New Zealand win title despite South Africa’s victory

New Zealand claimed the 2022 Rugby Championship title after South Africa could only secure a 38-21 victory over Argentina at Kings Park Stadium in Durban.

The Springboks needed a bonus-point triumph and a 39-point gap between them and Los Pumas to usurp the All Blacks in the table but they came up against a resilient side.

Jacques Nienaber’s men started well enough as they moved 17-0 in front thanks to Jasper Wiese and Siya Kolisi tries, with Frans Steyn adding two conversions and a penalty, but the visitors hit back to end their dreams.

When Gonzalo Bertranou and Juan Martin Gonzalez touched down either side of the interval, it effectively made the task impossible.

Two penalty tries and a late score for Kurt-Lee Arendse sealed the win but it was ultimately a frustrating day for the Springboks.

Knowing that they needed tries, there was more ambition in the Boks’ play in Durban.  They looked to move the ball through the hands and off-load in contact, but unsurprisingly there were far too many errors.

In fact, once the hosts began to simplify matters, they created chances.  The key parts of their game ― the scrum, lineout and maul ― started to function, while they dominated at the breakdown.

Any time Argentina had the ball, which was few and far between, Malcolm Marx and co.  went to work at the contact area, resulting in consistent pressure on the visiting defence.

Los Pumas were regularly infringing and eventually referee Damon Murphy got fed up of their constant indiscretions, resulting in a yellow card for Marcos Kremer.

With the back-row off the field South Africa scored their first try when a scrum marched towards the line, giving Wiese the simple task of touching down.

Kremer then returned but almost immediately the South Americans were back down to 14 as Gonzalez was sin-binned.

A try for Kolisi soon followed and the hosts were edging towards the points total they needed, especially when Steyn added a long-range three-pointer.

Argentina had not been in the game but towards the end of the first half they found some rhythm.  The visitors went through the phases and Bertranou found a gap to snipe, crossing the whitewash from close range.

Despite that score, South Africa still had the chance to overturn the points differential to the All Blacks, but Los Pumas had upped their game and altered the momentum.

Impressive response from Argentina

All of a sudden, the Springboks were struggling to gain possession and territory, and Michael Cheika’s men manufactured a brilliant second try.

They shifted play out to the left where Gonzalez was lurking.  The athletic back-row still had plenty to do but he superbly stepped Willie le Roux to scamper clear and reduce the arrears to three points.

South Africa’s title aspirations were slipping away, even after they were awarded a penalty try.  Jeronimo de la Fuente was sin-binned for his role in that score but the hosts could not find the quality they needed to add to their tally.

Instead, Argentina got back on the front foot and, following yellow cards for Eben Etzebeth and Faf de Klerk, Matias Moroni reduced the arrears with 13 minutes remaining.

The concern for the Springboks had suddenly moved from claiming the title to actually winning the game, but they managed to muster a response as a penalty try and last-minute Arendse effort sealed a pretty hollow victory.

All Blacks boost title hopes with win over Wallabies

The All Blacks took a giant step towards retaining their Rugby Championship title when they clinched a 40-14 victory over the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday.

New Zealand started the game level on points with South Africa in the overall standings, and with a 13-point advantage over the world champions, but with them sealing a bonus-point victory ― with a big winning margin ― it means the Springboks will have to beat Argentina by 40 points or more in Durban, if they are to overhaul Ian Foster’s men.

In the end, the All Blacks outscored the Wallabies by five tries to two with Will Jordan, Sam Whitelock, Codie Taylor and Samisoni Taukei’aho crossing the whitewash and they were also awarded a penalty try, while Richie Mo’unga finished with a 13-point haul courtesy of three penalties and two conversions.

For Australia, Folau Fainga’a and Jordan Petaia scored tries and their other points came courtesy of conversions from Bernard Foley and Reece Hodge.

The match started at a frenetic pace with the Wallabies doing the early attacking but they were reduced to 14 men in the second minute when Jed Holloway was sent to the sin bin for taking Dalton Papali’i beyond the horizontal.

The All Blacks were soon on the attack deep inside their opponents’ 22 but the visitors kept them at bay with a solid defensive effort and there were no points scored during Holloway’s stint off the field.

The next 20 minutes was an arm wrestle as both sides battled to gain the ascendancy but the All Blacks eventually opened the scoring in the 22nd minute via a Mo’unga penalty.  And shortly afterwards they extended their lead when Jordan found himself in space just outside Australia’s 22 before gliding through a gap in their defence on his way over the try-line.

That try was a shot in the arm for the home side, who continued to build pressure inside Australia’s half and they were rewarded in the 27th minute when referee Andrew Brace awarded them a penalty try.  This, after the All Blacks launched a lineout drive close to the Wallabies’ try-line which was pulled down illegally by Dave Porecki, who was also sent to the sin bin for his indiscretion.

The Wallabies needed to respond and they thought they had reduced the deficit on the half-hour mark when Marika Koroibete dotted down in the left-hand corner but his effort was disallowed when television replays revealed that he had a foot in touch in the build-up.

