Super Boks land World Cup boost
SOUTH AFRICA produced their best performance since their stellar year of 2009 to claim a glorious and thoroughly deserved win over the All Blacks at Wellington.
It might have finished up as a backs-to-the-wall defensive effort in the final quarter but for much of the game they took the play to New Zealand in a way we have rarely seen in recent seasons. And the Kiwis suddenly looked vulnerable.
And, not for the first time, New Zealand showed a perverse reluctance to employ a drop-kick at the death when they were camped under the Boks posts.
Shades of the World Cup 2007 against France when they also declined to take that option and found themand selves on the plane home. It was mystifying then and again last night.
The first half was high octane, high risk and totally compelling rugby. The Boks, smarting after defeats and sub-par performances against the Pumas and Australia, were clearly determined to fire every shot in their armoury and there was the sniff of cordite from the off.
They flew into tackles and the contact area but initially that was their undoing as the All Blacks coolly picked off two excellent tries.
First, there was a moment of brilliance in an otherwise error strewn performance from Beauden Barrett who picked up the ball off his toes to release brother Jordie.
Then came a cracker from Aaron Smith after a delightful no-look pass from Codie Taylor had set Ben Smith steaming down the right wing before he looked inside to find his scrumhalf.
At 12-0 up after 15 minutes it looked ominous, but the Boks remained positive and the All Blacks started to get untidy with Barrett struggling to find his game his kicking boots.
South Africa seized the moment and reeled off 21 points in 12 minutes.
Aphiwe Dyantyi struck first with a sumptuous try created by alert passing from Faf de Klerk, Malcolm Marx and Willie Le Roux with Dyantyi cutting inside while in-goal to ensure an easier conversion for Handre Pollard.
New Zealand continued to take too many risks and were made to pay when Jordie Barrett threw a ridiculous long ball into midfield from a quick lineout which nobody had anticipated except Le Roux who sprinted in gratefully.
The Boks were on fire and next came a line-out rumble which Marx finished off.
New Zealand recovered their poise to go through 18 phases to work a try for Reiko Ioane but a penalty just before half-time maintained Bok momentum.
The second half was just as good. The Boks struck an early blow with an interception try by replacement Cheslin Kolbe but you knew the All Blacks would stage a storming finish and that’s exactly what they did.
Ioane sped in for his second try, the excellent Dyantyi struck clinically for his second and then South Africa had to batten down the hatches as first Taylor and then Savea forced their way over.
It was tight and tense but the Boks stayed steadfast and the final whistle signalled a result that will change their mindset a year out from the World Cup.