NZ overrun Boks with late tries
16 July 2007
South Africa's "B-Boks" gave New Zealand a tough battle in their Tri-Nations game in Christchurch on Saturday, trailing only 12-6 late in the game, before conceding 21 points in the final 11 minutes to slump to a 33-6 defeat.
After the contest both All Black coach Graham Henry and Springbok coach Jake White expressed differing viewpoints on the final result. Henry said it was a fair reflection of the game, while White reckoned it flattered the New Zealanders. While the coaches saw the match differently, the history books reflect a 27 point difference; years from now many people will look only at the score and not the composition of the teams.
Finding reasons to make a 27 point loss acceptable is an indictment of the importance given the World Cup over any other matches by today's coaches, and reducing any contest between New Zealand and South Africa to a World Cup experiment devalues rugby's greatest rivalry.
Winning
record
Interestingly, the history books show that before the Springboks were isolated from international rugby, because of South Africa's apartheid policy at that time, the Boks enjoyed a winning record against every country. Since that time many teams have improved their records against South Africa and New Zealand now sports a winning record against the Springboks.
A reasonable part of the reason for this could be apportioned to teams representing South Africa that are, truth be told, far from the best outfits that could be selected. And part of the reason for why this is happening is the fixation on the World Cup, a tournament that takes place only every four years.
This approach raises some interesting questions, one of which is this: are Springbok fans, and beyond that rugby fans in general, being shortchanged by this approach?
Fans love a winner
Bok supporters recall with relish the exploits of the national
team under Nick Mallett when it equaled the world record for most consecutive test victories. That was a side that captured the support of the public because, like sports fans worldwide, South African fans love a winner.
Rest assured, Mallett selected his best team during that run. Surely the greats Springboks of the past, those players who built up South Africa's winning record against every other nation, feel that the green and gold has been devalued by the approach the World Cup is everything. When a Tri-Nations clash is reduced to a match between a South African B team and the All Blacks surely this is cause for concern.
Bok fans would reasonably believe the country's first choice team has a good chance of beating any side on any given day, but in the lead up to the Tri-Nations game at Jade Stadium the Springboks were largely considered no hopers. That is a concerning state of affairs.
Christchurch test
On the field in
Christchurch the Springboks started off adventurously, trying to run the ball. However, the game quickly settled to a contest taking place in the middle of the park, with the Kiwis winning the majority of the ball, but often undoing their good work with handling errors.
With seven minutes played, New Zealand had an opportunity to go ahead, but Daniel Carter, not at his best this season after having missed a good part of the Super 14 as part of the All Blacks' conditioning programme, struck the right hand upright with his penalty attempt.
Two minutes later, though, Carter was on target after Breyton Paulse conceded a penalty for going offside, thus giving the home team a 3-0 lead.
Longe range penalty attempt
The action went back and forth before South Africa finally had an opportunity to level matters when Ruan Pienaar took a long distance shot at goal from about 55 metres. He struck the ball poorly and the Kiwis maintained their
three-point advantage.
After keeping the New Zealanders under pressure for some time, the Springboks finally leveled the scores in the 23rd minute when Derick Hougaard knocked over a penalty from 30 metres out because the Kiwis were penalised for a high tackle.
Two minutes later, the All Blacks moved ahead again when Jacques Cronje was guilty of slowing the ball down at a ruck. Carter slotted the easy kick to make the score 6-3.
Missed opportunity
Shortly afterwards New Zealand nearly scored the first try of the game when Luke McAlister made a sharp break inside and past Wynand Olivier. However his final pass was a poor one and the chance to open up a good gap was missed.
The All Blacks continued the exert pressure on the Boks, but they also let themselves down time after time with uncharacteristic handling errors, which meant the teams went into the break with New Zealand just 6-3 ahead.
Six minutes after the restart the
Springboks were back on level terms after the New Zealanders were penalised at a ruck and Hougaard struck a good looking kick.
Pivotal moment
Then, with 52 minutes gone, one of the pivotal moments in the match occurred. Rodney So'oialo made a strong break off the back of a maul. He was brought down in the South African 22 metre area, but Pedrie Wannenburg received a yellow card for killing the ball, and the All Blacks also were awarded a penalty which Carter slotted to lift New Zealand into a 9-6 lead.
With Wannenburg still in the sin bin, the All Blacks increased their lead to six points thanks to another Carter penalty. Referee Stuart Dickinson had blown a penalty in favour of South Africa, but Albert van den Bergh was penalised for retaliation and the decision was turned around.
Pienaar took another long range shot at goal two minutes later but, like his first attempt, he again struck the ball poorly and the score stayed the
same.
Wannenberg returned to the action but not long afterwards the All Blacks finally broke through the Springboks' defence.
Try
Launching a counter-attack the All Blacks made ground through Doug Howlett who passed to Joe Rokocoko. The wing then found replacement scrumhalf Brendon Leonard in support and accelerated away to score near the uprights. Carter's successful conversion suddenly had the All Blacks looking comfortable at 19-6 in front.
With four minutes to play New Zealand breeched the South African defence for the second time. They took the ball through a number of phases before moving it wide and creating an overlap. Nick Evans then took advantage of indecision among the SA backs to slip through a gap and score in the corner. Carter's conversion of the try put the icing on the cake and opened up the lead to 20 points at 26-6.
Then, with the final hooter having sounded, Carter was gifted a try when two Springboks missed
the ball at a ruck. It squirted out the back, with not a South African in sight, and the All Black flyhalf ran through, scooped up the ball, and trotted through to score New Zealand's third try. He converted his five-pointer to make the final score 33-6.
Bottom of the Tri-Nations
The result means South Africa finishes bottom of the Tri-Nations. Having played all their games, the Springboks have five points, while New Zealand and Australia both have nine points before their meeting on Saturday, which will decide who wins the title.
Only one match remains for South Africa before the World Cup in September. That is a meeting with Scotland on 25 August. With the top players having been kept out of action for so long, Springbok fans will be hoping they aren’t under-prepared when the World Cup rolls around.
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