South Africa 20
New Zealand 27
SOUTH AFRICA AND New Zealand went toe-to-toe in another high-skilled, high-paced, incredibly entertaining and frenetic Rugby Championship Test in Ellis Park today.
The match was decided by a mix of quick All Black thinking and slow Springbok reactions in line-out defence five minutes from time.
Richie McCaw took advantage of a gap in the green line and called Codie Taylor’s line-out throw on himself, leaving him with only Ruan Pienaar obstructing his way to the try-line.
Yet the seven-point winning margin doesn’t tell the tale of a game which was dominated for long periods by the home side.
The ‘Boks looked set to take a 10 – 3 lead into the half-time break thanks to Willie Le Roux’s 21st minute try.
The clinical score came from a turnover by Bismarck Du Plessis, hounding Kieran Read as he reached for a loose Israel Dagg pass after fielding Ruan Pienaar’s Garryowen.
The inexperienced midfield partnership of Damian De Allende and Jesse also had a big early impact on the game and both had a part to play in the opening try. De Allende whipping a long pass left after the turnover and Kriel delivered a perfect inside pass to Le Roux.
The game appeared to be slipping away. However the World Champions, as is their wont, found a way back into it. Lima Sopoaga, who had a difficult day off the kicking tee, creating a vital try for Ben Smith to help the visitors claw back to 10 – 10 on the stroke of half-time.
The opening 10 minutes of the second half brought more scintillating rugby. Kriel underlined his status as the Springboks’ brightest young talent by cutting a devastating line through Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu on his way to the line.
New Zealand hit back almost instantly to bring the scores to 17 apiece with Dane Coles showing his pace on another superb line on a soft pass.
The hosts dominated most of the 20 minutes that followed, but even with Sam Whitelock sin-binned, they only had a Handre Pollard penalty to show for their dominance.