The All Blacks continued to hold an edge and, although they couldn’t build on their lead, they had their tails up with the score 17-0 in their favour at half-time.

All Blacks dominance continues in second half

The hosts continued to dominate after the interval and extended their lead in the 43rd minute when Whitelock crossed for their third try, after barging over from close quarters under the posts.

Mo’unga added the extras, as well as a penalty in the 47th minute, before Taylor crossed off the back of a lineout drive to give his team a 32-0 lead.  On the hour mark, the Wallabies finally opened their account when Pete Samu made a break down the left-hand touchline before throwing an inside pass which was knocked backwards by Jordan and Fainga’a gathered before crossing the whitewash.

Despite that score, the All Blacks did not panic and struck back with Taukei’aho’s five-pointer ― scored in similar fashion to Taylor’s off a lineout drive out wide.  Mo’unga failed to convert but slotted a penalty in the 76th minute to put more daylight between his team and the Springboks on the Rugby Championship table.

The Wallabies finished stronger, however, and were rewarded with a consolation try from Petaia in the game’s closing stages ― a score which could be significant in the grander scheme of things as it made the Boks’ task a little easier in their upcoming clash against the Pumas.

Springboks made to graft for victory over Pumas

The Springboks were made to work hard before securing a 36-20 triumph against a spirited Argrentina side in their Rugby Championship Test in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Despite delivering a dominant first half performance, the Boks went off the boil after half-time and allowed the Pumas to come back into the match before late tries from Damian de Allende and Malcolm Marx secured them the result and an important bonus point.

Marx scored another try for the visitors in the first half and their other points came via a five-pointer from Jaden Hendrikse, a conversion and a penalty from Damian Willemse, two conversions from Frans Steyn as well as a penalty try.

For Argentina, Matias Moroni crossed the whitewash and they were also awarded a penalty try, while Emiliano Boffelli slotted a couple of penalties and a conversion.

The opening exchanges were cagey with the teams feeling each other out before Argentina took an early lead courtesy of a long range penalty from Boffelli in the ninth minute.

The Boks were soon camped inside the Pumas’ half and drew level two minutes later courtesy of a Willemse penalty, after the home side infringed on defence.

The visitors were slowly gaining the ascendancy and midway through the half had the Pumas on the back foot as they set up several phases inside their 22.  The ball was shifted wide to Canan Moodie, who was stopped just short of the try-line before Hendrikse gathered and went over but he failed to ground the ball after a desperate tackle from Santiago Carreras.

However, after checking television replays, referee James Doleman ruled that Carreras tackled Hendrikse from an offside position and awarded a penalty try to the Boks, while the Pumas fly-half was also sent to the sin bin for his indiscretion.

South Africa made full use of their numerical advantage and, despite another Boffelli penalty, scored two quickfire tries during Carreras’ stint on the sidelines.  First, Hendrikse glided through a gaping hole deep inside Argentina territory after Marx did well in the build-up with a powerful carry.  And on the half-hour mark, the Bok hooker got his name onto the scoreboard when he dotted down off the back of a lineout drive inside Argentina’s 22.

Just before half-time, the hosts were reduced to 14 men again when Gonzalo Bertranou was yellow carded for repeated infringements from his team when he was caught offside on defence.

South Africa put the resulting penalty into touch close to Argentina’s try-line but, although Lood de Jager went over the whitewash, his effort was chalked off as Franco Mostert had knocked on in the build-up.  Despite that, South Africa were on a high when they went into the sheds at half-time as they held a deserved 22-6 lead.

Argentina’s fightback

The Pumas came out firing after the interval but, despite an improved performance, they were still committing too many unforced errors.  However, the Boks were also guilty of that, especially on defence, and in the 60th minute Willie le Roux received a yellow card when he was caught offside deep inside his 22.

The Pumas spent most of the next 10 minutes camped inside the Boks’ half and they too were rewarded with a penalty try after Kwagga Smith prevented Tomas Cubelli from scoring with a high tackle.  Smith also received his marching orders for his offence which meant South Africa played with 13 men for a brief period.  And during that time Moroni crossed for their second try after great work from Marcos Kremer in the build-up.

Boffelli added the extras which meant South Africa held a narrow 22-20 lead, but they held their composure when De Allende powered through two tackles before scoring their fourth try in the 75th minute.  They still needed another five-pointer to clinch the bonus point and that came in the dying moments when Marx gathered an inside pass from Makazole Mapimpi before crashing over in the left-hand corner.

All Blacks win Bledisloe Cup for 20th year in a row

New Zealand secured the Bledisloe Cup for the 20th successive year and consolidated their position at the top of the Rugby Championship table courtesy of a 39-37 triumph over Australia in Melbourne on Thursday.

In a drama-filled contest, in which the result was in the balance until the end, the Wallabies thought they had clinched a stunning comeback victory when Nic White landed a long range penalty in the 78th minute before the All Blacks struck late with the match-winning try from Jordie Barrett in the game’s dying moments.

