Wallabies end recent drought against Scotland

Australia came out on top in a low quality 16-15 win over Scotland in their Autumn Nations Series opener at Murrayfield on Saturday.

This result ends a run of three straight losses against the Scots so it will delight the Wallabies as they get their end-of-year campaign off on a positive note.

A second-half try from captain James Slipper added to three penalties and a conversion from Bernard Foley but mistakes will frustrate coach Dave Rennie.

For Scotland their points came via tries from Ollie Smith and Blair Kinghorn, with the number 10 also kicking one conversion and a penalty on the night.

The Scots looked on course for a fourth consecutive victory over the Wallabies when they led 15-6 after those excellent tries from Smith and Kinghorn.

But the sin-binning of Edinburgh lock Glen Young on his first Murrayfield appearance allowed Australia a much-needed foothold and they managed to turn the game in their favour in the closing quarter.

Kinghorn, playing at number 10 following Gregor Townsend’s contentious decision not to include Finn Russell in the squad, could have won it for Scotland at the end but sent a penalty agonisingly wide.

With the match taking place outside the international window, the Scotland XV was made up entirely of Edinburgh and Glasgow players.  Flanker Jamie Ritchie, 26, captained the side for the first time since it was announced last week that he would be replacing Stuart Hogg as skipper.

Australia arrived in Edinburgh under pressure after winning just three of their previous 12 matches, while they had also lost each of their last three meetings with the Scots.

The Wallabies started brightly, threatening the hosts’ try-line on more than one occasion in the opening 10 minutes.

But it was Scotland who made the breakthrough when Glasgow full-back Smith, making his first appearance at Murrayfield too, received a lovely offload from Kinghorn and darted beyond a couple of opponents before planting the ball down left of the posts.

There were audible groans from the home support as Kinghorn spurned his conversion attempt from what appeared to be a perfectly kickable position.

This aberration allowed the Wallabies to reduce the arrears to just two points in the 15th minute when Foley kicked a penalty from a central position after Ritchie was penalised at the breakdown.

The hosts were forced into a change in the 24th minute as Sam Skinner went off to be replaced by Young.

Scotland should have stretched their lead in the 27th minute when Kinghorn looped a superb pass out to the right for Sione Tuipulotu, but the Glasgow centre dropped the ball just as he looked set to burst over the line.

In the following phase of play, the Scots somehow failed to force their way over the line after a sustained spell of pressure in front of Australia’s posts, but the visitors did superbly to hold the ball up.

The Scots were left to rue those moments of profligacy as another Foley penalty from 30 metres out on the stroke of half-time edged Australia in front after Dave Cherry failed to roll away.

But, three minutes after the restart, the Scots got themselves back in front when Kinghorn, under scrutiny as a result of taking Russell’s place, seized on a loose ball in his own half, kicked it in behind the Wallabies defence and raced on to it himself before kicking it forward again, collecting it just in front of the line and bounding gleefully over for a magnificent solo touchdown.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 That's unreal from Blair Kinghorn! #AutumnNationsSeries #SCOvAUSpic.twitter.com/FNfz4dQA68

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 29, 2022

This time the Edinburgh number 10 made no mistake with the conversion.

Kinghorn then extended Scotland’s lead to nine points with a penalty in the 54th minute.

The hosts appeared in the ascendancy and ready to put the Wallabies to the sword, but their momentum was halted in the 56th minute when, following a TMO review, Young was sent to the sin-bin for an illegal entry during a promising Scottish attack.

After an hour, amid a raft of substitutions, Jack Dempsey, who won 14 caps for Australia between 2017 and 2019, was introduced for his Scotland debut, the Sydney-born Glasgow flanker able to take advantage of a recent change in World Rugby’s eligibility rules to switch allegiance.

Within seconds, however, the Wallabies made their extra man count when captain Slipper forced his way over on the right and Foley once again converted, bringing the visitors back to within two points.

Australia got their noses in front in the 70th minute with a Foley penalty.

Scotland had a chance to win it in the last minute, but Kinghorn’s penalty drifted agonisingly wide.

14-man All Blacks hold onto narrow win in Tokyo

The All Blacks held their nerve against a spirited Japan side to claim a thrilling 38-31 win in Tokyo, after playing the last 14 minutes with a man down due to a Brodie Retallick red card.

New Zealand started strongly in the first half through three tries courtesy of Retallick, Braydon Ennor and Sevu Reece in the opening 32 minutes, with Richie Mo’unga making no mistake with the conversions.  The hosts could only add a penalty through Takuya Yamasawa.

Japan had made a huge number of tackles in the opening period, showing incredible commitment on defence and were rewarded with two tries in the last five minutes of the half through Yamasawa and Yukata Nagare.  Yamasawa kicked both conversions to keep the Brave Blossoms in the game at the break.

The All Blacks got the start they wanted in the second period, with Caleb Clarke going over after only two minutes for a converted try.

Japan responded in the 57th minute through Warner Dearns, who caught the ball in an attempted charge down to score a try converted by Seung Sin Lee.

🤯 How has he done that?! Warner Dearns plucks it out of the air to score for Japan. #JAPvNZLpic.twitter.com/EZ1R4Lgyof

― Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) October 29, 2022

New Zealand replied quickly through Hoskins Sotutu crashing over for a try in the 60th minute as Mo’unga made no mistake from the tee again.

