WELSH GIVEN KICK IN TEETH
S Africa 32
Wales 29 By MATTHEW SOUTHCOMBE
GUTTED skipper Dan Biggar was left crestfallen after South Africa’s Damian Willemse broke Welsh hearts with a match-winning late penalty.
Wayne Pivac’s tourists came agonisingly close to a first ever victory in South Africa but were left frustrated by some officiating – after receiving a stunning FOUR yellow cards in the match.
Biggar himself was whistled by Georgian referee Nika Amashukell in the final minute of the match for a deliberate knock-on – with Willemse stepping up to nail the decisive kick.
The Wales fly-half said: “I thought the penalty at the end was a bit harsh. The ball has just hit my hand as opposed to me slapping it down.”
He added: “I don’t know what the referee expected us to do? Just come here, lie down and give South Africa everything their own way?
“From our point of view, we wanted to try and get in their faces and not take a backwards step. That’s got to be part of the game.
“We were coming here and if you stand off
South Africa out here then you’ll get steamrolled pretty quickly.”
Wales started well when Liam Williams released speedster Louis Rees-Zammit up the far touchline to score.
Skipper Biggar added three points six minutes later with a drop goal.
Then Biggar and Elton Jantjies traded penalties and Wales led 11-3.
Things got better for Pivac’s side when ReesZammit poached for his second on the half hour.
Though Biggar was the first player to be sent to the sin bin, Wales held out until the break and led 18-3 at half-time.
The hosts, though, came storming out of the blocks in the second half as Bok Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx scored.
Biggar kicked two penalties to lead 24-15 with 18 minutes left.
But Cheslin Kolbe scored in the corner for South Africa and then they were awarded a penalty try when a maul collapsed.
Dewi Lake scored a try to put Wales on level terms, before the late heartbreak penalty.
Pivac said: “It’s one that got away against the world champions in their own backyard.”
SOUTH AFRICA: Tries: Mbonambi, Marx, Kolbe, Penalty; Cons: Willemse (2); Pens: Jantjies, Willemse. WALES: Tries: Rees-Zammit (2), Lake; Con: Biggar; Pens: Biggar (3); Drop goal: Biggar.