The teams had momentum at various stages of a brutal encounter which proved costly for both sides.  The All Blacks lost the services of their captain, Sam Cane, and David Havili, who both failed HIAs while Quinn Tupaea also limped off with a knee injury.  Meanwhile, Wallabies skipper James Slipper and Rob Leota were forced off the field with calf injuries.

In the end, New Zealand outscored their hosts by five tries to four with Samisoni Taukei’aho leading the way with a brace while Richie Mo’unga, Will Jordan and Barrett scored their other five-pointers.  Mo’unga also succeeded with four conversions and two penalties to finish with a 19-point haul.

For Australia, Andrew Kellaway (2), Rob Valetini and Pete Samu crossed the whitewash with Bernard Foley adding four conversions and two penalties and White also succeeded with a three-pointer off the kicking tee.

There was some pre-match drama when the Wallabies lined up in a boomerang shape before advancing on the All Blacks, while they were doing the Haka, but the home side were soon on the back foot as Jed Holloway failed to gather the ball from the kick off.  New Zealand went on the attack and set up a lineout drive from which Taukei’aho crossed for the opening try.

Mo’unga added the extras and extended his side’s lead to 10 points when he slotted a penalty before Foley reduced the deficit with a penalty of his own in the 18th minute.

With points on the board, the Wallabies’ confidence grew and midway through the half they thought they had their opening try when Kellaway crossed the whitewash.  However, it was ruled out after television replays revealed that Rieko Ioane did brilliantly to get his hands under the ball while the full-back tried to ground it.

Despite that setback, Australia did not panic and shortly afterwards they received a penalty and set up a lineout inside New Zealand’s 22.  They launched a maul which was stopped close to the try-line by Dalton Papali’i but the ball was recycled quickly and Valetini dotted down with two defenders on his back.

Papali’i received a yellow card after referee Mathieu Raynal ruled that he had stopped that maul illegally, while Foley slotted the conversion which meant the scores were level and the hosts had a spring in their step during the latter stages of the half.

There was plenty of drama during that period, though, as Tom Wright was yellow carded for a professional foul inside his 22 while Raynal also sent Darcy Swain to the sin bin for taking out Tupaea with a shoulder charge to his knee at a ruck which resulted in the All Blacks centre leaving the field for the rest of the match.

The visitors made a fine start to the second half when shortly after the restart Kellaway was caught in possession just inside his half.  The All Blacks won a turnover before shifting the ball to Taukei’aho close to the 22-metre line and he did brilliantly to shrug off three defenders on his way over.

Ten minutes later, the Wallabies received another yellow card after Jake Gordon too collapsed a maul illegally in his 22.  The All Blacks made full use of their one-man advantage soon after Gordon’s exit with Mo’unga waltzing through the Wallabies’ defence to score his five-pointer.  Beauden Barrett then delivered a perfectly weighted chip kick which Jordan gathered close to the halfway line before outpacing the cover defence to cross for his team’s fourth try in the 55th minute.

Wallabies fightback before crazy ending

With the score 31-13 in New Zealand’s favour, Australia needed a response and it came in the form of two tries in quick succession from Kellaway after excellent work from Foley on both occasions.

Another Mo’unga penalty gave his team a 34-27 lead before the Wallabies struck back with a brilliant try from Samu out wide with Foley’s superb conversion drawing his side level in the 72nd minute.

The match was far from done, though, as White slotted a 48-metre penalty to give his side an unlikely lead, but there would be a crazy ending when Raynal awarded a penalty to Australia in the 79th minute.  That happened close to their try-line but, when Foley took his time to kick for touch, the referee awarded a scrum to the All Blacks after ruling that Foley had wasted time.

From the resulting set-piece, New Zealand launched an attack and the ball was shifted out wide where Barrett crossed in the right-hand corner for the match-winning try.

Springboks end Australian hoodoo with superb win

South Africa got their Rugby Championship campaign back on track after they produced a dominant display to defeat the Wallabies 24-8 in Sydney for their first win on Australian soil since 2013.

The Springboks were excellent throughout, controlling possession and territory and moving in front via Damian de Allende’s early try.

Noah Lolesio did reduce the deficit via a penalty but Canan Moodie’s debut score deservedly gave the visitors a 12-3 advantage at the interval.

It was a lead they would not relinquish as they continued to put Australia under the pump, with Franco Mostert and Makazole Mapimpi securing a fine bonus-point triumph, despite Pete Samu’s consolation.

After successive defeats in the Rugby Championship, Jacques Nienaber demanded a response and he received it.  Despite being without stars Lukhanyo Am and Pieter-Steph du Toit, they were outstanding and utterly dominated the opening exchanges.

The forwards were physical and abrasive, controlling the set-piece battle, while inexperienced half-backs Jaden Hendrikse and Damian Willemse were also impressive.

