Match Details
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29 |
Kick off times:
7:35pm
(Local) Sat 12 Sep
5:35pm
(AEDT) Sat 12 Sep
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32 |
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Head to Head:
Played 75 : New Zealand 42, South Africa 30, Drawn 3
Last Time:
16/08/08 : New Zealand 19 - South Africa 0 at Newlands, Cape Town
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The Springboks claimed their first Bundaberg Rum Tri-Nations crown since 2004 – and perhaps more impressively pulled off a hat trick of victories over the All Blacks in 2009 – winning what can only be described as a thrilling Test in Hamilton tonight 32-29.
The Boks seemed to have the game sewn up when intercept king Jean de Villiers popped up to put them out to a 29-12 lead with less than a half hour to go but the All Blacks fought back and almost snatched what would have been a miraculous victory after the bell with a Dan Carter cross kick that just went in to touch.
The equation was simple before the game for the All Blacks to stay in the Tri-Nations – win the game and score four tries or if not make sure the Boks lose by more than seven and don’t pick up a bonus point for a narrow loss.
With South Africa snubbing Hamilton for the Gold Coast during the week the home crowd was keen to give the Springboks a warm welcome.
The threatened rain had also stayed away to provide excellent conditions for Rugby.
The Boks had a late disruption with Juan Smith being ruled out just prior to kick off and being replaced by Schalk Burger in the starting line up, Ryan Kankowski taking Burger’s place on the bench.
Referee Nigel Owens gave the All Blacks a flying start with a very technical offside ruling at the first kick off and Carter made no mistake with the penalty from 15 metres in from the right touchline.
New Zealand up 3-0 after 60 seconds.
The Boks then attacked through nine phases close to the All Blacks line but Owens stopped them with another fortuitous penalty allowing Carter to clear.
South Africa then stole the lineout as the All Blacks woes at that set piece continued.
The Boks then received a penalty sixty metres out for Sitiveni Sivivatu going offsidse at the ruck.
Frans Steyn’s mammoth long range attempt just crept over the bar and it was 3-all after five minutes.
Steyn then had another chance from 55 metres five minutes later for another ruck infringement and this time his kick passed over the bar easily. South Africa 6 – 3 after 11 minutes.
Joe Rokocoko was then in trouble for tackling Bryan Habana in the air from the kick off and was fortunate just to concede a penalty.
The All Blacks were determined to keep the ball in hand but were being met by some jarring Springbok defence.
South Africa’s scrum problems returned giving away a penalty on their 22 and again Carter was successful just ten metres to the right of the crossbar. 6-all after a quarter of an hour.
The Boks seemed more up for the contest than against the Qantas Wallabies in Brisbane, or perhaps they were being met with less resistance, hitting the rucks and mauls with numbers and commitments.
From the kick off they worked it into the All Blacks half and Morne Steyn potted a cool drop goal from 40 metres. South Africa back in front 9-6 after 19 minutes.
The All Blacks fortunes got worse from the kick off with Stephen Donald kicking out on the full.
The Springboks then stole another line out and South African scrumhalf Fourie du Preez hoisted the ball high into the All Blacks 22.
He followed up and did enough to disrupt Rokocoko as he jumped to catch the ball for the All Blacks winger to spill the ball.
Bakkies Botha scooped up the rebound but was pulled down just metres short. From the next ruck Du Preez dove over on the blind side to put one South African hand firmly on the Tri-Nations trophy.
Morne Steyn was accurate with the conversion and the Boks were away 16-6.
Another ruck penalty to the All Blacks gave Carter another chance five metres in from the left touchline on the 22 and again he was successful. New Zealand back to within a converted try – 16-9.
And yet another ruck penalty gave Frans Steyn another chance from in his own half and again the Racing Metro bound fullback used his massive boot to full effect. 19-9 and South Africa looking like certain Tri-Nations champions.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was doing his best to inspire his team but with the Boks committing many more resources to the breakdown the home team was not enjoying the dominance the Wallabies had in that facet of play last weekend.
