Gutsy Springboks claim epic draw against All Blacks

Herschel Jantjies cemented his status as a rising star in world rugby by calmly rounding off a last gasp try that secured the Springboks a thrilling 16-all draw against the All Blacks in an epic Rugby Championship meeting in Wellington on Saturday.

The 23-year-old scrumhalf’s awareness and snappy service was once again a highlight, but it must be acknowledged that the true architect of the South Africans’ last gasp moment of inspiration was diminutive winger Cheslin Kolbe, whose linebreak proved vital.

It allowed the Boks to claim a psychological victory in a match where they regularly knocked the world champions off their stride.

However, the New Zealanders’ greater fluency and ability to take their limited chances seemed to have been decisive before Jantjies’ late showstopper.

Who was the star in this match?

Kolbe is physically short in stature, but a giant as a player. He was invariably at the heart of any attacking movement and never backed down from his defensive duties. His brilliant low hit on opposite number Rieko Ioane snuffed out a promising attacking move by the All Blacks in the first half. And then there was, of course, that final moment of brilliance…

Key moments and themes

• The Springboks’ opening 15 minutes was a masterclass in control. There was clarity to their thought process and the execution was spot-on. They dominated the collisions, kept the All Blacks caged with clever kicking and forced no less than seven knock-ons in the first half-hour. Handre Pollard put the visitors into a 6-0 lead and should’ve slotted another.
• The All Blacks uncharacteristically listless, but illustrated their champion pedigree through centre Jack Goodhue’s fine score just before halftime. Bok skipper Duane Vermeulen’s knock had allowed the ball to be fed to Beauden Barrett on the wing, who broke the line and fed his teammate. It was literally South Africa’s first mistake and their opponents made them pay.
• That score also seemed to galvanise the All Blacks, who took control after the turnaround and looked far more fluent on attack. The Springboks’ defence started creaking and certainly wasn’t helped by Nic Berry’s inconsistent officiating of the breakdown.
• The biggest manifestation of Berry’s whistling was pivot Richie Mo’unga’s second penalty, which came after Berry had missed a knock-on before playing advantage for a South African indiscretion. That seemed to kill of the Boks’ challenge.
• But for the second week in succession, the bench made the difference for South Africa. Francois Louw made a game-saving steal at an attacking ruck with five minutes left, while the front row of Beast Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane forced the scrum penalty that would eventually lead to Jantjies’ try.

Point scorers:

All Blacks – Try: Jack Goodhue. Conversion: Beauden Barrett. Penalties: Barrett, Richie Mo’unga (2).

Springboks –  Try: Herschel Jantjies. Converion: Handre Pollard. Penalties: Pollard (3).

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