It was Hendrikse’s efficiency from the base which set up the first try as he constantly shifted the point of contract in the opposition 22.  Australia were manful in defence but they eventually folded as De Allende touched down from close range.

Matt Philip was sin-binned after the Wallabies infringed several times in the build-up to that try and South Africa remained in the ascendency, but they initially failed to add to their lead.

Their profligacy was an issue last week and there would have been concerns after they spurned further chances in Sydney, especially when the hosts got on the board through a Lolesio penalty, but the Springboks managed to stay on the front foot.

They were in complete control and finally extended their advantage through Moodie’s score late in the half.  Hendrikse’s inch-perfect box-kick was matched by the chase and leap of the debutant, who rose above Marika Koroibete, brilliantly collected and surged across the whitewash.

Dave Rennie needed a vast improvement from his players in the second period but it failed to materialise as they struggled to get out of their own half.

Brutal performance

The Springboks were simply brutal in contact, constantly sending their opponents into reverse in both defence and attack, but they also found some subtlety.

South Africa’s third try was a thing of beauty.  Hendrikse was once again superb in dictating the tempo before forwards and backs combined to send Mostert scampering over.

Willemse, for the second time in the match, missed a difficult conversion, but it did not matter and they secured the win when Willie le Roux sent Mapimpi away, who held off Koroibete to score.

The Bok wing, in rather petulant fashion, reacted to his opposite number for some unbeknown reason, which set off both sets of players.

After it had calmed down, Mapimpi was correctly handed a yellow card and Le Roux then followed him off the field late in the encounter, but by that point the result had already been decided, despite Samu’s consolation.

All Blacks bounce back with easy win over Argentina

New Zealand returned to the victory trail in the Rugby Championship after they sealed a 53-3 bonus-point triumph over Argentina in Hamilton on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, the All Blacks dominated proceedings for long periods and eventually scored seven tries, with Ethan de Groot, Caleb Clarke, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Ardie Savea, Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett all crossing the whitewash.

Their other points came via four conversions and two penalties from Richie Mo’unga while Jordie Barrett also succeeded with a couple of conversions.  For Argentina, Emiliano Boffelli slotted a penalty.

The match started with heavy rain pelting down but, despite the atrocious weather conditions, the All Blacks opted to keep the ball in hand and were rewarded for their attacking endeavour.

Argentina were on the back foot from the outset as from the kick off Tomas Lavanini knocked on and the All Blacks were soon on the attack inside Argentina’s 22.  The visitors were penalised for straying offside on defence and Mo’unga made no mistake from the kicking tee.

New Zealand’s handling was outstanding in the wet weather and shortly afterwards De Groot crashed over for the opening try after gathering a well-timed pass from Aaron Smith.  The All Blacks continued to dominate and midway through the half Clarke rounded off out wide after good work from Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Ioane in the build-up.

Argentina struggled to build momentum as they committed a plethora of handling errors but in the 32nd minute Boffelli scored their only points via a penalty after the All Blacks infringed on defence.

Despite that score, everything seemed to be going wrong for the visitors and they were reduced to 14 men in the 35th minute when Lavanini was yellow carded for not retreating 10 metres when making a tackle on Savea, who took a quick tap penalty inside Argentina’s 22.

Just before half-time, the All Blacks launched an attack from a scrum deep inside Argentina territory and Ioane cantered in under the posts after running onto a pass from David Havili.

Mo’unga added the extras which meant the hosts had their tails up with the score 24-3 in their favour at the interval.

The All Blacks had the better of the second half’s early exchanges and extended their lead when Mo’unga added another penalty in the 46th minute, after several Pumas were pinged for offside play.  The visitors needed a response and they were soon camped inside New Zealand’s 22 but, despite hammering away at the home side’s try-line, they would not be rewarded.

In the 57th minute, Argentina launched a lineout drive on New Zealand’s five-metre line but the maul was halted illegally by Fletcher Newell, who was yellow carded for his indiscretion.

Strong All Blacks finish

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the All Blacks stayed true to their attacking roots and on the hour-mark Ioane made a superb line break before his progress was halted deep inside Argentina’s half.  The ball was recycled quickly before full-back captain Sam Cane offloaded to full-back Barrett, who crossed for their fourth try.

New Zealand’s continued to dominate during the game’s latter stages and further tries from Savea and Retallick followed which meant they held a 46-3 lead.

The All Blacks did not take their foot off the pedal and their half century came up in injury time when Beauden Barrett went over for their seventh and final try after Savea launched an attack off the back of a scrum deep inside Argentina’s 22.

Outstanding Argentina stun the All Blacks

Ian Foster made more unwanted history as New Zealand head coach as they became the first All Blacks team to lose to Argentina at home.

Foster received a stay of execution following their victory over South Africa but this result is a catastrophe for both the head coach and the governing body.

However, although there will be plenty of fallout from this abject defeat, all the credit has to go to Los Pumas, who were once again utterly magnificent.

Two weeks after their record-breaking victory over Australia, they went to the home of the three-time world champions and produced another incredible effort.