With the All Blacks fighting hard to get back into the match No.8 Keiren Read laid a needless shoulder charge into Habana after the whistle and Morne Steyn was given a chance to put the Boks further ahead.
He kept up the 100% record from kickers in the match and the Boks were up 22-9 with 32 minutes elapsed.
But from the kick off the All Blacks were back to 22-12 after the Boks chaser were too early following up Du Preez’s return of the re-start. Carter converting his fourth penalty from an easier angle.
With the seconds ticking away to half time Carter opted to grubber ahead in a dangerous position metres out from the Boks line when the better option would have been to put it through the hands.
Frans Steyn, having a huge game, easily cleaned up the kick and South Africa were full value for their 22-12 half time lead.
The Boks had a chance to close it out in the first minute of the second half when Rokocoko spilled another Morne Steyn bomb.
The ball rebounded straight to Steyn following up who gave to it to rampaging hooker Bismarck du Plessis but he was pulled down just short and the All Blacks held on.
New Zealand cleared and Frans Steyn just missed with a drop goal attempt where the touchline and halfway line meet.
The Boks simple tactic was to kick the ball out and play for lineouts rather than scrums and with the New Zealand lineout in melt down it was a tactic that paid off handsomely.
The All Blacks then attacked bravely but Ma’a Nonu spilt the ball in the South African 22 just when they were threatening.
The South African scrum was still back pedaling and handling errors at the pick-up from No.8 Pierre Spies kept the All Blacks in the game.
But everything the home team tried seemed to come to nought – something typified by a quick line out throw that saw Brad Thorn upended by Springbok captain John Smit and the ball lost again.
Again the All Blacks attacked, broke the line and again Nonu lost the ball in good position.
And then on 50 minutes de Villiers popped up to take his simple intercept – like he has done so many times before – from a wayward Carter pass, galloped 40 metres untouched and the Boks looked set to clinch their first Tri-Nations since 2004.
And more impressively looked on track for their third consecutive defeat of the All Blacks. A rare achievement indeed.
Morne Steyn again converted and the Boks looked well clear at 29-12.
But the All Blacks were not done yet. A good break from Isaia Toeava, on for Donald, put Sivivatu in for a try which Carter converted. 29-19 with 25 minutes to play.
The game was opening up and the All Blacks were looking menacing as they threw the ball wide. A surprise scrum against the feed gave the Boks some respite but the desperate All Blacks continued to throw everything at South Africa.
Carter narrowed the gap with a penalty in front with 15 minutes left and the All Blacks were just a try behind but needing to score three times to deprive the Boks of the Tri-Nations.
Burger came off with 13 minutes to go giving Kankowski a run as the Boks sought to keep it in the forwards and slow the game down.
The All Blacks continued to attack with pace and ball movement but another mistake saw Du Preez kick deep into the All Blacks 22.
Isolated Toeava had to hold on with Habana and Jaque Fourie pressurizing and from the penalty Morne Steyn kept the game’s kicking record impressive. 32-22 with less than ten minutes to go.
Only a miracle could save the All Blacks now.
Looking dangerous once more Nonu knocked on again – his 4th and New Zealand’s 13th handling error of the game.
The All Blacks continued to attack with passion and abandon but whatever New Zealand threw at them the Boks answered.
McCaw picked up a late try from a Carter cross kick with an acrobatic take in the corner and Carter dropped kick the conversion over from the touchline to bring the All Blacks back to 32-29 with less than 60 seconds remaining.
The All Blacks launched a frenetic magnificent attack from the kick off and looked set to score again and pull off a miraculous come back but this time Carter’s cross kick was too long and the ball went in to touch metres out from the Boks line.
South Africa worthy winners and Tri-Nations champions for the first time since 2004.
Bundaberg Rum Tri-Nations
Springboks 32 (Jean de Villers, Fourie du Preez tries; Frans Steyn 3 penalties; Morne Steyn 2 conversions, 2 penalties, drop goal) defeated All Blacks 29 (Richie McCaw, Sitiveni Sivivatu tries; Dan Carter 2 conversions, 5 penalties) at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton. (Half time: South Africa 22-12)
