RWC: It's Pollard v Biggar ... Round 2!

Cape Town - When the Springboks meet Wales in Sunday's 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final, most will be expecting it to be a tight affair. 

Wales have won the last four meetings between the sides, but the Boks are still favourites. 

As Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard said: "We all know it’s going to probably come down to a kick or a drop goal."

Pollard was the starting No 10 the last time the Springboks beat Wales, which was in the quarter-finals of the 2015 Rugby World Cup when that late Fourie du Preez try secured a 23-19 win. 

Pollard scored 18 individual points on the day, while his opposite number Dan Biggar slotted 14 himself. Both slotted a drop goal. 

"We went at it four years ago in the quarter-final, and I thought he had a brilliant game that day," Pollard said of Biggar. 

"We really had to play well that day to win that match.

"He is a world-class player. I know Gareth Anscombe played for them over the last couple of years, and he’s had that big injury.

"But Dan is an unbelievably good rugby player. He is really not scared of the physical part of the match, and that’s something that excites both of us.

"It’s going to be fun to go against him for 80 minutes. He is an experienced guy, with a big variety of skills."

Wales have also included Leigh Halfpenny at fullback, which gives them another kicking option. 

"He's a world-class goal-kicker, we all know that. It's no secret," said Pollard.

"It's semi-final rugby, so you must try your best to be on target with every kick. If it's not to be, it's not to be."

Teams:

South Africa

15 Willie le Roux, 14 S'bu Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Francois Louw, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Frans Steyn

Wales

15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 George North, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Justin Tipuric, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Jake Ball, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Wyn Jones

Substitutes: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Rhys Carre, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Adam Beard, 20 Aaron Shingler, 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Rhys Patchell, 23 Owen Watkin