Even though New Zealand were the better team with ball in hand in the first half, scoring two tries via Samisoni Taukei’aho and Caleb Clarke, their discipline let them down throughout and Argentina capitalised.

Los Pumas sharp-shooter Emiliano Boffelli was superb off the tee, taking advantage of the hosts’ infringements to keep them in contention at the break.

And they lifted their intensity even more in the second period, despite Richie Mo’unga’s early penalty, as Juan Martin Gonzalez’s try and two more Boffelli three-pointers sealed a historic win.

Buoyed by their superb Rugby Championship triumph over the Springboks in Johannesburg, the All Blacks were attempting to make it successive victories for the first time since last year, but they were simply abysmal in Christchurch.

The Kiwis certainly made their intentions known early on by looking to move the ball through the phases, but they were inaccurate and it enabled Boffelli to give the visitors a 3-0 advantage.

New Zealand hit back straight away, however, and it came through their maul.  Forwards coach Jason Ryan has made a significant impression since joining the set-up and it looked organised and powerful as they surged across the whitewash, with Taukei’aho touching down.

The scrum was also in the ascendency but, despite that set-piece dominance, they were conceding far too many penalties and Boffelli took advantage.

His second three-pointer moved the South Americans back in front before Mo’unga responded for the All Blacks, giving them an 8-6 lead.

Foster’s charges then constructed a brilliant try following a botched Argentina lineout as they moved it through the hands, with Clarke lurking to finish off a flowing move.

Brilliant Boffelli

That could have been the score which prompted the hosts to find their rhythm but Los Pumas remained physical, resilient and smart as Boffelli kicked two more penalties.

They were just 15-12 in arrears at the break and, although Mo’unga briefly extended that gap early in the second period, from the restart the visitors had their first try.

Boffelli brilliantly put Scott Barrett under pressure and Gonzalez collected the loose ball to surge across the whitewash out wide.

The wing, almost inevitably, nailed a difficult conversion to move the away team back in front before he was on target soon after for a 22-18 lead.

That then became a seven-point buffer, once again thanks to the outstanding Boffelli, and left New Zealand searching for answers.

Argentina’s defence was huge while the All Blacks lacked creativity and a yellow card for Shannon Frizell made the job even more difficult for Foster’s men.

The All Blacks did press for a converted try late on which would level the match but Argentina deservedly held on for an incredible victory.

Wallabies continue fine run against Boks in Australia

The Wallabies continued their impressive record against the Springboks in Australia when they sealed a 25-17 triumph in Adelaide on Saturday.

The home side were deserved winners as they dominated for long periods and eventually outscored the Boks by three tries to two with Fraser McReight leading the way with a brace, while Marika Koroibete also crossed the whitewash.

Their other points came via the boot of Noah Lolesio, who finished with a 10-point haul after succeeding with two conversions and as many penalties.

For South Africa, Kwagga Smith scored two tries while Handre Pollard slotted a penalty with Elton Jantjies and Jaden Hendrikse adding a conversion apiece.

The result means the home side stretch their unbeaten record in Australia against the Springboks to eight matches.

Australia made a terrific start and shortly after the kick-off they found themselves on the attack deep inside South Africa’s 22 thanks to a strong carry down the right-hand touchline from Rob Valetini.  After he was brought to ground the ball was recycled quickly and Folau Fainga’a did well to take the ball into contact before he was stopped close to the try-line.  McReight then ran onto a pass from Nic White before diving over for an opening try.

Five minutes later, the visitors strayed offside on defence and Lolesio gave the Wallabies a 10-0 lead when he slotted the resulting penalty.  South Africa were struggling to get a foothold in the game and had two opportunities to open their account courtesy of penalty attempts from Pollard during the opening quarter but both shots at goal were off target.

He eventually succeeded with one in the 24th minute after White was blown up for obstruction and with points on the board were slowly gaining the upper hand.  They spent most of the second quarter camped inside the Wallabies’ half but, despite dominating during the rest of the half, they failed to capitalise on that dominance.

On the half-hour mark, the Springboks played quickly from a penalty close to Australia’s try-line and Ox Nche crossed the whitewash but was held up by the Wallabies defence.  Tom Wright was the tackler but his efforts saw him being yellow carded as he did not retreat the 10 metres after the Boks took the tap penalty.

Just before the break Makazole Mapimpi found himself in space out wide deep inside the Wallabies’ 22 but he was stopped in his tracks close to the try-line by a magnificent cover tackle from Koroibete.

Mapimpi knocked on in the process and from the resulting scrum Faf de Klerk was yellow carded for a swinging arm to White’s face and the Wallabies went into the sheds holding a 10-3 lead at half-time.

Wallabies kick on in second half

Six minutes after the restart, Koroibete gathered a pass from Lolesio deep inside the Boks’ 22 and bamboozled Pollard with quick feet before showing a superb turn of speed on his way over the try-line.

