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South Africa had to dig deep, boy did they have to dig deep, as England brought a perfectly executed game plan to the Rugby World Cup semifinal.
But it was the Springboks who prevailed in a thriller, earning a second-consecutive victory by a single point to make the final, where they will meet New Zealand.
Here are the five quick hits from a stunning, brutal contest at the Stade de France.
1. England execute their game plan
England came out of the blocks firing from the very first minute.
Massive shots in defence forced the Springboks on the back foot early and, with rain falling in Paris, England's game plan was clear. Kick. Kick. Kick.
England kicked away a massive 93 per cent of possession, only sending one pahse of play wider than 30 metres of the breakdown.
Huge up-and-unders were the order of the day from Owen Farrell and scrum half Alex Mitchell, inviting Freddie Steward, Elliot Daly and Jonny May to challenge in the air and put Damian Willemse, Kurt Lee Arendse and Chelin Kolbe under pressure.
"England did so well in the kicking game, they outplayed us in that. Our discipline was awful in the first half, especially in the key areas where they could take the points," Siya Kolisi said after the match.
The pressure England put on South Africa was leading to that ill-discipline, the relentless flood of white shirts hammering the Springbok rucks to force indecision and sloppiness to prevail in the soggy conditions.
"We came with a plan to win the game but we fell a little bit short," Steve Borthwick said.
"We're playing against a coaching team who have been in place since 2018. We've had four months.
"I've asked the players to approach training and the game in a different way [and] for the players to be willing to change is all credit to them.
"Tonight was another example of that."
2. Early Boks change at number 10
Things were not working for the Springboks.
England were landing some crucial shots, monstering the Springboks at the breakdown and in the tackle.
South Africa simply could not get a grip on the game.
Desperate times? Time to call Handre Pollard.
A late call-up to the 33-man squad in the first place — the Leicester Tigers flyhalf was initially left out of the squad due to a calf injury and was only called up after Malcolm Marx suffered a knee injury — Pollard answered his country's call in the 33rd minute.
"We needed some energy, that is why we decided to bring the bench on," Jacques Nienaber said.
"We are fortunate that there is not a lot of difference between the guys who start and the guys on the bench.
"We needed energy and they brought that."
It was an inspired move.
3. Owen Farrell's magnificent drop goal
As much as England had played well, points were incredibly hard to come by soon after halftime.
South Africa had begun to empty its bench in an attempt to earn some dominance at scrum time and arrest the backward momentum England's pack had subjected them to in the first half.
The start of the second 40 began with something closer to a stalemate than the opening half, with South Africa more alert to the pressure England was going to bring and, with Pollard in the side, more content to kick possession away in the manner of England.
Farrell knew England needed more of a buffer though and launched an audacious drop goal attempt from 46 metres out off the back of a bullocking run from Ellis Genge.
He nailed the kick to put England up by nine.
4. Taking your chances
Despite the Springboks making multiple replacements around halftime, England was on the front foot to start the second half.
Farrell twice poked the ball in behind the Springboks line and twice earned England superb field position as a result.
First up, Cheslin Kolbe slid to gather the ball and bundled it into touch.
Then, after Farrell's drop goal extended England's lead, Kurt-Lee Arendse knocked the ball on deep in his own 22 from another superb stab kick.
On both occasions though, England butchered the chances.
In the first instance, Jamie George saw his lineout throw called not straight, followed by another that slipped out of his hands and straight into the air.
Then, with the South African scrum starting to earn some dominance, England's front row was penalised while in that strong attacking position.
Two big chances in the 22 resulted in no points being taken.
The Springboks would not be so charitable.
5. Clutch Pollard seals the win as Bomb Squad comes to the fore
With time running out, England was making as much use of the clock as it could.
The game was being played around halfway, far enough from danger as far as the English were concerned with the Boks needing to score a try to get back into the game.
By this time South Africa had made changes and an entirely new dynamic had entered the game at scrum time.
Replacement props Ox Nche and Vincent Koch — part of the much-vaunted Bomb Squad — had the upper hand. They exploited it to perfection.
"The fact that the Bomb Squad come on to the field is because the guys who started laid the foundations and that is what people miss," Nienaber said.
"They see the performance of the guys coming on but you don't know how much the starters took out of the team they are playing against."
The first of two scrum penalties saw Pollard nail a massive kick out of hand to the England 5 metre line.
From the subsequent lineout, RG Snyman scored. The Boks were just two points behind.
Then, when another scrum penalty went against England with two minutes remaining, Pollard nailed the kick to seal the win.
"The scrum penalty, that is what got us the opportunity. It was just a credit to them [the pack], they were unbelievable," Pollard said.
"It was a big moment but it is what you want as a player on this stage, to have moments like that as a fly-half is what you live for."
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