Late Mealamu try seals crucial bonus point win
New Zealand beat South Africa 31-27 in Dunedin on Saturday, with Keven Mealamu's late try giving them not only the match, but a potentially series-winning bonus point in the 2005 Tri-Nations. South Africa also get a bonus point, but it will be scant consolation to them as they will see this match as one that got away.
Graham Henry, the All Black coach, said this was the final. Jake White, the Springbok coach, said this was a final. In that case the All Blacks have won the Tri-Nations. Funny that Australia's participation is discounted!
After grim singing of anthems, a ferocious Tana Umaga led his team in a new haka of great intensity, which lasted till the final whistle.
The intensity spilled over into the match in which mistakes were severely punished, and was not decided till the All Blacks gained the victory with Mealamu's try.
Both sides gave it their all, but All Blacks were livelier. For one thing they kicked better out of the hand and chased better to put pressure on the Springbok defence while the Springboks kicked to touch, and this time there was not much to choose between the two line-outs as the All Blacks kept the ball away from Victor Matfield, who had an anonymous match.
It was not a match of great construction except for one moment at the start of the second half when the All Blacks went left and right to the touch-lines. For the most part they probed at close quarters, using Weepu, MacDonald and Collins around the fringes, seeking to avoid contact with the Springboks out wide, while the Springboks seemed to think that their sole attacking weapon was the battering Barry.
The tackle area was often a wild clash and crash but the All Blacks won the turn-overs.
In the end it was a game of consequences, as it always is. Luke McAlister, on for Leon MacDonald with 12 minutes to go, kicked down towards the Springbok line. Falling back Jean de Villiers did not control the rolling ball under pressure from Tana Umaga.
The defence held but in the process the Springboks conceded a penalty for off-side which the All Blacks tapped to charge at the line. That desperate situation ended when the television match official decided that Richie McCaw had knocked on in trying to score.
That made it a scrum for the Springboks, but in this half the All Blacks had had the upper hand in the scrums and Rickie Januarie had trouble getting a pressured ball to Jaco van der Westhuyzen, who cleared under pressure but only 10 metres from the Springbok line.
The All Blacks mauled the line-out. The referee played advantage and suddenly Mealamu broke away for a powerful thrust at the line which Januarie, Van der Westhuyzen and De Villiers could not stop.
McAlister's conversion from fairly far out ensured that the Springboks would have to score a try to win.
It was a match that the Springboks had seemed on their way to winning when Jaque Fourie scored a try and Van der Westhuyzen and Percy Montgomery were pinning the All Blacks back in their territory with rolling diagonal kicks.
The Springboks had the better of the early part of the game as they played with a slight breeze at a chilly Carisbrook. The All Blacks conceded several penalties in the half -- 7-2 was the half-time count -- and Percy Montgomery goaled the first one against Carl Hayman at a ruck. But thereafter, first Montgomery and then André Pretorius missed kicks at goal.
Two of the tries in the half, which ended 21-17 to New Zealand, came from charge-downs.
Aaron Mauger charged down a delayed kicked by Pretorius. The ball skidded off parallel to the goal lines and landed up with Joe Rokocoko who sped down the left and scored as Pretorius tackled him. MacDonald converted from touch to make it 7-3 to New Zealand.
The fifth try of the half also came from a charge-down. This time it was Enrico Januarie who charged down Leon MacDonald's kick. The little scrumhalf scurried after the ball, gathered it just before the line and dived over for the try. That brought half-time.
Januarie also had a hand in the Springboks' first try. As the ball squirted out of a tackle area towards the All Blacks, Januarie, standing in a suspicious position at best, footed it into the ankles of Piri Weepu. The ball ricocheted sideways off his ankles and Bryan Habana needed no further invitation. He gathered it in and raced downfield for a try which Montgomery converted.
MacDonald regained the lead for New Zealand, this time after a big error by Montgomery, compounded by a flap of a tackle.
The Springboks dropped out a long way downfield. The All Blacks hoisted a high kick in return which Montgomery, not really close to catching the ball, knocked on. Mealamu charged, brushing Montgomery aside, before sending MacDonald on a canter over the 22 and under the posts. MacDonald converted. 14-10 to New Zealand after 21 minutes.
The All Blacks now struck a golden seam as they attacked and then scored an unlikely try. That got untidy ball back from a tackle scene and Rokocoko, standing, then moving, then weaving beat Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield, Juan Smith and Pretorius in a confined space to score at the posts. MacDonald converted. 21-10 and it looked as if the All Blacks were cruising.
Just before half-time Schalk Burger and Pretorius were tackling but clashed heads and both went off. Burger was bleeding and got back on but Pretorius was replaced by Van der Westhuyzen.
Then Januarie stole his try and the score was 21-17.
The intensity boiled over early in the second half after a scrum with several players involved in a fracas. Referee Joel Jutge, shouting "Please stop" in his finest English, consulted with linesman Chris White about the "little fight" but took no further action as nobody could identify who had started it.
Montgomery and MacDonald exchanged further penalties to make it 24-21 with 20 minutes to play.
The All Blacks played off a scrum. They gave to Jerry Collins who sought to play inside. He threw the ball on a laboured loop which Januarie snatched. Off he went. Caught by Rokocoko from behind the scrum-half offloaded to Fourie who swept over under the posts. Montgomery converted and South African fans held their breath.
Now the Springboks led 27-24 with 15 minutes to play. Would they break the Carisbrook hoodoo? They looked like doing so till those fatal, consequential last four minutes which delighted the whole of New Zealand.
Man of the Match: Schalk Burger again for South Africa, despite a battering, was an outstanding player, Bryan Habana got his try and was superb in defence again, Enrico Januarie had a game of extreme ups and downs, and one wished that Jaque Fourie would get a pass or two more. New Zealand had Leon MacDonald, answering critics, with a varied game of great effectiveness, Tana Umaga with a tackle on Habana to snuff out a possible try-scoring opportunity for the Springboks in this last five minutes, Jerry Collins who had a great first half but faded as them match played on, neat Aaron Mauger, two try Joe Rokocoko, Piri Weepu who tested the Springboks time and again in the first half, and our Man of the Match: sturdy hooker Keven Mealamu who was all things strong and intent, made a try and scored the one that counted.
Moment of the Match: The winning try by Keven Mealamu after brilliant work by the whole All Black pack.
Villain of the Match: Forgive the front rows for their altercation. It helped the intensity and the spectacle! Nobody gets this unwanted tag.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Rokocoko 2, MacDonald, Mealamu
Cons: MacDonald 3, McAlister
Pens: MacDonald
For South Africa:
Tries: Habana, Januarie, Fourie
Cons: Montgomery 3
Pens: Montgomery 2
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Tana Umaga (captain), 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Leon MacDonald, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Derren Witcombe, 17 Greg Somerville, 18 James Ryan, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Kevin Senio, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Doug Howlett.
South Africa: 15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 De Wet Barry, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 André Pretorius, 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 Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jacques Cronjé, 20 Fourie du Preez, 21 Jaco van der Westhuyzen, 22 Marius Joubert.
Referee: Joël Jutge (France)
Touch judges: Chris White (England), Giulio De Santis (Italy)
Television match official: Christophe Berdos (France)
Assessor: Jim Bailey (Wales)
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