BBC Radio 5 Live

If you fancy listening to the Rugby World Cup semi-final head to the top of this page and click the icon to listen or tune into BBC Radio 5 Live.

BBC's rugby union correspondent Chris Jones is alongside two World Cup winners in Matt Dawson and Bobby Skinstad to bring you live match commentary.

Image source, Getty Images

By the way, Rassie Erasmus' notes below say England's squad weighs a combined 2,430 kg. Which is about 90% as heavy as a Blue Whale's tongue or the same as six horses.

Big.

Mike Henson
BBC Sport in Paris

Image source, Getty Images

How might Steve Borthwick and his team shock the Boks?

Priority number one. Own the air. France conceded three first-half tries after South Africa's kicking game had created backfield chaos.

Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe may have the edge on Jonny May and Elliot Daly for speed but, at 5ft 10in and 5ft 7in respectively, they are giving up height.

Could England isolate them in aerial contests on attack?

Image source, Getty Images

Will Jordan scored an impressive hat-trick as seven-try New Zealand crushed Argentina at Stade de France to reach a record fifth Rugby World Cup final.

The three-time winners were disciplined in defence and ruthless in attack as Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Shannon Frizell scored first-half tries.

Aaron Smith added a fourth after the break before Frizell crossed again and Jordan became the leading try scorer.

Will they meet England, or South Africa in the final?

Image source, X, @Rassierugby

Director of South African rugby Rassie Erasmus has been up to his usual mind games on X, external, formerly known as Twitter.

This time he has been posting an in-depth comparison of the starting line-ups, offering an interesting insight and also helpful for BBC rugby union correspondent Chris Jones who said "I will definitely thank him for the prep!".

Sam Harris
BBC Newsbeat

Image source, Tom Counsell

England might not necessarily be the favourites but fan Tom Counsell is still confident.

He’s been out in France for a few of the group games and even bumped into former winger Jason Robinson while he was out there.

“We have nothing to lose in this. No-one expected us to be here but we’re the only northern hemisphere side through and we’re the only unbeaten side in these semi-finals,” he tells BBC Newsbeat.

“We have so much experience, a lot of the players were on the pitch in the 2019 final so they’ve been there.

“The emotional toll of the tournament has probably hit the Boks a lot more too, that one-point win over France must have took a lot out of them. England haven’t quite had that.”

A very confident England fan there then. No word on whether he asked Robinson to get his boots back on to try and stop Cheslin Kolbe or not though…

This World Cup has gone through at least two seasons as we reach game number 46. The scorching conditions from a few weeks ago are forgotten as damp sweeps across Paris.

England's players are warming up, all eyes on Joe Marler and co in these slick conditions.

Image source, Getty Images

England's number eight Ben Earl on the Rugby Union Daily podcast: "There is no point getting to a semi-final and not bringing your best. It is no secret there probably is going to be a changing of the guard after this tournament.

"It is time to get a hold of where we are at with England and hopefully we start the Six Nations off being World Champions - that would be a great place to be.

"The best thing about this England side, is we want to bring our strengths. Obviously there is a way we want to play, Steve Borthwick is brilliant with laying out a plan about how we want to play and now it is up to the players to bring it to life.

"It is a really exciting plan for us, it plays to our strengths. In terms of the team we have selected. You only have to look at the quality of personal around the chance to play with; Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes, Jamie George and Joe Marler and I am excited to play with them again.

"Grateful to play for England, but grateful to play with them blokes."

Listen to the podcast here.

Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Stade de France

Tom and Jenny Murphy signed up to the 'follow my team' package of tickets so have taken in Lille, Nice and Marseille as well as Paris.

Jenny insists she is 'very confident' of England's chances, but her initial poker face slips into a laugh.

Tom is more circumspect. "I don't think we'll get battered," he predicts, but the head is saying a South Africa win, whatever the heart would like.

They are Harlequins supporters who would have liked to see Marcus Smith strutting his stuff at some point in the evening.

The 24-year-old has been ruled out of this one after not coming through the return-to-play protocols in the days after a physical quarter-final win over Fiji.

Maxwell raises a good point there about replacements - South Africa's changes early in the second half really did the business last weekend.

As for changes - what is going on with these two...

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

Fans and players alike are taking their places inside the Stade de France. This is what it's all about!

Joel Stransky
Former South Africa fly-half

Image source, Getty Images

England have made the semi-finals so they cannot be completely rubbish - but they are not great.

I think the critical thing for England is to get ahead. If they do, I think they will be tough to chase down, although I would still back the Springboks to do so.

On their day, England can raise their game but I do not think they will be putting the fear of God into South Africa or New Zealand, who I expect to beat Argentina.

You can never be 100% sure but I will fall over backwards if either South Africa or New Zealand lose in the semi-finals.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a horrid shame that such a bumper day of English sport was marred by the death of one of its true greats earlier this afternoon - Sir Bobby Charlton.

Charlton, who was 86, won 106 caps for England and scored 49 international goals - records for his country at the time.

During a 17-year first-team career with Manchester United he won three league titles, a European Cup and an FA Cup.

Charlton's family said he "passed peacefully in the early hours of Saturday morning".

Read all of the reaction here.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a bumper day of Anglo-Bok rivalry with England's men also facing South Africa in the cricket World Cup.

And England's World Cup defence is hanging by a thread after a horrible 229-run thrashing in Mumbai.

The world champions can still qualify for the semi-finals but will likely have to win all five of their remaining group matches to guarantee doing so.

Bryan Habana
Former South Africa winger on Rugby Union Daily Podcast

Image source, Getty Images

I don’t think I have ever seen as commanding a performance against the All Blacks, at a World Cup, as what I saw in that semi-final in 2019.

It was something no one has seen…

Image source, Getty Images

But England delivered possibly their greatest World Cup performance of all in 2019, routing the All Blacks with the 19-9 scoreline failing to reflect their dominance. Manu Tuilagi crossed in the second minute, setting the tone, and George Ford kicked four penalties.

Same again from Manu?

Image source, Getty Images

England will be appearing in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals for the sixth time - and they've only lost once.

A harrowing afternoon for English rugby in 1995 saw All Blacks wing Jonah Lomu run riot at Newlands, scoring four tries including one in which he marauded through Tony Underwood, Will Carling, Mike Catt and Rob Andrew.

I remember that one well...

Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Stade de France

The rain is sheeting down here in Paris. Does that level the playing field or does it equal more knock-ons, more scrummages and more chance for South Africa to turn the screw?

South Africa have happy memories of wet-weather semi-finals. Back in 1995, when they hosted the tournament, they beat France at rugby and in the 100m breast stroke on the same evening.

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty Images

In an hour's time Owen Farrell could be kicking us off in Paris. The fly-half joins Will Carling as the only other England captain to lead the team in two Rugby World Cup semi-finals. He will be looking to become the first to win two games at this stage of the tournament after Carling defeated France in 1991 but lost against New Zealand in 1995.

This will be his 99th start in his 111th test for England - only Jason Leonard has started a century of Tests for England.