A gracious Warren Gatland congratulates South Africa on sealing a place in the final:

That’s it from me today. Thanks for reading, emailing and tweeting and commiserations to Wales fans everywhere. Captain Alun Wyn Jones’s decision to take that scrum in the final quarter, which led to the Josh Adams try, was an inspired one and after that score it really looked like Wales could edge a win and set up a final against England.

But South Africa’s intelligence - combined with massive power and quality off the bench - made all the difference when the scores were locked at 16-16. As Gatland said you dreamed of a three-pointer or a drop-goal going to Wales but it wasn’t to be in the end and Pollard made no mistake with the winning penalty kick.

I will be back on Friday for the bronze final, between New Zealand and Wales, which should be a belting match. Bye for now.

Habana talks about Eddie Jones’s coaching involvement with South Africa in 2007: “He brought an outside voice that we hadn’t experienced before, particularly from an attacking perspective. He will have been watching from the stands tonight, knowing what it is like to be in the heartbeat of a South African side that becomes successful at a World Cup.”

Mark Cueto!

I was at that match myself and I remember it well. England’s Matthew Tait made the only clean line break of the match to set up that Cueto no-try in the corner, which took an age to produce a decision from the TMO. However, it was referee Alain Rolland’s failure to sin-bin Schalk Burger for coming in at the side in that move that sticks in my mind. I’m over it now though, honestly ...

South Africa had absolutely pummelled England 36-0 in the pool stage, of course, and England’s route past Australia in the last eight and France in the semi-finals was an unlikely one. It is a very different story this time.

Here’s a video interview with a very disappointed, but very level-headed Gatland:

Paul O’Connell: “The only difference between the teams was that South Africa got a few more penalties...but they didn’t create a whole lot. It’s hard for Wales, they are not as big as South Africa and they couldn’t win the collisions.”

George Gregan says there were 81 kicks in all.

Yes, there was a lot of kicking, and let’s face it, as a spectacle today’s match was very poor. But it was massively tense in the final quarter, especially when Wales brought it back to 16-16.

Bryan Habana makes the bizarre point that England would be the first champions to win the Rugby World Cup having drawn a game (the cancelled 0-0 with France - so not really a drawn game). And of course South Africa, he says, would be the first team to win the trophy after losing a match at the tournament.

Pollard on facing England in the final: “We will make some plans. It’s going to be another physical one. It will be classic World Cup rugby.”

De Allende, who got that crucial try, speaks to ITV: “It was very tough out there, credit to Wales, but there can only be one winner and luckily it was us. We always want to front up and be physical ... if you can draw a line in the sand and take your opponent backwards, you’re winning those small battles. But like I said, Wales were very tough and they just kept coming for us, and coming for us.

“We watched the [England v New Zealand] game last night, that looked very physical and very fast. We’ve got a day less to recover, they [England] will be resting up tonight ... we’ll get back on the horse on Tuesday.”

Handré Pollard is named Player of the Match:

“We were never comfortable,” he says:

Erasmus: “It was nerve-wracking at the end ... I’ve got so much respect for Wales and their coach. In those last few minutes I thought they might pull it through again.”

Mike Phillips says that in the sense Wales were only just edged out, the defeat will be tougher to take: “After we lost with the ‘09 Lions ... we thought the world had ended. It’s so hard. When you’ve got guys like this [Bryan Habana] running in tries, you’ve got to hold your hands up. But Wales could have won that game today and that’s what will be so frustrating for them.”

Gatland speaks: “I’m proud of our guys, we were adjacent to South Africa for a long time. They were good up front and we gave away too many penalties in our own half ... We were in the arm-wrestle but probably three or four penalties were costly in terms of points. The turnover from them, they get a penalty, drive us and get three points...We’re disappointed because we’ve worked so hard.

“I’m absolutely proud, we’ve punched massively above our weight, I’m proud of these guys tonight...At 16-16 it was pretty close and you’re dreaming about the three points being the other way. But congratulations South Africa. They were good up front, they won the collisions, but our guys didn’t take a backward step. I can only be proud of them for that and we stayed in the arm-wrestle for a long, long time. Congratulations to South Africa.”

Those are brilliant - and accurate - words from Gatland. How about a sign-off win against the All Blacks next Friday?

Boks captain Siya Kolisi reacts:

Alun Wyn Jones: “It wasn’t our day today, but I am still very proud to wear this jersey.”

