All Blacks stun wasteful Springboks to go one up in RGR series
MATCH REPORT: The All Blacks took the lead in the four-match Greatest Rivalry Series after stunning the Springboks by 33-16 at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Boks wasted several scoring opportunities, which proved costly as New Zealand took their chances to outscore the hosts by five tries to one.
The Boks will now have to win the next three Tests to clinch the series.
*To recap all the action, CLICK HERE!
It was fierce from the outset, with the breakdown being a warzone and South Africa winning the first penalty through Jasper Wiese.
The Boks opted for the line-out inside New Zealand’s 22-metre area but made a mess of it before the Boks earned another penalty in front of the posts, which Cheslin Kolbe slotted to open the scoring after five minutes of play.
A series of penalties against South Africa allowed New Zealand to put pressure on the hosts inside their red zone, and they got their reward through Will Jordan, who dotted down in the corner for the first try of the series.
The Boks won a penalty for contact in the air and opted for the line-out despite being within range for Kolbe. The decision paid off as replacement André Esterhuizen burst through the Kiwi defence to cross the whitewash in the 13th minute. Kolbe nailed the conversion to make it 10-5 to South Africa.
The All Blacks grabbed their second after some slick play between backs and forwards as Josh Moorby scored his first try against the Boks in the 23rd minute. Love slotted the conversion to get New Zealand back in the lead.
South Africa won a scrum penalty after the restart, and Kolbe slotted it to get the Boks back in the lead after 26 minutes of play.
The Boks won a series of penalties inside New Zealand’s red zone and opted for the corner. They set a strong maul, but Malcolm Marx knocked the ball on before grounding it, letting the All Blacks out of jail.
South Africa squandered another scoring opportunity before the break after Jasper Wiese had the ball stripped in the tackle, with New Zealand getting the ball of the park to be down by a solitary point at the break.
Continues below…
Kolbe extended the Boks’ lead to four points with a successful penalty goal in the 46th minute before Fabian Holland responded with a charge-down try as Grant Williams looked to clear the ball from the base inside his 22. Love’s conversion gave the All Blacks a three-point lead.
Following a series of scrum penalties against New Zealand in their red zone, the All Blacks responded with one of their own in front of their posts after George Bower came onto the park.
The All Blacks crossed for the fourth time through Luke Jacobson off the back of an attacking New Zealand scrum sparked by a Damian McKenzie linebreak. Love’s conversion gave New Zealand a 10-point lead.
More drama followed after Marco van Staden was sent to the sinbin for a cynical foul for a cleanout from the side in his red zone with the All Blacks on momentum, and seconds later Cobus Reinach was also yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on and being offside.
The All Blacks sealed the deal when Will Jordan grabbed a brace in the 74th minute to take any hopes of a Springbok comeback away. Love slotted the conversion to turn the screw into the Boks’ coffin.
Player of the Match: Jordie Barrett showed his class and experience. He won five turnovers, made 15 tackles, and controlled the match in the No. 12 jersey as a secondary playmaker with ease.
Scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Esterhuizen
Cons: Kolbe
Pens: Kolbe 3
For New Zealand:
Tries: Jordan 2, Moorby, Holland, Jacobson
Cons: Love 4
Yellow cards: Marco van Staden (South Africa, 70′ – Cynical foul: Side entry in red zone), Cobus Reinach (South Africa, 70′ – Cynical foul: deliberate knock-on and offside)
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok.
New Zealand: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Simon Parker, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Leroy Carter.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (England), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
