Online Reporter
JOHANNESBURG. — New Zealand stunned South Africa 33-16 with an epic second-half fightback at Ellis Park on Saturday and drew first blood in their historic four-test series.
After surviving a ferocious first half to trail only 13-12, the All Blacks’ resolve hardened by new coach Dave Rennie and age-old ability to produce something from nothing turned a tense contest into a rout by five tries to South Africa’s one.
An All Blacks scrum that was blown away in the first half eventually held firm in the second half and was the platform for their two last converted tries in the last quarter that gave them their biggest win in South Africa’s cathedral of rugby.
“We were under the pump for a big chunk of that game,” Rennie said.
“That (defensive) mindset was important, then we were clinical. The set-piece was massive in the end, the scrum came good and was a big part of our success.”
South Africa paid for failing to take its many chances when it had New Zealand on the ropes in the first half. To a crashing halt came South Africa’s 12-test winning streak that began 11 months ago by handing New Zealand its heaviest ever defeat, 43-10, in Wellington.
The Springboks’ scrum was better than advertised until props Ox Nché and Wilco Louw were substituted. An overconfidence in the set-piece made South Africa waive off numerous kickable penalties at altitude to try and bury the All Blacks with tries. But a backline that struggled to string any passes was easily corralled, and asked too much of the likes of forwards Jasper Wiese, Malcolm Marx and Paul de Villiers.
When New Zealand returned the pressure in the second half, South Africa gave away two yellow cards in the span of a minute and finished with 13 men. The tension in a packed Ellis Park deflated in the last 10 minutes as Springbok supporters realized a comeback wasn’t possible.
“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Boks captain Pieter-Steph du Toit said. “Unfortunately, in a game like this, small errors count.”
The series moves to sea level in Cape Town next Saturday and New Zealand is the surprising front-runner in the first full series between the teams in 30 years.
New front row stops slide
The turning point was just before the hour. Cheslin Kolbe had converted another Boks scrum penalty into a 16-12 lead but, from the restart, New Zealand lock Fabian Holland charged down scrumhalf Grant Williams for a converted try and 19-16. —Reuters.