Wales face New Zealand in the bronze final next Friday. Warren Gatland’s time as Wales coach ends (the bronze final notwithstanding) with a second semi-final defeat, after their exit against France back in 2011. But South Africa are such an impressive team and there is absolutely no shame for Wales in the way they went out. The dream was very much alive into the final 10 minutes, and it was replacement Francois Louw whose breakdown work relieved the pressure on the 1995 and 2007 champions.

Dillon Lewis gave away the decisive penalty after South Africa got the shove on at a driving maul. Sorry to sound like a stuck record, but that was all about South African power. Pollard drilled the winning three points like he was in a practice session.

Before the tournament our rugby correspondent Robert Kitson predicted an England v South Africa final. Chapeau.

“It would not surprise me if England and South Africa, as in 2007, turn out to be the last two sumo warriors left standing in Yokohama on 2 November.”

England met South Africa in the 2007 final, in Paris. South Africa won.

Interestingly, Eddie Jones was working with the Springboks during that campaign and some players have said they couldn’t have won it without his input. This time, Jones will be plotting their downfall in the biggest match in the sport.

Chris Kingham emails: “Most difficult job in the stadium tonight was the poor b***ard who had to pick the man of the match from that fiasco.”

Erasmus celebrates. His team did enough - just - against a seriously impressive fightback by Wales in the final quarter.

Gareth Thomas on ITV: “It was a tough battle. South Africa won deservedly but Wales could have won, as well.”

England will meet South Africa in the final next Saturday. Stay right here and I will get as much reaction as possible. Email me or tweet with any thoughts ...

Here’s the match report:

79 min: De Klerk puts in and South Africa win a scrum penalty. It looks like game over and heartbreak for Wales. “Absolutely the right decision,” says ex-prop and current commentator David Flatman.

78 min: South Africa spoil the Welsh line-out. There is a knock-on by Wyn-Jones, according to the referee at least, and South Africa will have the scrum. South Africa think they have won the match with that spoiled line-out. Wales trail by three points and SA have a scrum deep in Wales territory.

77 min: Wales try to run it from their own 22. Halfpenny is tackled. South Africa are swarming in defence trying to protect their slender lead. De Klerk then fields another Wales kick and angles a wonderful touch-finder deep into Wales’s 22. He has not been flawless today but that was class.

74 min: Francois Louw, who came on a couple of minutes ago, wins a crucial penalty at a ruck with some first-class jackling and SA can clear their lines. A long spell of pressure by Wales comes to an end. Pollard tries a drop-goal with a penalty advantage and now he can kick for the posts, from about 35 yards out. A huge momentum shift in a couple of minutes.

72 min: Patchell with a nice flat pass to Beard around the 22. Wales have a real foothold now. More phases, more pressure. Patchell tries a drop-goal but it has neither the required distance nor direction.

70 mins: Line-out for Wales on the SA 22. Patchell makes a dart but is smashed back by Pollard and de Allende. But still, it’s Wales possession. This is where all those vomit-inducing training sessions can pay off in their conditioning.

67 min: Wales have the ball. Williams box kicks. Le Roux claims it and it’s kicked back by de Klerk - Patchell does incredibly well to tidy it up under pressure in his own 22. Then, Carre does very well to rip the ball from SA hands and produce a turnover. Wales will have a scrum in their own half as we approach the final 10 minutes. Wales have been on the ropes at times but they have come out punching in the last 10 minutes and the players will be believing they can pull this off. Wainwright off now, for Shingler and all the Wales replacements are on the field.

66 min: All square with less than 15 minutes to play. Wales would have taken that at half-time, right? That is just a massive, massive effort from them to get back on terms. Inspirational stuff.

62 min: Wales eventually opt for a little grubber which de Klerk smothers in the corner. That was the most exciting sustained spell of play we have seen, but it was all about power in defence and attack, bodies smashing into each other near the try line. Captain Wyn Jones chooses a scrum after getting a penalty. Massive call.

61 min: More great counter-rucking from Du Toit. “The South African defenders aren’t having to think too much,” says Flatman in the commentary box. But they are under pressure. The 15th phase ...

60 min: Pressure, pressure, pressure from Wales just a couple of metres from the SA try line.

58 min: Wales win a penalty at a ruck now. They need to find a score with a little over 20 minutes remaining. Erasmus smashes the table in front of him in frustration. Patchell, on for Biggar, kicks for the corner. Davies is off at No 9 and Williams is on.

56 min: SA win a scrum penalty and then rumble forward. Pollard makes a dart into the Wales 22 but he is tackled. But it’s more quick ball and de Allende is over for the try.

55 min: A couple of minutes ago, Boks coach Erasmus refreshed his whole front row. Now Carre comes on for Wales, too.

