Willemse knocks over late penalty as Boks edge Wales in Loftus thriller

The Springboks needed an 83^rd minute penalty from Damian Willemse to edge Wales 32-29 in a thrilling first Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday evening.

A dismal first half saw the hosts in real trouble, trailing 18-3 at the break, but once their maul started working, they powered back with four second-half tries, with the sides level going over the 80-minute mark, before Willemse stepped up to win the game.

Wales got off to a flying start in the match as they went over for the opening try after just three minutes.

From a messy Bok lineout in the Welsh half, the visitors stole the ball and attacked at pace, spreading the ball wide quickly where right wing Louis Rees-Zammit received it on the overlap and sprinted away to score in the corner, with flyhalf Dan Biggar missing the conversion.

Six minutes later with little on in the Bok half, Biggar looks up and hammers over a long range drop goal to give his side an 8-0 lead.

The Boks then had a chance to get on the board in the 14^th minute, but flyhalf Elton Jantjies long range penalty attempt from a tricky position came back off the post, but his next shot three minutes later was from an easier position and he duly put the Boks on the board at 8-3.

Biggar then responded with his own penalty in the 20^th minute to put them back up by eight points.

Another messy lineout in the 33^rd minute, this time for Wales, saw them score their second as an overthrown ball was caught by Jantjies who then lost it, with the ball hacked ahead for Rees-Zammit to run onto it and score, with Biggar’s extras giving them a 15 point lead at the break.

Boks come alive

The Boks then finally came alive at the start of the second half, as their maul finally started working.

Two five metre lineouts in the 47^th and 50^th minutes ended with two tries as hooker Bongi Mbonambi dotted down the first and replacement hooker Malcolm Marx broke off and powered over for the second, with Damian Willemse nailing one conversion to make it 18-15.

Biggar however kept Wales ahead with two penalties in the 54^th and 62^nd minutes, taking their lead over a converted try ahead at 24-15.

The Boks then went over for their third try in the 66^th minute as they attacked from a lineout on Wales 22m, spreading the ball one way and back the other, with inside centre Damian de Allende stabbing through a grubber for right wing Cheslin Kolbe to dot down, with Willemse’s extras making it 24-22.

Wales replacement lock Alun Wyn Jones was yellow carded for foul play in the build up to that try, and was then joined in the sin bin by Rees-Zammit for a cynical foul at a ruck with the Boks just metres out in the 74^th minute.

The penalty was then kicked into the corner and the Boks were rumbling their maul over when it was brought down illegally leading to a penalty try, as they took the lead for the first time in the match.

Replacement prop Rhys Carre was yellow carded for bringing the maul down, swapping places with Wyn Jones who returned to the field.

Straight from the kick-off Wales then earned a penalty, kicked into the corner and set up a maul, with replacement hooker Dewi Lake breaking off and powering over to draw the scores level, with Biggar missing the conversion and allowing Willemse to be the hero a few minutes later.

Scorers

Springboks: Tries – Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx, Cheslin Kolbe, Penalty Try; Conversions – Damian Willemse (2); Penalties – Elton Jantjies, Willemse

Wales: Tries – Louis Rees-Zammit (2), Dewi Lake; Conversion – Dan Biggar; Penalties – Biggar (3); Drop Goal: Biggar