All Blacks' fast start floors Springboks
MATCH REPORT: The All Blacks put one hand on the Rugby Championship trophy with a 35-20 win over the Springboks on Saturday at the Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.
*As it happened: All Blacks v Springboks
The All Blacks made an emphatic start, racing to a 20-3 lead at the break.
The All Blacks grabbed early tries by Aaron Smith and Shannon Frizell.
Malcolm Marx and Cheslin Kolbe crossed as the Springboks fought back before New Zealand’s Will Jordan and Richie Mo’unga touched down late tries for the hosts, while Albertus Smith grabbed the Boks’ third try just before the final whistle.
The win sees the All Blacks retain the Freedom Cup and take the lead on the Rugby Champs table with nine points, while the Springboks are second with five log points.
Ian Foster’s men looked set to be crowned the champs when they take on Australia in the reduced Rugby Championship campaign.
It was a very energetic start from the hosts with Will Jordan stealing the show.
The wing caught the Boks’ defence in disarray and sent Aaron Smith in for an easy try. Richie Mo’unga added the conversion for the 7-0 lead.
The flyhalf extended his side’s lead with a penalty.
The Boks were starved of possession with the All Blacks dominating proceedings.
The All Blacks soon had their second try. Jordan yet again the instigator, got inside the Boks’22 before Shannon Frizell bulldozed over Willie Le Roux for the score in the corner.
The Springbok finally had possession and thought Kolbe had scored after an aerial tussle out wide with Beauden Barrett, but the referee Mathieu Raynal judged the ball was knocked on.
The Boks eventually got on the board in the 36th minute when De Klerk kicked a successful penalty.
However, a Mo’unga penalty restored the 17-point lead just before the break.
New Zealand skipper Sam Cane failed to start the second half due to injury, replaced by Dalton Papali’i with No.8 Ardie Savea taking over the captaincy.
With 17 points down, the Boks called in the BOMB squad. RG Snyman, Malcolm Marx, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen all made their way to the field in the opening minute of the second half.
Meanwhile, De Klerk also went off injured, with what appeared to be a knee injury, early in the second half.
The changes made an impact as South Africa grabbed their first try when replacement hooker Marx was muscled over by his pack on 53 minutes.
Kolbe then dived over in the corner for South Africa’s second try inside eight minutes, after Le Roux’s superb long pass cut out several defenders.
Jordan then touched down in the corner for his 22nd try in as many Tests when he juggled the ball from Barrett’s kick.
Mo’unga ghosted through the defence from a scrum for the All Blacks’ fourth try, before Smith’s late touch-down for South Africa.
New Zealand face Australia away in a fortnight, in their final championship game, the same weekend South Africa host Argentina.
New Zealand and South Africa meet again at Twickenham on August 25 in a pre-World Cup friendly.
Man of the match: The All Blacks were simply ruthless. Richie Mo’unga was decisive and dictated proceedings. Shannon Frizell’s physicality was vital as he put the Boks under loads of pressure. Aaron Smith was another standout performer as rallied the pack. All Blacks wing Mark Telea also deserves a mention for his workrate outwide. However our nod goes to All Blacks wing Will Jordan. The star was everywhere on the park. He made loads of carries and was tremoudous under the highball. He set up a couple of tries and also scored a one.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Smith, Frizell, Jordan, Mo’unga
Cons: Mo’unga 3
Pens: Mo’unga 3
For Springboks
Tries: Marx, Kolbe, Smith
Con: Kolbe
Pen: De Klerk
Teams:
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane (captain), 6 Shannon Frizell, 5 Scott Barrett, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Samisoni Taukei’aho, 17 Tamaiti Williams, 18 Nepo Laulala, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Dalton Papali’i, 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Braydon Ennor, 23 Caleb Clarke.
South Africa: 15 Willem le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mampimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Albertus Smith, 5 Lodewyk de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Rudolf Snyman, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Daniel Johannes Vermeulen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Immanuel Libbok
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant Referees: Angus Gardner (Australia) & Pierre Brousset (France)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