Although Lolesio failed with the conversion attempt, that score reinvigorated the home side and in the 56th minute they extended their lead when McReight crossed for his second try.  This, after Lolesio gathered an inside pass from James Slipper on the Boks’ 10-metre line and soon found himself inside their 22 after a superb line break.  He was hauled in by the cover defence but did well to offload to McReight, who had an easy run-in over the try-line.

The Boks seemed shellshocked but had little to offer in response.  In the 64th minute they conceded a breakdown penalty and Lolesio made no mistake from the kicking tee to give his side a deserved 25-3 lead.

With the game in the bag, the Wallabies took their foot off the pedal and in the 74th minute Smith scored his first try after Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch laid the groundwork with some deft offloads in the build-up.  And just before the final whistle, Smith crossed from close quarters after he ran onto a pass from Hendrikse, who played quickly from a penalty.

That try added some respectability to the score but the Boks will be hugely disappointed with the end result, leaving their Rugby Championship chances in the balance.

All Blacks hit back in style with win over Springboks

New Zealand picked up their first win in this year’s Rugby Championship after they overcame South Africa 35-23 at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Tries from Sam Cane, Samisoni Taukei’aho, David Havili and Scott Barrett helped ease the pressure on Ian Foster as the All Blacks ended a three-game drought.

Richie Mo’unga also contributed massively off the tee with 15 points as New Zealand responded admirably after what has been a dismal few months in the camp.

Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi went over for South Africa’s tries while fly-half Handre Pollard added 13 points as they came up short in Johannesburg.

After struggling with their starts to games in recent outings, it was a much-improved opening from the All Blacks in this second fixture as they came out well.

Using the cross-kick to good effect and with plenty of possession and territory to boot, they had a foothold in the contest and matched the hosts’ physicality.

Despite their early dominance, however, the All Blacks could not turn pressure into points and that was with Damian Willemse off the field after he was yellow carded for killing the ball at a ruck.  The Boks managed to hold firm and eventually eased the pressure, thanks largely to Pieter-Steph du Toit’s intercept.

Like last week there was a need for tinkering in South Africa’s side early on as Jesse Kriel was replaced by Willie le Roux after he suffered a concussion.  Willemse, on his return, moved to inside centre with Am shifting to wing to accommodate Le Roux’s introduction at full-back, with more changes set to come.

New Zealand, to their credit, were much better in the forward exchanges and their improvements from last weekend were rewarded on 23 minutes as a run downfield that involved Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane ended with Lood de Jager straying offside.  Mo’unga made no mistake off the tee and the All Blacks led.

Things would get even better for Foster’s charges three minutes later when Cane finished off from Jordan’s pass on the right wing to make it 8-0 to the visitors.

South Africa were forced to act and sent on Malcolm Marx for Joseph Dweba before New Zealand scored again, this time Taukei’aho barging over to make it 15-0.

Cue Jasper Wiese and Steven Kitshoff’s arrival off the bench as Duane Vermeulen and Ox Nche made their way off and those changes paid dividends shortly after, with the ball coming to the right wing where Am was able to slip Caleb Clarke en route to the whitewash.  Pollard’s extras made it 15-7 to the All Blacks.

Following the interval, South Africa looked to build on that score and a Pollard penalty goal made it a two-point ball game after 45 minutes.  However, a late Wiese tackle on Aaron Smith pushed New Zealand back into a five-point lead shortly after as the fixture looked destined to be a tight affair right until the finish.

South Africa thought they had levelled matters on 56 minutes when wing Am’s break from his own half led to Mapimpi crossing.  However, obstruction from scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse was spotted by referee Luke Pearce and the try was chalked off, with Mo’unga slotting the resulting penalty to make it 21-13.

South Africa playing catch-up

The Springboks would not be denied for long though as, following a Marx turnover, Willemse’s superb pass found Mapimpi, who this time finished for the score.

After Pollard’s excellent touchline conversion it was a one-point deficit for the hosts and things looked promising for them when Beauden Barrett was sin-binned for taking out Hendrikse off the ball.  The Springbok fly-half made no mistake in moving them into the lead for the first time as the comeback looked on.

But the All Blacks found one last burst of energy as, following Ioane’s lung-busting break from his own half, the ball was recycled for centre Havili to reach out, making it 28-23 on 74 minutes, before Scott Barrett crashed over late on to rubberstamp a huge result that New Zealand as a team and country will savour.

Record-breaking Argentina thrash Australia

Argentina finally produced an 80-minute performance against Australia to get off the mark in the Rugby Championship following a hugely impressive 48-17 triumph on Saturday.

Los Pumas usually start well against the Wallabies before seeing their opponents have a second-half surge to snatch victory, but the hosts had no such problems in San Juan as they recorded their biggest ever win over the green and gold.

Just like in the opening weekend of the competition, Michael Cheika’s men were the dominant team in the first half.  The home side held a 19-10 lead in Round One but they went seven better on Saturday as tries for Juan Imhoff, Thomas Gallo, Jeronimo de la Fuente and Juan Martin Gonzalez gave them a 26-10 advantage at the interval.

