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South Africa fight back to deny Wales historic Test victory at the death South Africa fight back to deny Wales historic Test victory at the death
(about 1 hour later)
A late penalty try denied Wales an historic first Test victory over the Springboks in South Africa. Liam Williams was penalised for a dangerous tackle on Cornal Hendricks as the South African wing looked set to score in the corner in the 78th minute. And that handed Morne Steyn a straightforward conversion from in front of the posts to hand the hosts a 31-30 victory. Wales were a team transformed after their capitulation in Durban the week before but the defeat in Nelspruit was by far the more painful. They were 17-0 ahead with eight minutes remaining in the first half and had a 13-point advantage eight minutes from the end only to fall behind for the first time with 140 seconds remaining when the Springboks were awarded their second penalty try.
Wales mustered two late opportunities for Dan Biggar but the Wales fly-half fell short with both drop-goal attempts from the halfway line. It was a bitter disappointment for Wales, who had led 17-0 in the first half and 30-17 with 10 minutes remaining. The first was a simple decision for the referee Steve Walsh, when Dan Biggar became the third Wales player to collapse a maul near his own line and followed Luke Charteris into the sin-bin. The second was more contentious: as the wing Cornal Hendricks dived for the line having evaded the tackle of George North, he was barged into touch by the full-back Liam Williams.
Jamie Roberts, Alex Cuthbert and Ken Owens all crossed for Wales in a vastly improved display from last week’s capitulation in Durban. However, indiscipline again proved costly as Wales conceded two penalties tries, either side of a score by Hendricks, and were reduced to 13 men during the first half after two players were binned. Walsh’s instinct was to award a penalty try because Williams had led with his shoulder in the challenge and not his arms but he consulted the television match official who, after more than two minutes of viewing, agreed. Walsh told the Wales captain, Alun Wyn Jones, that because Williams had committed an act of foul play, the question was whether, taking the full-back out of the move, Hendricks would have scored a try.
Having blown away the cobwebs in Durban last week, Wales began far more impressively at Nelspruit and stunned the Mbombela Stadium by galloping into a shock 17-point lead. Jannie du Plessis was penalised from Jamie Roberts’ thrust and Biggar kicked the opening points on 13 minutes while Du Preez missed his first effort. Jones argued, not unreasonably, that the wing was about to put a foot in touch before the challenge but was left to reflect that had Hendricks scored the try, Morné Steyn would have had a conversion to win the match from the right-hand touchline rather from than under the posts. Not that the men in red felt sorry for themselves: they claimed the restart and held on to the ball but they could not get over South Africa’s 10-metre line and Dan Biggar attempted two long-range drop goals that were both short.
Roberts was then involved again moments later for the game’s first try. The Welsh scrum, anchored by 21-year-old Samson Lee who started ahead of Adam Jones, held firm to hand Biggar the perfect attacking platform. Biggar sent Alex Cuthbert crashing through, the wing bouncing off two tackles before he found Roberts on his shoulder. The centre rode the challenge of Jan Serfotnein to score under the posts. Biggar converted for a 10-0 lead on 19 minutes. Most of Wales’s players fell to the ground at the final whistle. The defeat extended their losing run against the major southern hemisphere nations to 24 Tests and they were denied a first victory over the Springboks in South Africa. It was only at the end of a match they dominated apart from the period when they went down to 13 men that they looked like losing, which made the pain of failure all the more acute.
South Africa had been caught on the back foot and when Steyn failed to collect a lose ball, Jonathan Davies recovered leading to Wales’ second try. Liam Williams almost stepped through and Davies was strong before Cuthbert crashed on to Biggar’s pass through Serfontein on the line. Biggar converted for a remarkable 17-0 scoreline after 30 minutes. However just as in the first Test, Welsh indiscipline was to prove costly as the Springboks capitalised on yellow cards with 14 unanswered points. Never mind the result, the turnaround in a week was remarkable and a tribute to the powers of motivation and selection policy of the head coach, Warren Gatland. Wales, so passive in Durban, played on the front foot from the off and South Africa, taken by surprise, were never able to match their opponents physically. From the moment Duane Vermeulen dropped a routine pass in the opening minute to squander his side’s first attack, the Springboks were a mass of mistakes and confusion.
