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Patrick Lambie scores late penalty as South Africa beat New Zealand Patrick Lambie scores late penalty as South Africa beat New Zealand
(about 1 hour later)
Patrick Lambie kicked a 52-metre penalty with a minute left as South Africa ended New Zealand’s 22-match unbeaten run. Patrick Lambie kicked a late penalty as South Africa clinched a 27-25 (half-time 21-13) win over New Zealand in their Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
New Zealand led 25-24 with less than three minutes left in the contest before English referee Wayne Barnes overturned a penalty decision after consulting the television match offical. New Zealand led 25-24 with less than three minutes left in the contest before referee Wayne Barnes overturned a penalty decision after replacement flank Liam Messam was adjudged to have shoulder charged Schalk Burger.
The New Zealand replacement flanker Liam Messam was adjudged to have shoulder-charged Schalk Burger. Fly-half Lambie, himself a replacement, kept his nerve to slot over the kick to secure South Africa’s first win over the All Blacks since 2011. It was the first time New Zealand had been beaten since their loss to England at Twickenham in December 2012. Replacement fly-half Lambie kept his nerve to slot a 55-metre penalty to secure South Africa’s first win over the All Blacks since 2011.
It was a fitting end to a pulsating clash which had seen New Zealand fight back from an 11-point deficit to take a one-point lead with 69 minutes left in the match. New Zealand had already wrapped up their 13th Rugby Championship or Tri-Nations title after beating Argentina 34-13 but no Test match between the Springboks and New Zealand is ever anything other than fiercely competitive. South Africa captain Jean de Villiers said that the win would stand his team in good stead ahead of next year’s World Cup, but acknowledged the All Blacks’ fightback.
New Zealand opened the scoring through an early penalty from fly-half Beauden Barrett before the hosts brought the capacity crowd to their feet with a sensational try in the 11th minute. The ball travelled through eight pairs of hands before scrum-half Francois Hougaard galloped clear. “I thought we played really well in the first half but I must give credit to this New Zealand team. They were unbelievable in that second half and they almost took it away from us,” said De Villiers.
Barrett narrowed the gap with his second penalty but a searing break down the touchline by Springbok wing Bryan Habana saw fly-half Handré Pollard jink his way over. The visitors stayed in the hunt when left wing Julian Savea collected his own chip before inside centre Malakai Fekitoa slipped through a gaping hole in South Africa’s defence to score a converted try which put the All Blacks ahead. It wasn’t a good second half and we will have to see were we went wrong. But (the win) was one of the boxes that we wanted to tick,” he added
Just before the break Pollard sniped over for his second try after a South Africa scrum five metres from the New Zealand line. The home team went to the break holding a 21-13 lead. Pollard extended the advantage with a penalty seven minutes after the restart but the All Black machine started to roll. With 14 minutes left, centre Conrad Smith handed off an opponent before feeding right wing Ben Smith, who ducked under a tackle to score. It was a fitting end to a pulsating clash which had seen New Zealand fight back from an 11-point deficit to take a one-point lead with 69 minutes played in the match.
New Zealand grabbed the lead with their second try in four minutes after they took the ball through six phases, with replacement hooker Ben Coles sliding over in the left-hand corner. However, Barrett missed the conversion and that left the world champions one point ahead at 25-24. The South Africans piled on the pressure and they were rewarded with Lambie’s penalty. New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, playing his record-breaking 134th match for his country to overtake the previous best that he held alongside the legendary Colin Meads, paid tribute to his team for their courage. “We gave ourselves a chance I guess but I must congratulate the Springboks. They took their chances and it was one helluva test match. It was a lot of fun to play in but when you come second best it is not quite as fun as you would like it,” he said with a wry grin.
South Africa: Le Roux, Hendricks (Pietersen 57), Serfontein, De Villiers, Habana, Pollard (Lambie 62), Hougaard (Reinach 67), Vermeulen, Mohoje (Burger 49), Coetzee, Matfield, Etzebeth (Botha 62), J. du Plessis (Van der Merwe 62), B. du Plessis (Strauss 52), Mtawarira (Nyakane 72). “There is very little between these two teams and the majority of players will be around in 12 months at the Rugby World Cup,” he added.
Tries: Hougaard, Pollard (2) New Zealand coach Steve Hansen said that, in the long run, the loss would be good for his team.
Conversions: Pollard (3) “This team hates losing. It sucks really, but every now and again you have got to do it,” he said.
Penalties: Pollard, Lambie New Zealand had already wrapped up their 13th Rugby Championship/Tri-Nations title after beating Argentina 34-13 and it would have been easy to dismiss the match as nothing more than a dead rubber but no test between the Springboks and New Zealand should be considered so lightly.
New Zealand: Dagg, B. Smith, C. Smith (Crotty 74), Fekitoa, Savea, Barrett, A. Smith (Kerr-Barlow 65), Read, McCaw, Kaino (Luatua 60), Whitelock, Thrush (Messam 48), O. Franks (Faumuina 57), Mealamu (Coles 48), Moody (B. Franks 40). New Zealand opened the scoring through an early penalty from pivot Beaudan Barrett before the hosts brought the capacity crowd to their feet with a try that would not have disgraced some of the great France teams of the past.
Tries: Fekitoa, B. Smith, Coles South Africa were intent to run the ball and their early endeavour paid off as they scored a wonderful try in the 11th minute with a sweeping move that started on their own tryline. The ball travelled through eight pairs of hands before scrum-half Francois Hougaard galloped clear.
Conversions: Barrett (2) Barrett narrowed the gap with his second penalty but the Springboks were playing some irresistible rugby and a searing break down the left-hand touchline from wing Bryan Habana saw fly-half Handrè Pollard jink his was over from 15 metres out before he converted his own try.
Penalties: Barrett (2) South Africa had raced to a 14-6 lead after 28 minutes but the All Blacks showed their class, with less than 10 minutes left in the half, when left wing Julian Savea collected his own chip ahead before inside centre Malakai Fekitoa slipped through a gaping hole in South Africa’s defence to score a converted try.
Referee: Wayne Barnes However, the New Zealand lead was short lived and Pollard went over for his second try, in the 38th minute, after a South Africa scrum five metres from the New Zealand line as the home team went to the break holding a 21-13 lead.
Pollard extended the advantage with a penalty seven minutes after the restart but the All Black machine started to roll and they were only prevented from scoring by some stoic South Africa defence.
South Africa could only hold on for so long and, with 14 minutes left in the titanic clash, outside centre Conrad Smith handed off an opponent before feeding right wing Ben Smith who ducked under a tackle to score a converted try.
New Zealand grabbed the lead with their second try in four minutes after they took the ball through six phases with replacement hooker Ben Coles sliding over in the left-hand corner.
But Lambie would have the final say with his nerveless kick.