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New Zealand narrowly justified their No.1 world ranking with a relentless 19-17 victory over world champions South Africa in Townsville on Saturday to secure the rugby championship title with a match in argue.
The 100th test between the two most successful nations of the Union did not disappoint and it was only when full-back Jordie Barrett took his fourth penalty two minutes from time that the All Blacks took the lead. head for the last time.
All Blacks winger Will Jordan and Springboks counterpart S’bu Nkosi scored the first downs, but from then on it was a kicking duel between South African opener Handre Pollard and Barrett to decide the booty. In the end, Barrett’s 14 points from the start were enough to give New Zealand a 12th Southern Hemisphere Test Championship title and a 10th consecutive Test victory.
“We knew this game was going to be played on the wire, it was tit for tat,” said New Zealand forward Ardie Savea. “They put a lot of pressure on us. Really relieved.
After disappointing in back-to-back losses to Australia over the past two weeks, the Springboks were back to their best clinical level at North Queensland Stadium. Klerk’s scrum-half Faf sent kick after kick into Townsville’s sky and his forwards built up muscle in the tight kick and free kick.
The All Blacks scored the first goal in the third minute when hooker Codie Taylor grabbed a loose ball and found room to burst in the middle before finding Jordan in support with a clear sprint towards the line. The Springboks retaliated almost immediately with All Blacks winger George Bridge dropping a Klerk bomb in the evening sky and Nkosi leaping to land.
Two Handre Pollard penalties gave South Africa an 11-7 lead after 13 minutes, but Jordie Barrett put the All Blacks back in the lead with two of his own, the second after Nkosi was sent to the trash for a deliberate reversal.
New Zealand held a 13-11 halftime lead until Pollard’s third penalty just before the hour mark, but Barrett was quick to restore the slim advantage. Another penalty after a rolling maul collapsed saw Pollard give South Africa the 17-16 lead in the 67th minute – a sixth change in the lead – but Barrett was foolproof when his luck ran out. come to seal the victory.
“It was tough, it was a great competition and it was a fair competition,” said Springboks captain Siya Kolisi. “It’s been a tough two weeks, but I’m proud of the way the boys stood up today.
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