Springboks seal Test series as Wales fight to the end
Etzebeth and Mbonambi put on spectacular show
The Springboks gave Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi a memorable day on their respective milestones by powering to a series victory in the third Test over Wales at the Cape Town Stadium yesterday.
In front of a capacity crowd, the Springboks outmuscled Wales to claim a 30-14 win and seal the three-test series on the day that Etzebeth and Mbonambi ran out for their 100th and 50th appearances, respectively.
Having claimed a nail-biting win in the first Test in Pretoria and lost the second in Bloemfontein, this was a return to power for SA as their heavy artillery fired on all cylinders.
Etzebeth became just the third Bok to taste victory with his 100th Test cap and he deserved it. From the outset, the big lock was making huge carries, big tackles and received a standing ovation from the crowd when he left the field in the 60th minute.
Mbonambi also put in a solid performance on his 50th, scoring a crucial try towards the end of the first half as Wales threatened to get back into the match.
Handré Pollard returned to form with a sensational general’s performance having him score a haul of 20 points for a perfect day off the kicking tee.
A fast start from the Springboks had the home side flying into a 10-0 lead after the opening 15 minutes. The Springboks came out guns blazing, with strong carries from Etzebeth and Lood de Jager.
Both teams tested each other sternly under the high ball, but SA coped far better in this department than they did in the previous two Tests, with the back three of Damian Willemse, Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe all winning the ball back in aerial duels.
Despite having tries from Mapimpi and Damian de Allende denied, the Boks were still able to make their dominance count when Pollard converted.
The home side suffered a blow when Kolbe was forced off in the 20th minute, evidently concussed. That prompted a backline shuffle as Willie le Roux came on, with Willemse moving to centre and Lukhanyo Am to the right wing.
That change seemed to disrupt the Boks’ momentum as Wales worked their way back into the match, starting with flank Tommy Reffell’s try, before Dan Biggar slotted a penalty to make it a two-point game.
However, the Springboks worked their way upfield thanks to an outside break from Siya Kolisi, winning a penalty and opting for touch. From the subsequent lineout, Mbonambi forced his way over the try-line on his 50th appearance to make it a nine-point game at the break.
Wales again threatened a comeback in the second half as two cheap penalties from the Springboks allowed Biggar to narrow the deficit.
That was when the Springboks turned to their famed Bomb Squad and it paid almost immediate dividends as Kolisi powered over for the home side’s third try. Pollard converted to take the Boks to a 10-point advantage.
After seeing out one final push from Wales, the Springboks pinned the tourists in their own territory and Pollard sealed the result with two further penalties.