James Slipper touched down for Dave Rennie’s outfit and James O’Connor kicked a conversion and a penalty, but they struggled for fluency throughout the contest.

Los Pumas were much the better team throughout and eased to victory thanks to Gallo, Emiliano Boffelli and Tomas Albornoz tries in the second period.

As mentioned, Argentina often enjoy the opening 40 minutes in matches against Australia and Saturday’s encounter was no different.

Once again, the visitors were caught cold and in the first minute Cheika’s charges found space on the left where Imhoff was lurking.

The wing kicked ahead and put pressure on the Aussie backfield, who failed to deal with the bouncing ball, and the speedster collected to scamper over.

A few minutes later Los Pumas had their second try when Gallo barged across the whitewash from close range, opening up a 14-point buffer.

Australia responded through Slipper before O’Connor kicked a conversion and then a penalty to bring them to within a try of the hosts.

After a difficult start, Rennie’s team were on the front foot and thought they had another score when O’Connor touched down, but it was ruled out for an earlier infringement.

It was to prove a big turning point as Argentina almost immediately benefited from that let off.  The hosts set up an attack in the opposition 22 and De la Fuente took an excellent line to weave his way over, despite pulling a hamstring in the process.

Los Pumas had been exceptional but the Wallabies were also aiding the home side by making a series of errors and when O’Connor failed to deal with a high ball, Gonzalez was on hand to take possession and cross the whitewash.

No Aussie comeback this time around

Argentina duly held a comfortable 16-point buffer going into the second half, but it’s usually at that point they fold and let the Aussies back into the contest.  However, there was no such issue this time around.

Los Pumas weren’t quite as free-flowing, especially in the third quarter, but they defended resiliently and forced the visitors into mistakes.

One such Australian indiscretion led to Boffelli extending Argentina’s lead via a three-pointer before Gallo touched down for the second time to effectively complete the win.

The Wallabies also had Fraser McReight sin-binned following a series of infringements leading up to the prop going over.

Although they responded well to going down to 14 men when Len Ikitau touched down, Argentina finished with a flourish and were rewarded with tries for Boffelli and Albornoz to wrap up a comprehensive win.

Clinical Boks draw first blood against All Blacks

South Africa made an excellent start to their Rugby Championship campaign when they clinched a 26-10 victory over New Zealand in Mbombela on Saturday.

In a fast-paced an entertaining affair, the Springboks were full value for their win as they were the dominant side for long periods and eventually outscored the All Blacks by two tries to one.

Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie le Roux crossed for the home side’s tries while Handre Pollard finished with a 16-point haul courtesy of two conversions, three penalties and a drop goal.

For the visitors, Shannon Frizell scored a five-pointer which was converted by Richie Mo’unga and Jordie Barrett succeeded with a penalty.

The All Blacks seldom asked questions of the world champions but when they did they were met by a superb defensive display from the men in green and gold.

New Zealand came into this match as underdogs but, if truth be told, they looked clueless on attack and this defeat will put more pressure on under fire head coach Ian Foster whose team have now lost five of their last six Tests.

Despite the visitors’ inadequacies, the Boks’ forwards deserve plenty of credit for this win as they bullied their counterparts from the outset and it was a special occasion for their hooker, Malcolm Marx, who was named as the official man of the match in his 50th Test.  However, a blot on the Boks’ copybook came in the 75th minute when Arendse was red carded for taking Beauden Barrett out in an aerial collision.

The match got off to an eventful start when 43 seconds after the kick off the Boks suffered a massive blow when Faf de Klerk was knocked out cold after coming off second best when trying to tackle Caleb Clarke.

He was replaced immediately by Jaden Hendrikse but despite losing their talismanic scrum-half, the home side still had the better of the early exchanges.  And in the ninth minute they opened the scoring when Arendse crossed for the opening try.  This, after Beauden Barrett failed to gather a high ball from Pollard inside his 22.  Lukhanyo Am pounced and managed to offload to Arendse, who had a clear run-in for his first Test try.

Pollard added the extras and midway through the half he slotted a penalty, after All Blacks skipper Sam Cane went off his feet at a ruck.

It was all South Africa during the rest of the half as they continued to have the bulk of the possession and territory with the All Blacks battling to build momentum when they did manage to get their hands on the ball.  On the rare occasions that they did, the visitors’ attacks came to nothing due to several unforced errors.

In the 26th minute, Akira Ioane threw a forward pass close to the halfway line ― after Beauden Barrett did well with a counter attack from deep inside his half ― and five minutes later David Havili knocked on when he had an overlap on his outside inside the Boks’ half.

3 consecutive NZ losses for first time since 1998, first time lost 3 in a row by 10 points or more

― Russ Petty (@rpetty80) August 6, 2022

Although the hosts continued to have a firm grip on the game, the All Blacks gained a reprieve against the run of play in the 36th minute when Jordie Barrett opened his team’s account courtesy of a penalty.  This, after Damian de Allende was blown up for straying offside when taking the ball into contact from an attacking scrum.

