NZ keep title after SA, Aussies draw
Jantjies misses last-minute penalty
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa, Sept 30, (AFP): New Zealand retained the Rugby Championship after South Africa and Australia drew 27-27 in Bloemfontein Saturday.
The deadlock left the All Blacks with an unassailable six-point lead in the standings ahead of their penultimate match away to Argentina later Saturday. the posts to raise his Test tally to 501 points — only the fourth Wallaby to achieve the feat.
South Africa levelled on 19 minutes when Jantjies converted a try by Ruan Dreyer, who shrugged off a tackle to barge over between the posts.
Foley and Jantjies exchanged penalties before the Wallaby flyhalf slotted another to earn his team a three-point half-time advantage.
Tempers flared just before the break when Folau high-tackled Dillyn Leyds, then pulled his hair, triggering a mini-brawl in which Etzebeth was involved.
New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe settled for warning the rival captains.
It was a disappointing opening half for the Springboks, who had more ball, but many attacks were lateral and predictable against a well-organised defence.
The second half started with a try fest as Jan Serfontein and Courtnall Skosan scored for the Springboks and Marika Koroibete for the Wallabies.
All the tries were converted by Jantjies and Foley to leave South Africa 24-20 up on 51 minutes.
Rugby League convert Koroibete scored his second try in his first start and Foley added the extra points to nudge the visitors into a three-point lead entering the final quarter. Shan Masood and Sami Aslam who set the platform for a big total by putting together a solid 114-run opening stand after they resumed at 64 without loss.
Sri Lanka, however, hit back by removing both openers in the space of two runs.
Aslam, recalled after being dropped from the West Indies tour on disciplinary grounds earlier this year, was trapped leg-before by off-break bowler Dilruwan Perera. He hit four boundaries in his seventh Test half century.
Two runs later Masood attempted a sweep shot off the wily Herath but missed the ball and was bowled round his legs.
Pakistan had luck on their side with the reviews as both Ali and Shafiq survived confident appeals. Ali wisely reviewed a leg-before decision off Perera, but the ball hit his bat before the pad.
Shafiq was given not out on a review when he was stumped off Herath on one.
It was Herath who finally dislodged Shafiq when a sharp turner caught an edge off Shafiq’s bat, deflected from wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella’s thigh to slip where Lahiru Thirimanne took the catch.
Sri Lankan bowler Nuwan Pradeep celebrates the dismissal of Pakistan’s Babar Azam during the third day at the first Test cricket match in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
on Sept 30, 2017. (AP)