54 min: Excellent question from Bob:

53 min: Biggar with a nice pop pass in midfield for Halfpenny to rush on to, but it’s fractionally forward. Another scrum to South Africa, inside their own half.

52 min: Olivier Burel emails: “Is it really the same sport as yesterday ?”

51 min: South Africa start to build a bit of momentum, in the Wales half, but then they cough up a penalty for holding on.

50 min: Less than 30 mins to play and we are in for a tense finale. Wales take a clever short line-out in their own territory and clear. Then it’s turned over by South Africa and de Allende puts in a good low grubber kick which finds touch. Ken Owens will have a line-out to throw in.

David Flynn: “Can we start a petition to the ban the use of that overhead wire camera during kickoffs and scrums?”

49 min: Biggar and Nkosi compete for yet another high kick. It’s a South African scrum after Biggar knocks on. It’s just over halfway.

48 min: Eli Davies emails: “Why oh why are Wales continually giving possession back to S Africa with the box kicks?”

46 min: Davies now with a kick out wide and le Roux makes ANOTHER howler for the Boks, spilling it into touch. There were three chargedowns in the space of about 30 seconds before that.

44 min: Wales possession and Davies takes it down the short side. De Klerk smashes him into touch and then there are some afters. Jake Ball gets involved. Ball v de Klerk?? Wow. They shake each other warmly by the throat. That is a mismatch. “They’re just discussing what shampoo they use in their hair and beards,” says Shane Williams.

43 min: Oh dear! De Klerk looks well set to claim a kick by Halfpenny out wide but he spills it over the touch line. That was a howler. Can Wales capitalise? They have a line-out near halfway.

42 min: Paul O’Connell in the stadium: “It’s after getting colder, and the wind is picking up. South Africa are kicking with the wind which is going to give Pollard more range on his kicks. Wales need to be careful of their discipline in this half.”

41 min: Davies puts up a high box kick. Vermeulen claims it, then Pollard puts a superb kick beyond Dan Biggar and into the corner, pinning Wales back in their own 22.

When you think about the continuity that England managed to build against New Zealand yesterday ... well, we haven’t seen anything approaching that from either side so far today. After the break against Japan last week, the Boks utterly dominated as their superior power started to tell. But Wales are a more experienced, more battle-hardened team than the hosts. Can they somehow grind out a result and reach their first-ever Rugby World Cup final? It’s going to be nervy.

“More of the same for Wales,” says Gareth Thomas. “Look for the edges.”

Half-time thoughts from Rob Kitson, our rugby correspondent in the stadium today:

“Hmm. Let’s be positive: before kick-off Wales would definitely have taken a three-point deficit at half-time. And everything’s relative: I seem to recall the 1991 Scotland v England semi was a lot worse than this. In the absence of Liam Williams and George North, though, Wales need to find a spark from somewhere. Pollard doesn’t look like he’s going to miss any time soon and not sure Wales want to be running straight at these huge Springbok forwards for 80 minutes. Still looking forward to one of potential highlights of the tournament: Jake Ball’s beard meets RG Snyman’s hair!

Colum emails:

“North is down and he’s holding his head. Has he done his hamstring?” Your commentary is admirable, Luke, but your anatomy needs a bit of work! (Yes, I know what you meant). Colum.”

I hold my hands up, Colum.

Alex Mac emails:

“Wales will win this! 3 points is nothing & they won’t roll over for the Boks, Wales are a team with plenty of mongrel about them. Get ready for a dogfight second half.”

Meanwhile, it wasn’t that long ago that doctors were considering amputating Handré Pollard’s arm because of an infection. Here’s a piece from before this semi-final by Craig Ray:

A bit of squad news from England here:

39 min: Wales win a penalty for SA going off their feet after the restart. Moriarty claimed the high kick, but only just.

38 min: Suddenly, Wales attack! North is released across the 22 after a high kick is claimed by Welsh hands. He stumbles and can’t keep his footing, but Wales recycle the ball well and spin it left. Biggar then puts up a cross kick to the right, and it’s taken back for a penalty. Oh no - now North is down and he’s holding his head in his hands. Has he done his hamstring? It looks like it ... but he is going to try and run it off. Shane Williams is speculating it might have been cramp. For the moment, Big George North is still on the park.

37 min: Du Toit, among others, is making a constant nuisance of himself at the rucks. The tackling from South Africa is fearsome too.

36 min: The stadium DJ is pumping out a house anthem while Francis gets treatment. Now there is a shot of some Japanese Welsh fans, holding leeks and dancing. To be honest that is probably the most exciting thing we’ve seen in a scrappy encounter thus far. But Wales are well in this match, and have shown a threat when they’ve had the ball. Francis is off injured, Dillon Lewis is on.