That meant the Boks had their tails up with the score 10-3 in their favour at half-time but they still had plenty of work to do if they wanted to seal their first home win over New Zealand since 2014.

The opening exchanges of the second half were cagey but the hosts extended their lead in the 51st minute when Pollard succeeded with his second penalty, following a scrum infringement from Tyrel Lomax.

Marx continues to shine

The All Blacks showed more intensity after the interval and tested the home side’s defence with some strong carries but they continued to make mistakes and were bullied at the breakdowns ― where Marx was prominent.

In the 58th minute, Pollard put more daylight between his side and their opponents when he slotted a well-taken drop goal from 35 metres out.  The next 15 minutes were frantic but another Pollard penalty in the 71st minute ― after Beauden Barrett was blown up at a ruck ― hammered home his side’s dominance.

Shortly afterwards, Arendse was sent off after his horror challenge on Barrett and in the 79th minute Frizell crossed for a consolation try after Clarke did well with a barnstorming run in the build-up.

Despite that score, the Boks finished stronger and they sealed their win in injury time when a pass from Cane to Frizell didn’t go to hand and Le Roux gathered before crossing for a try which sealed his side’s convincing win.

Wallabies clinch bonus-point victory over Pumas

The Wallabies made a fantastic start to their 2022 Rugby Championship campaign when they notched a 41-26 bonus-point victory over the Pumas in Mendoza on Saturday.

Although they had to dig deep for this victory, Australia were deserved winners in the end as they outscored Argentina by five tries to two.

Jordan Petaia, Fraser McReight, Folau Fainga’a and Len Ikitau crossed the whitewash for the visitors and they were also awarded a penalty try.  Their other points were scored by Quade Cooper, who kicked a penalty and a conversion, and Reece Hodge, who added three conversions and a penalty.

Pablo Matera and Juan Martin Gonzalez scored the Pumas’ tries and Emiliano Boffelli contributed 16 points after succeeding with four penalties and two conversions.

Australia came into this match without their captain Michael Hooper, who withdrew due to personal reasons on Friday, and his absence was keenly felt especially in the first half when they battled to gain momentum.

Thy showed plenty of character, however, and launched a fightback in the second half and were deserved winners in the end.

Argentina made the brighter start and six minutes into the match Matera opened the scoring when he ran onto an inside pass from Santiago Carreras deep inside Wallabies’ territory, after they had taken the ball through several phases in the build-up.

The Wallabies struck back with a penalty from Cooper, after Carreras strayed offside, but Boffelli cancelled that effort out with back-to-back three-pointers off the kicking tee which meant the Pumas were leading 13-3 by the 13th minute.

The visitors did not panic, however, and in the 18th minute they launched a drive off a lineout inside Argentina’s 22 before the ball came out to the backline.  Cooper then did well to draw in a couple of defenders before putting Petaia into space with a well-timed pass and he cantered in for his team’s first try.

Cooper kicked the conversion but despite making it a three-point game, the visitors’ discipline let them down during the rest of the half and Boffelli slotted three further penalties to give the home side a 19-10 lead at half-time.

Australia did most of the attacking during the early stages of the second half, although they suffered a big blow in the 47th minute when Cooper was forced off the field after twisting his ankle while launching an attack deep inside the Pumas’ 22.

Despite losing their chief playmaker, the Wallabies did not panic and two minutes later they narrowed the deficit when McReight powered his way over Los Pumas’ try-line, after a lineout drive inside the home side’s 22.

Hodge, who came on as Cooper’s replacement, slotted the conversion which meant Argentina was leading 19-17 and with the match evenly poised, both teams upped the ante on attack in a bid to gain the ascendancy.

It was the home side who did that and it came through an excellent try from Gonzalez.  This, after Santiago Cordero went onto the attack from inside his 22 and he did well to beat a couple of defenders before offloading to Matera inside Australia’s half.  Matera still had work to do and he drew in the last defender before getting a pass out to Gonzalez, who crashed over in the left-hand corner before Boffelli slotted the resulting conversion.

That meant the hosts held a 26-17 lead but their discipline let them down during the final quarter and they wouldn’t score any further points.  In the 62nd minute, Matias Alemanno illegally collapsed a Wallabies drive close to the Pumas try-line and referee Mike Adamson awarded a penalty try to the visitors while Alemanno was yellow carded for his offence.

With a one-man advantage, Australia did most of the attacking and they took the lead for the first time in the 66th minute when Hodge landed a penalty.  Five minutes later, Fainga’a got his name onto the scoresheet after another driving maul deep inside the Pumas’ half and although they had secured the result, the Wallabies launched several attacks in the game’s dying moments as they went in search of a bonus point.

Their attacking endeavour was eventually rewarded in injury time when Ikitau found himself in the clear before diving over for his side’s fifth try.