New Zealand drew first blood in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry after defeating the Springboks 33-16 in the opening Test at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The visitors were deserved winners at 10bet Ellis Park, showing far sharper execution in scoring five tries to one to take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series in the 50th meeting between the teams on South African soil.
The Boks had extended periods of pressure in the All Blacks’ 22 in both halves but were unable to convert that into points against a New Zealand team that was holding on by the skin of its teeth at times.
By contrast, the All Blacks took every chance and finished against 13 men as replacements Marco van Staden and Cobus Reinach were yellow carded in quick succession in the final minutes – for playing the half back and a deliberate knock on respectively.
It had started out dramatically before kick off with a double flyover and a strictly observed haka as 30 years of wait were ended. South Africa even scored the first points in the series was taken in the fourth minute when Cheslin Kolbe nailed a straightforward penalty goal – for playing the nine – that had been advanced 10 metres for knocking the ball away.
With 20 minutes to go they were three points adrift (19-16) but the ruthless All Blacks saw Luke Jacobson and Will Jordan – with his second – adding to earlier tires by Fabian Holland and Josh Moorby. Andre Esterhuizen scored South Africa’s lone five pointer.
The first of those five tries came in the ninth minute, from their second entry to the Bok 22. The prolific Jordan on the right wing, squeezed in at the corner flag from a fizzed flat pass by Cam Roigard after a succession of close-range drives had been rebuffed.
During the build-up Springbok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse took a heavy blow as he made a tackle and was withdrawn for an HIA form which he never returned. It necessitated the switch to the wing for centre Jesse Kriel, and the insertion of replacement Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield.
The new man quickly made his mark – claiming his sixth try – as his powerful carry from third phase after a lineout in the All Black 22, saw him bust through a flailing tackle to score 15 metres in from the right. Kolbe converted and the Boks were back in the lead.
New Zealand were having the better of field position at this point although their second try came from halfway as their determination to get the ball quickly from wing to wing paid dividends. Blindside flanker Tupou Vaa’i was loitering on the left touchline and offloaded infield to wing Moorby who ran in untouched from 30 metres.
Ruben Love converted – having missed the first – but Kolbe edged the Boks back into a one-point lead (13-12) with his second penalty goal in the 25th minute after Roigard was penalised for delaying the feed at a scrum.
From this point – just over a quarter into the match – the Boks began to dominate field position, and it seemed only a matter of time before more points would follow.
The Bok scrum was beginning to wreak havoc and from a penalty from one such a massive lineout drive would have yielded a try had the ball not squirmed from Malcolm Marx’s grasp as the crossed the line.
A second opportunity saw the ball ripped from Jasper Wiese’s hands as he surged toward the poles. A game of small margins and moments as the team’s went to the break with the Boks leading by one point.
Another scrum penalty – 40 metres out and 15 in from the left touchline – saw Kolbe edge the Boks further ahead but the lead was short-lived.
The looming figure of Holland (lock) towered over Williams as he attempted to clear from the restart, 15 metres from the Bok line and the ball sat up kindly for the All Blacks’ third try and Love’s second conversion to see NZ take a 19-16 lead.
The Boks came right back and began to turn the scrum screws. The first came under the poles in the 51st minute and after claiming three penalties a fourth attempt, five metres out, saw one earned by the visitors to ease the pressure.
And that was the high-water mark for the Boks.
The All Blacks came back with a fourth try – ironically from a scrum five metres out. It was solid and although the first pick and drive from the base was held, Luke Jacobson crossed from the next phase as the All Blacks folded to the right.
Love converted and as the clock ran down things got worse for the home team, first with a yellow card for replacement Marco van Staden for playing the halfback and then for South Africa’s own replacement scrumhalf to be yellow carded for a deliberate knock on to reduce the Boks to 13.
Scorers:
Springboks 16 (13) – Try: Andre Esterhuizen. Conversions: Cheslin Kolbe. Penalty goals: Kolbe (2).
All Blacks 33 (12) – Tries: Will Jordan (2), Josh Moorby, Fabian Holland, Luke Jacobson. Conversions: Ruben Love (4).
