LONDON, (Reuters) – South African winger Bryan Habana and flyhalf Handre Pollard fell just short in their bids for individual records despite helping the Springboks to a 24-13 win over Argentina in the bronze medal playoff at the Olympic Stadium yesterday.
Habana, who needed one touchdown to set a new outright record for the most tries by a player in World Cups, failed to get over the line in what was almost certainly his last tournament appearance.
Pollard booted four penalties and one conversion to finish with 14 points in the match, taking his total points tally for the tournament to 93, four behind the Argentine flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez who replied with a drop goal, a penalty and a last-minute conversion to remain as the leading pointscorer. The Springboks, whose coach Heyneke Meyer had described the third-place playoff as akin to ‘kissing your sister’, dominated the game from the outset, finishing with two tries in the match between the two beaten semi-finalists. “Of course we would have loved to be playing tomorrow for the World Cup but unfortunately things didn’t go our way last week,” said captain Victor Matfield, after his 127th and final appearance. “Today we knew it would be tough, we have a lot of respect for Argentina and a bronze medal is better than fourth place.
“We’ll go into the changing room and have a beer with Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez and the guys I’ve spent so much of my life with.
“It’s been a fantastic career and I’m just happy we won the game tonight.”
