Anscombe gets arightkickout ofbashingboks
SOUTH AFRICA 12 WALES 13
Wales made history as they recorded a stunning second-test victory over South Africa in Bloemfontein.
It was Wales’ first win against the Springboks on South African soil, ending 58 years of hurt and at the 12th attempt.
After suffering an agonising three-point defeat in last weekend’s series opener, Wayne Pivac’s team made no mistake at the second time of asking and set up a Cape Town decider next Saturday.
Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber’s decision to make 14 changes backfired – he restedworld Cup winners
like Siya Kolisi, Faf de Klerk and Cheslin Kolbe – as Wales triumphed through Josh Adams’ 78th-minute try that Gareth Anscombe converted from the touchline.
Anscombe and Wales captain Dan Biggar kicked earlier penalties, while Handre Pollard booted four penalties for the Springboks.
Alun Wyn Jones was yellow-carded for the second successive game – although it appeared a harsh call for hands in the ruck – and it looked like it could be a frustrating defeat forwales, yet they finished in style as Anscombe held his nerve.
Wales, who saw Biggar and wing Alex Cuthbert go off injured, had lost 11 successive Tests in South Africa, stretching back to 1964. But just over three months after losing at home to Italy, they stunned the world champions.
Wing Alex Cuthbert returned to Wales’ starting line-up as a solitary change from the first Test, replacing Adams, while uncapped Samwainwright was on the bench. Nienaber retained only lock Eben Etzebeth, but returning star names such as Pollard and formerworld Player of the Year Pieter-steph du Toit were notable arrivals in the three-match series.
Biggar and Pollard swapped penalties in a cagey opening. Wales suffered an injury blow when Cuthbert made a 17th-minute exit, and Adams – top try-scorer at the 2019 World Cup – took over from him.
Wales then weathered a storm, with Leicester forward Reffell’s towering work being matched by the efforts of Dan Lydiate and Taulupe Faletau.
But an attritional first half ended with no addition to the early scoring, andwales still very much in the hunt. Pivac sent on scrum-half Tomoswilliams instead of Kieran Hardy for the second period, while Nienaber introduced hooker Malcolm Marx and prop Vincent Koch.
Pollard kicked South Africa into the lead with a 43rd-minute penalty, before Biggar missed a comfortable chance for a marksman of his quality.
Biggar was replaced by Anscombe after 52 minutes, while Pollard completed his penalty hat-trick for a 9-3 advantage.
Wales then saw Jones sin-binned and a fourth Pollard penalty put South Africa nine points clear, but substitutes Adams and Anscombe had the final dramatic say.