New Zealand ended a three-match losing streak with a 35-23 Rugby Championship win over South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, and might have saved the job of their embattled coach Ian Foster.
A last-minute try by lock Scott Barrett sealed victory for the All Blacks after a thrilling second-round match. Foster had been under fire after five losses in six matches ahead of the Johannesburg showdown, including a 16-point defeat to Rugby World Cup champions the Springboks last weekend.
Yet a much-improved All Blacks side turned the tables after a match in which South Africa led by one point with 6 minutes remaining before conceding two converted tries.
Photo: AFP
“To say I am proud is a massive understatement,” said New Zealand skipper and flanker Sam Cane, who has also been criticized amid reports he would lose the captaincy to lock Sam Whitelock.
“It is a massive challenge coming here, one of the toughest places in the world to play, and the group stepped up massively,” he said. “We were a lot better at the breakdowns today, and at the box kicks and contestables we were a lot better.”
The first points in an arm wrestle came on 25 minutes when recalled flyhalf Richie Mo’unga slotted a penalty for the visitors. That triggered a period of away dominance in which Cane and hooker Samson Taukei’aho scored tries, the second of which Mo’unga converted.
The hosts needed to score quickly, and they did with center Lukhanyo Am diving over and flyhalf Handre Pollard converting.
The second half became a thriller with South Africa finally edging in front at 23-21 when Pollard kicked a penalty on 68 minutes.
However, intense All Blacks pressure led to tries from centre David Havili and lock Scott Barrett, and Mo’unga converted both.
Wing Makazole Mapimpi was the other Springbok try scorer as Pollard accumulated 13 points from two conversions and three penalties.
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