All Blacks draw first blood
Sat, 05 Jul 2008 11:42
Under pressure: Adi Jacobs tries to get the Bok backline going
New Zealand drew first blood in this year's Tri-Nations when they downed the Springboks 19-8 in a scrappy encounter at a wet and windy Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
It was hard. The weather made it hard but not as hard as tow physical, determined teams slamming into each other for 80 - and then ending with smiles, handshakes and hugs, like heavyweight boxers at the end of a massive bout.
This was a massive bout, a massive scrap and one which the All Blacks deserved to win, especially for their second-half effort - their effort and Dan Carter's skill.
Afterwards captain Rodney So'oialo said that New Zealand had upped the pressure in the second half. They did. The Springboks did not score a single point while the All Blacks scored 10 and were there and thereabouts on other occasions. Once Rudi Wulf was judged to have been off-side as he chased a kick to score, once Bryan Habana just managed to get a touchdown ahead of Carter and once they were held up over the line. The nearest the Springboks came in the second half was a long-range drop by François Steyn that dipped just under the crossbar - fractionally under - as the Springboks looked at least for a bonus point out of the match.
As expected the All Blacks were dominant in the scrums - taking the ball off the Springboks in the first scrum and making scrumming an unpleasant experience, especially for Gürthro Steenkamp who had a poor game, as did CJ van der Linde who was replaced early in the second half feeling sore. John Smit hobbled off just before half-time, his place taken by Bismarck du Plessis, who had a fine general game but before Smit and Van der Linde went off the Springboks scrum was in terrible trouble.
As expected the Springboks won the line-outs, especially in the second half when they won four of seven New Zealand throws into the line-out - won, but by slapping and one of those victories nearly led to a try when Carter charged down Steyn's kick.
The breakdowns were even, both sides conceding turnovers, the Springboks conceding eight free kicks to the All Blacks's seven. The penalty count went 7-5 to New Zealand. An early penalty against New Zealand was bizarre. First Adam Thomson tackled Conrad Jantjes high, then Brad Thorn lowered an elbow into him and then he lifted Smit into the air and dumped him. For some reason the referee decided that the penalty would be reversed. He penalised New Zealand which seemed the least he could have done, especially as fighting resulted.
The matter of substitutions was odd. New Zealand seemed to benefit from the arrival of players who can make an impact - such as Neemia Tialata, Sione Lauaki and Keven Mealamu, though Andrew Hore deserved to stay on. But the Springboks took off two of their best players, Jantjes and Enrico Januarie - to no profit. It may have been that they wanted better kicking. Butch James did many, many good things but his punting was poor. Steyn would remedy that though he got other things wrong. Swapping phantom Joe van Niekerk for phantom Luke Watson meant nothing.
Certainly Carter outkicked all Springboks attempts at kicking. His kicking is so varied - at goal, high, diagonally, chipping, grubbering through. What ever kick is needed he can produce it to perfection.
Perhaps the abiding memory of the game was its physicality - the sheer intensity of tackle after tackle, collision after collision. It was worthy of the 87 years of battles between the two top nations in the world of rugby.
The weather became incidental to the fierce heat of the battle. But the rain did eventually stop, to be replaced by a mean and nasty wind.
Butch James kicked the 2008 Tri-Nations into life but the All Blacks came back attacking and when James was penalised for tackling Carter late, Carter had a regulation penalty kick at goal, straight in front. He missed! It should be recorded as he may never do it again.
But a minute later he had an even easier kick when Bakkies Botha, whose physicality was at times misguided, was off-side. 3-0 after 4 minutes.
It was after this that fighting occurred. To his credit when it was over Thorn apologised to Smit.
But his tackle gave James a successful kick at goal. 3-3 after 6 minutes.
After a period in which the All Blacks dominated possession, the Springboks bashed but lost the ball in a turnover and Botha was off-side.
Then came a strange decision. Smit was judged to be off-side at a maul when there was no maul, but Carter accepted the chance to kick at goal. 6-3 after 21 minutes.
Van Niekerk went on one of his crossfield runs and then shovelled a hospital pass at Adi Jacobs who was immediately dumped. Van Niekerk went in the side of the tackle and Carter goaled. 9-3 after 28 minutes.
The All Blacks were close when Carter chipped and Nonu collected. He gave to Wulf on his left but Habana was there to bring him down.
Both the tries in the match were splendid ones, worthy of the finest weather on the firmest fields.
The Springboks attacked on the short side from a tackle/ruck. Jacobs did brilliantly to distract two New Zealand defenders and pop the ball to Jean de Villiers who brushed Sitiveni Sivivatu aside racing down the field. He drew Mils Muliaina and gave a perfect pass to Habana who raced ahead diving early in the wet, and surfing over for a try in the corner. James missed the conversion. 9-8 after 37 minutes.
The Springboks attacked again as De Villiers and Jacobs drove down the midfield but the move died when Van Niekerk ran across the field near touch.
The All Blacks started the second half flying. It started when Andrew Ellis broke sharply going right. They went far left. They went far right and then they came back far left till Thorn gave to Jerome Kaino who had So'oialo on an overlap outside of him. Kaino dummied and was over as James and Juan Smith tried to stop him. Carter converted from far out on his left. 16-8 after 46 minutes.
In this half the best of Springboks kicking was beyond Odwa Ndungane's wing. It seemed the Springboks were suffering for want of a left-footed kicker - indeed any kicker who could clear them a long way down field, brilliantly though Jantjes played, industrious as James was.
The All Blacks battered but Bismarck du Plessis won a turnover off Conrad Smith. Then on the counter Ma'a Nonu broke through De Villiers. James got him but the All Blacks went right and Carter stabbed a kick in to the Springboks in-goal. Wulf was there to score but was penalised for being off-side. He may have been. Just.
The Springboks attacked down the left off a stolen line-out but the All Blacks won a turnover and Ali Williams cleared with a long kick.
The All Blacks attacked with many phases and Schalk Burger was penalised for an early tackle on Leon MacDonald. It was just early, Carter goaled. 19-8.
That was the end of the scoring but there was still the close thing when Carter charged down a Steyn kick and Habana saved - just. The All Blacks then had two five-metre scrums but in their bashing conceded a free kick.
Man of the Match: Daniel Carter the nonpareil. Good as many, many other players were he was the best.
Moment of the Match: Jean de Villiers's break and Bryan Habana's try. There are few better sights in rugby than those two on the run.
Villain of the Match: Nobody perhaps, though Bakkies Botha could direct his physical bravery more judiciously and Brad Thorn may have saved himself from villainy by apologising.
Scorers:
For New Zealand:
Try: Kaino
Con: Carter
Pen: Carter 4
For the Springboks:
Try: Habana
Pen: James
Teams:
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Rodney So'oialo (captain), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Leon MacDonald.
South Africa: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Butch James, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Joe van Niekerk, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gürthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bismark du Plessis, 17 Brian Mujati, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Luke Watson, 20, Bolla Conradie, 21 François Steyn, 22
Percy Montgomery.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges: Matt Goddard (Australia), James Leckie (Australia)
TMO: George Ayoub (Australia)