35 min: Tomos Francis goes low with a tackle on Vermeulen and he looks badly hurt. Possibly a dislocated shoulder?

33 min: Another driving maul from South Africa, this time on the left wing. Wales are penalised again, for coming in at the side. It’s Ken Owens who is pinged. South Africa’s pack is definitely on top and Wales need to improve their discipline if they are going to win this.

Photos from World Rugby, for those needing:

31 min: Full-back Le Roux grabs a high ball and is taken in the air by Halfpenny. It’s another penalty for the Boks but not kickable. They go for touch and this is another good platform. They don’t have a stranglehold, exactly, but they are in control at the moment.

Robert Kitson in Yokohama isn’t liking what he’s seeing so far ...

28 min: Huge shove by the Boks off the back of that line-out. Mbonambi has it at the back of a driving maul but it breaks down and Wales can clear. But now captain Kolisi runs it back, finds Am outside him, and suddenly de Klerk is in lots of space with the Welsh defence stretched. Josh Adams has to produce a superb tackle on de Klerk. That is the first time South Africa have really tried to run the ball back, rather than kick, and they’ve immediately had some success.

27 min: Yet another exchange of high kicks without a huge amount of direction behind either of them. Josh Adams claims a high ball - jumping and claiming it in the air, and falling in touch, so South Africa will have a line-out in Wales’s half. Nearly 30 mins played and just nine points scored across both teams. It’s going to be an edgy affair on this evidence.

24 min: We just had a shot of England coach Eddie Jones up in the stands. He has a pen and paper and is taking notes. Meanwhile the ITV commentators are saying the kicking, so far, has been pretty poor from both teams.

23 min: North makes metres on the right. But South Africa make a bit of a mess of Wales’s ball with some very strong counter-rucking by Du Toit. Wales opt to kick and SA claim possession. That is a perfect example of the Boks’ power up front and why it will make so much difference.

22 min: Boks winger Mapimpi and Davies compete in the air for the restart. Mapimpi nearly grabs it, but knocks it on, and now Wales will have put-in at a scrum in their own half. It’s all a little scrappy so far, in truth, but there are some positive signs for Wales when they’ve had the ball in hand. What are your thoughts? Send me an email!

18 min: Now South Africa have another scrum in a good position after Moriarty knocks on the restart. A good platform is wasted when Pollard knocks on too but now he has another kick at goal ...

15 min: More space for Wales on the left wing and the crowd are on their feet. George North spins a good pass to Adams on the wing who takes it into contact. Wales have a penalty advantage though and when the move breaks down, Garcès blows up, and Biggar has a chance to level .

12 min: Initially, after an unclear arm gesture by ref Jérôme Garcès, it looks like a scrum penalty for South Africa, but it’s just reset. “I was thinking - what on earth is that penalty for, I’m going to have to make something up,” quips David Flatman on comms.

10 min: After one very poor high kick, de Klerk gets another go. Halfpenny and Williams the scrum-half miscommunicate and de Klerk nearly gathers his own Garryowen in a very dangerous area. Anyway, it was a knock-on by Halfpenny, and SA will have a scrum in an advanced position.

8 min: Wales go through a couple of good phases and Josh Adams finds space on the left wing, making a strong burst behind the defensive line. The pass from No 13 Davies was slightly forward, although it’s allowed, but then Adams put an obviously forward pass to his inside, and the ref blows up. SA defensive scrum. Good signs for Wales early on.

6 min: It’s as we expected so far from South Africa. Everything is going through de Klerk who is looking to control the game with his tactical kicking. Up in the stands, Erasmus throws his hands up in frustration as Etzebeth knocks on. Wales put-in at the scrum. Wales have started solidly.

5 min: An excellent cross kick by Biggar is claimed on the left wing, equally excellently, by Halfpenny on the SA 22. But the Boks turn it over immediately and de Klerk clears for touch.

4 min: Brilliant by Wyn-Jones - Le Roux is isolated with ball in hand near halfway, and the Wales captain wins a penalty for holding on.

3 min: De Klerk now puts a clever kick in behind the Wales defence. North has to scramble to gather it but does so effectively. De Klerk tries to tap tackle him, Wales secure possession in their 22, and Davies clears but doesn’t find touch.

1 min: Davies puts up a box kick. South Africa gather it, de Klerk replies with a high kick, and Halfpenny takes a brilliant catch in a very confident start for the Welsh full-back. But SA have a scrum now near halfway. Expect fireworks at this first engagement. It collapses, and will be reset.

