Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx dives over to score a try in their World Cup warm-up match against the All Blacks at Twickenham on Friday night. Picture: Alex Davidson/Getty Images
The Springboks produced a stunning performance to thrash the All Blacks 35-7 in their final World Cup warm-up match in front of a packed crowd at Twickenham on Friday night.
It was a dominant performance set-up by the forwards, as they demolished the All Blacks in the scrums, lineouts and at the mauls, while a red card to Scott Barrett in the 38th minute further set the New Zealanders back in the match.
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It was a great start to the game from the Boks, but despite dominating the opening 15 minutes, most of it played in the All Blacks 22m, they could not convert their chances.
The Boks earned multiple penalties, choosing to either kick to touch or scrum, but they couldn’t make their territory and possession count as the New Zealanders defended desperately.
Eventually the penalty count came back to bite the All Blacks as Barrett and Sam Cane were yellow carded within minutes of each other, Barrett for playing the scrumhalf and Cane for driving in at the side of a maul, reducing them to 13 men after 14 minutes.
With the extra men the Boks finally managed to breakdown the stubborn All Blacks defence as they attacked from a lineout, with them bashing away at the line and captain Siya Kolisi crashing over for the opening score, converted by flyhalf Manie Libbok for a 7-0 lead after 18 minutes.
A penalty straight off the kick-off then gave the All Blacks a chance to get three points back, but flyhalf Richie Mo’unga struck his effort back off the upright.
The Boks were deservedly in for their second in the 33rd minute, as right wing Kurt-Lee Arendse snaffled an intercept and ran away to dot down under the poles, with Libbok’s extras putting them 14-0 up.
The All Blacks then suffered the hammer blow in the 38th minute as Barrett came charging in at a ruck, shoulder straight to the head of hooker Malcolm Marx, leading to a second yellow and red.
A blistering start to the second half saw Kolisi and Marx combining again as they did against Wales, Kolisi breaking off a maul and feeding Marx to go over in the right hand corner for a converted score and 21-0 lead after 42 minutes.
A yellow card to flank Pieter-Steph du Toit for a high tackle in the 52nd minute didn’t slow the Boks at all as replacement hooker Bongi Mbonambi rumbled over for their fourth try at the back of a maul in the 58th minute, with the conversion putting them up 28-0.
Another powerful maul then set the stage for Kwagga Smith to break off and score, followed soon by the All Blacks finally getting in for a try as replacement scrumhalf Cam Roigard broke through a few tackles and went over for a consolation converted score to make it 35-7 after 71 minutes, with that the final score in the end.
Springboks: Tries – Siya Kolisi, Kurt Lee-Arendse, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Kwagga Smith; Conversions – Manie Libbok (5)
New Zealand: Try – Cam Roigard; Conversions – Richie Mo’unga
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