Wales keep up winning run to down Springboks
WALES moved to cloud nine with yet another victory – this time surpassing South Africa as their winning run went on.
This victory, built on a stonewall defence and elements of good fortune, completed the November clean sweep that has long eluded head coach Warren Gatland.
Gatland’s guys like flying under the radar, quietly tip-toeing their way up the rankings and ticking off victories, but now, with nine wins in a row, they are true contenders for the World Cup in Japan next year.
Jenkins was a menace early on and produced a sublime piece of skill for the opening score.
On the right side he pumped to pass but decided against it, dummied and went through hooker Malcolm Marx and lock RG Snyman. In behind the green line, he then found a rampaging Francis, who finished under the posts past Willie le Roux. In doing so Francis made an etch in history – becoming the first Welsh prop to score against any of the southern hemisphere giants of South Africa, New Zealand or Australia.
The next one to cross for Wales is used to the feeling, though. Liam Williams scored their second; from a scrum under the posts Jenkins – now packing down at No8 – found Gareth Davies, he popped to Gareth Anscombe who floated a lovely pass to the wing. Williams caught it, nipped inside and banged it down. With Anscombe converting, Wales were 14-0 up.
The South Africans already looked spent after only 17 minutes but, of course, back they came, Handre Pollard hitting a penalty when Adam Beard strayed offside to charge down a box-kick.
With 55 minutes gone, though, the Welsh dam burst — Le Roux’s quick, flipped pass to Kriel flummoxed both George North and Liam Williams and the centre was in. Pollard missed his conversion, though, so Wales still led by six.
Elton Jantjies cut the gap to three with a penalty, and Gatland threw on Dan Biggar for Anscombe, hoping to close this one out.
Now so tight, Wales needed a slick of luck — and they got it. A Biggar up-and-under was knocked on by Jantjies and the South African stopped playing. But Wales didn’t, Biggar then kicked through into the right-hand ‘coffin’ corner.
Aphiwe Dyantyi raced back for it but was smashed before he could get to his feet by Tomos Williams. It should have been a penalty for the Boks, but when Justin Tipuric then latched on the whistle sounded for Wales. Biggar knocked the kick over from the right and Welsh hearts pumped a little slower.
After smashing over another kick he had done his job of helping to close out the win, his team-mates roaring to the heavens at the final whistle.