South Africa’s driving lineout was the source of Wales’ problems and Luke Charteris was binned for infringing as the green jerseys surged forward. The Springboks looked to have blown the chance when Dan Lydiate stole a lineout but back they came for a fourth attempt. It was not as if Wales did anything differently from what has become their established gameplan under Gatland. They ran hard, brought their wings into midfield to allow them occasionally to use Jamie Roberts as a decoy and Mike Phillips varied his game at scrum-half, but it was at the breakdown where the difference in seven days was most profound.
With Francois Louw carrying at the tail of a devastating drive, Biggar was penalised and referee Steve Walsh awarded South Africa a penalty try, converted by Steyn, and sent the Welsh fly-half to join Charteris in the sin bin. South Africa immediately stepped on the gas against 13 men and from the kick-off, spread play wide to find space. Again it was full-back Willie le Roux who proved most effective, following JP Pieterson’s break before sending Hendricks clear for a try. Wales did not just protect their own ball effectively but forced turnovers, primarily through the prop Gethin Jenkins and his ability to stay on his feet and contest when he saw that a tackled ball-carrier was isolated. They also gave the South Africa full-back Willie le Roux, the match-winner in Durban, few opportunities to counterattack: he scored a try to ignite his side’s late comeback but his failure to catch a routine high kick gave Wales the position from which they scored their first try.
Wales clung on to their 17-14 lead to half-time and, once back to full strength, rocked South Africa again by extending their lead. Dan Lydiate and Alun Wyn Jones surged from a lineout and Davies went close before hooker Owens dived between Tendai Mtawarira and Duane Vermulen, stretching out to score. Biggar converted to hand Wales a 24-14 advantage on 46 minutes. Biggar missed an early penalty before converting one from 35 metres after Jannie du Plessis had failed to roll away after making a tackle. Steyn was off target from near halfway before Le Roux was undone by a high diagonal kick by Biggar, dropping the ball as he glanced at Alex Cuthbert charging at him. Wales brought Cuthbert into midfield for the subsequent scrum and, after the wing had stormed the gainline, Jamie Roberts touched down under the posts.
Wales dug in to withstand the expected response while Steyne and Biggar traded penalties to maintain the 10-point gap. Six minutes later, Cuthbert scored and Wales led by 17 points. South Africa roused themselves to drive a lineout. Luke Charteris saw yellow for collapsing a maul and when Bigger’s action prompted Walsh to award a penalty try, the Springboks scored from the restart through Hendricks after Le Roux’s long pass.
South Africa were then reduced to 14 men when lock Flip van der Merwe was binned for tackling Alun Wyn Jones in mid-air. Wales’ pack, scrummaging against seven Springbok forwards, earned another penalty and Biggar converted his sixth kick to put Wales 30-17 ahead and dreaming of an historic win. Wales turned their three-point interval advantage into 13 with a close-range try by Ken Owens and two Biggar penalties. When the South Africa second-row Flip van der Merwe was sent to the sin-bin close to the hour for a reckless tackle, his side’s mission looked impossible. But Wales have shown a capacity in recent years to turn victory over the might of the southern hemisphere sides into defeat and after Le Roux’s try, they made a hash of their own scrum; from the subsequent lineout, the Boks forced the play that ended with Hendricks diving for the corner.
Pieterson launched a counter-attack that was initially repelled by brave Welsh defending but was finally undone by the footwork of Le Roux. South Africa Le Roux; Hendricks, Pietersen, Serfontein, Habana; M Steyn, du Preez; Matawarira (Steenksmp 65), B du Plessis (Brits 65), J du Plessis, Matfield (capt), Alberts (Burger 24), Louw, Vermeulen. Sin-bin Van der Merwe (58)
South Africa mounted a final attack and worked space out wide for Hendricks, who beat North before he was clattered by an illegal tackle from full-back Williams on the line. Tries Penalties 2, Hendricks, Le Roux. Cons Steyn 4. Pen Steyn.
Paul Rees’s report to follow … Wales L Williams; Cuthbert, J Davies, Roberts, North; Biggar, Phillips; Jenkins (James 74), Owens (Rees 74), Lee (Jarvis 51), Charteris (Ball 74), AW Jones (capt), Lydiate, Turnbull, Faletau. Sin-bin Charteris (30), Biggar (33)
Tries Roberts, Cuthbert, Owens. Cons Biggar 3. Pens Biggar 3.
Referee Steve Walsh (Australia)
Game rating 9/10