The Springboks played catch-up rugby for most of their Castle Lager Rugby Championship epic against New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park on Saturday, but came through at the end for the more than 60 000 fans to beat the All Blacks by 31-27 (half-time 11-12) in a match that will be talked about for a long time to come.
New Zealand played a great game of rugby, but could never quite bury the Springboks, who like the true champions they are, kept plugging away and kicked on in the last 15 minutes to overhaul a 10-point deficit and remain undefeated in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.
Despite making too many unforced errors, the Boks fought non-stop and when the All Blacks started to slow down and eventually conceded a yellow card due to the relentless attack, they struck.
Tries by replacements Kwagga Smith and Grant Williams in the last 10 minutes broke New Zealand’s back. Talking about replacements, the Bomb Squad again came through for Bok coach Rassie Erasmus, who will be the first to admit that the Boks were not at their best at times, especially at lineout time, where too many attacking opportunities were wasted.
The last 15 minutes of the match was always going to be crucial in the final outcome. A Bok maul near the opposing line was pulled down, resulting in a yellow card to replacement prop Ofa Tu’ungafasia and from the resulting lineout drive, Smith crashed over under the poles. The conversion was good and three points kept the Boks away from the lead (27-24) with 10 minutes to play.
With territory key, both sides opted for tactical kicks, but once the Boks went brute force once again, they forced another lineout near the All Blacks’ line. A few hard drives at the line later, Grant Williams got through the smallest of gaps and scored, much to the delight of the sold-out crowd. The conversion was good and with five minutes left, the Boks were up 31-27.
Another ruck penalty against New Zealand, 77 minutes in, gave Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu a chance to seal the deal, but the kick sailed wide. The travelling team were pinned in their own half though and once the Boks got possession again, they played out time and Williams could kick the ball into touch for a remarkable win. – www.sarugby.co.za
