

“But in the second half, I don’t think we adapted well enough in the rainy conditions and we made a few mistakes”.

Pollard has been successful with all of his penalties attempts.

Who would that favor?

“You have a mindset of just nailing each task, staying in the moment, and it has really helped myself and this team, and it is going to have to continue for another week”.

That the Springboks went on to top their group and then beat Wales in the quarterfinals and come within a whisker of making the final speaks volumes for the strength of South African rugby. South Africa’s two victories in that run have been at home.

But the 33-year-old is now set to be part of a World Cup final team, with next Saturday’s Twickenham showpiece being a 112th and last Test match before he takes up a lucrative three-year contract with wealthy French club Racing 92.

“We haven’t talked about it, maybe we will today”, Senatore said of the 2007 semis.

“Your leadership on the field is based on having experienced that many times before”.

“It shouldn’t take us to be down to 14 men to spark up like that, but there is something about this team when we are put under pressure or down to 14 men that we really lift as a team”.

And then there were four.

Thank goodness the All Blacks prevailed as any other result in the first Rugby World Cup semifinal of 2015 would have been a rugby travesty.