With South Africa feeling they are close to perfecting their attritional game-plan and Wales having long ago decided that defence can be the best form of attack, Sunday’s secondphysicality and pragmatism brought an end to Japan’s effervescent run through the tournament last weekend, Wales made a meal of struggling past a France side reduced to 14 men for half an hour.
The band of fleet-footed outside backs might struggle to find room to shine, especially on a Yokohama International Stadium pitch likely to be at the very least damp from the typhoon season rains. The clashes have mostly been won by one or two scores and the expectation is that it will again be a tight affair with South Africa flyhalf Handre Pollard believing a single kick will probably settle it.Motivation should never be a problem in a World Cup semi-final but both teams have had a sense of mission driving them at this tournament.