Wales hearts broken by late magic from South Africa’s Duane Vermeulen

When it mattered, South Africa did have an alternative, Plan A+ saving them for going out at the quarter-final stage for the second tournament running. They had spent 75 minutes proving what they and the rugby world already knew, that Wales have one of the best defences in the game, when a moment of improvisation born of desperation took them through.Wales would have been further than 19-18 ahead but for their inability to work out what the referee Wayne Barnes was looking for at the breakdown, and when they wasted an attacking position by conceding their 12th penalty of the night, all except …