Wales players belt out Land of My Fathers. I can only imagine the emotions that Gatland is going through now - not to mention millions of Welsh fans all over the world.

As always, Alun Wyn-Jones looks cool, calm and collected. He looks ready.

Now, ‘Nkosi Sikelel’iAfrika’ from the Boks. De Klerk closes his eyes and sings next to fly-half Handré Pollare.

A walk would make the dog happy if nothing else, Dave. Good luck.

The teams are out on the pitch and we will now have a moment’s silence for the victims of typhoon Hagibis.

I wrote a piece earlier in the week about why scrum-halves are going to be crucial in these semi-finals. Can Gareth Davies get the best of Faf de Klerk, who was so influential in that last-eight win against Japan? It is going to be key.

One thing at a time, Mike!

Bryan Habana: “It’s going to be spicy.”

Understatement of the weekend.

Shots of the changing rooms now. Both teams huddling. Seconds before, Wales players were pacing around like caged tigers. The intensity early doors is going to be absolutely insane.

Paul Rice emails in:

“For Wales to win would be epic. All they need to do is not cough up turnover possession to the Bok forwards. It’s going to be a hard, bruising match this. I’m a Bok supporter so have to say Boks win by 10 points but jeez, you can’t write off the Welsh.”

This is a really good video feature from the All Blacks, as they try to come to terms with that defeat yesterday.

Sonny Bill Williams: “We tried our hardest. It’s very tough, it’s a very hard pill to swallow, but the sun will rise tomorrow.”

The sun has indeed risen today and there are two teams in with a shout of a final place next week. What an occasion this is going to be. Let’s hope for a ding-dong match, no red or yellow cards and no controversy about officiating. Fingers crossed.

In his press conference after that immense win against the All Blacks, England coach Eddie Jones predictably batted off a question about which team he would rather face in next week’s final.

But he did say this of today’s match: “We want it to be a 3-3 draw, extra-time, then more extra-time.”

The aerial battle is going to be significant to say the least. Here’s Paul Rees again:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/oct/25/semi-final-return-of-jonathan-davies-softens-liam-williams-blow-for-wales

A handshake and the smallest of man-hugs between today’s coaches, Gatland and Erasmus.

Gareth Thomas reacts to an ITV feature on Alun Wyn Jones: “That was a lesson in what it is to be Welsh ... it’s emotion, it’s passion.”

Wales fan Matt Dony, on email:

“Luke, I’m scared. Last Sunday was a thoroughly unpleasant experience, and I’m struggling to see a Wales win today. IF they manage to relocate their best form, then of course they could pull it off, but the thought of playing England is even scarier. I was fine with the thought of losing to NZ in the final. A final against England is, in theory, much more winnable, but the loss would hurt so much more. Ah, I hate sport.”

Yet in a sense, Matt, you ARE sport.

Can Big George North get back to his best today? Here is Alex Bywater:

DID YOU KNOW: South Africa have won 57 out of 57 lineouts at this Rugby World Cup so far. If my maths is correct, that’s 100 per cent. An astonishing stat and an illustration of the size of the task facing Wales today.

If you have any thoughts on the match - which is less than 30 minutes away now - you can email me here or send me a tweet here. Don’t be a stranger.

Here’s a lovely piece by Andy Bull about Aaron Wainwright:

Wales have attracted no shortage of fans in Japan. There will be dancing in the streets of Yokohama and Tokyo if Gatland’s men can pull this off:

Erasmus spoke to ITV a few minutes back, asked by Gabriel Clarke if he needed to spell out the opportunity his players have today: “I didn’t have to make it clear to them … you could feel it, the whole week, you could just feel the atmosphere, you can see in their faces, they can see how big this opportunity is. Hopefully that doesn’t catch up with them on the field and they just play the game as they normally do.”

We’ve got a ton of brilliant preview content ahead of this one, and 45 minutes until kick-off. Here’s a piece by Paul Rees:

Shane Williams on pundit duty: “I don’t think Wales have shown enough in attack [so far in the tournament]…If he comes short and you pass it to George North, it’s going to take at least two defenders out, and create space for someone else. Wales will want him to be very involved today.”

Warren Gatland speaks to ITV’s Gabriel Clarke - asked if a final against England is extra motivation for his team: “I thought England played exceptionally well but it’s not about that game, it’s about us…we’ve got an opportunity to create something very special.

“It’s about getting the emotions right. It’s not a game about skill or being tactical, it’s about emotionally being right on the edge. The team that wants it most is going to win tonight…We need to make sure we empty the tank and leave nothing behind.”