The Test turned into an arm wrestle as Retallick was sent off in the 66th minute for a dangerous cleanout, opening the door for a late Japanese surge.

The hosts obliged and threw everything they had at the All Blacks, scoring a converted try through Kazuki Himeno, who was excellent on the night.  The five-pointer brought Japan within a try of a famous victory.

However, it was not to be as they conceded a late penalty in front of the posts ― after trying to attack from deep ― which Mo’unga nudged over to improve the scoreline.

The Brave Blossoms reminded the rugby world that they are no longer an easy Test, while All Blacks coach Ian Foster will have much to think about after this encounter.

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.

Ireland claim historic first series win over New Zealand

An outstanding first-half performance helped Ireland pick up their first series victory over New Zealand, winning 32-22 in Wellington on Saturday.

This historic triumph on New Zealand soil is a landmark moment for Andy Farrell’s men and they were thoroughly deserving of the result at Sky Stadium.

First-half tries from Josh van der Flier, Hugo Keenan and Robbie Henshaw set them on their way before Rob Herring scored a crucial try on 65 minutes.

For New Zealand there will now be an inquest into how their showings have been so lacklustre, with the pressure mounting on head coach Ian Foster.

The hosts’ tries came via Ardie Savea, Akira Ioane and Will Jordan but a catalogue of errors yet again blighted their game as they now lick their wounds.

Members of Ireland’s triumphant squad were pictured in tears at the full-time whistle as they savoured arguably the greatest result in their side’s history.

Captain Johnny Sexton, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Monday, chipped in with 12 points, becoming the second man to surpass 1,000 in a green shirt.

Ireland only won away to New Zealand for the first time last weekend by bouncing back from a 42-19 drubbing in the Auckland opener to triumph 23-12 in Dunedin and set up the decider, with the momentum very much with them going into this fixture.

Head coach Farrell had expressed hope that his side had saved their best performance for the final Test.

The Englishman duly had his wished granted during a phenomenal opening 40 minutes packed with power and intensity before the Irish weathered a second-half storm intensified by the loss of prop Andrew Porter to a yellow card to take the series 2-1.

The outclassed All Blacks deserved credit for not rolling over but the sensational result piles further pressure on under-fire head coach Foster.

Ahead of kick-off, tears flowed during a rousing rendition of the New Zealand anthem before a stunned Sky Stadium was swiftly silenced.

Farrell described having a sniff of series success on Kiwi soil as “like gold dust” and for the third successive Saturday his side were rewarded for a rapid start with an early try.

Buzzing with intent, the Irish flew out of the blocks, culminating in flanker Van der Flier crashing over in the fourth minute to claim his eighth international score.

New Zealand made a total of five personnel changes from their dismal display in Dunedin after blindside flanker Ioane was a late replacement for Scott Barrett but initially showed few signs of improvement and often appeared rudderless.

The below-par hosts eventually gained some meaningful territory and reduced the deficit thanks to Jordie Barrett kicking a straightforward penalty, having squandered an earlier opportunity.

Yet Ireland quickly reasserted authority and took control of the scoreboard with some brilliant, free-flowing rugby.

They crossed for a second time in the 28th minute as Keenan burst clear to touch down wide on the left following a fine pass from James Lowe.

Further fine interplay from Dan Sheehan, Sexton and Bundee Aki then allowed Henshaw to gleefully exploit the All Blacks defence just before the break.

All Blacks lacking ideas

New Zealand were lacking leadership and ideas, while being constantly outwitted.

Ireland had no such issues and influential skipper Sexton coolly converted the second and third tries, either side of landing a long-range penalty, as he joined Ronan O’Gara in reaching four figures.

The panicky hosts were 22-3 behind at the break ― their biggest half-time deficit in 119 years of Test rugby.

Foster’s side desperately needed a response and were given a lifeline as Savea powered over inside four minutes of the restart, with Barrett slotting the conversion to kick-start a major momentum shift.

Ireland were soon down to 14 men as prop Porter was sin-binned for head-on-head contact with Brodie Retallick, leaving the Kiwis a little aggrieved after Angus Ta’avao was sent off following a similar incident last weekend.

Recalled back-rower Ioane then easily slipped through the Irish defence to claim his maiden Test try and help bring the hosts to within five points in a frantic period.

Sexton briefly settled Irish nerves with a penalty but agonisingly hit the crossbar with another attempt before being outpaced by the electric Jordan, who zoomed clear for a fine solo score to set up a nervy final 20 minutes.

Ireland desperately needed some stability and gained it five minutes later courtesy of replacement hooker Herring superbly stretching for the line to ultimately extinguish Kiwi hope.

The Irish dug in resolutely in the closing stages as they held on for a milestone result which lays down a marker ahead of next year’s World Cup in France.

England edge Australia in Sydney to take series 2-1

England sealed a memorable come-from-behind series victory over Australia after they won 21-17 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

After losing the opening Test in Perth, the English completed an impressive turnaround as they backed up last week’s win with a second in the decider.

Tries from Freddie Steward and Marcus Smith were added to by the boot of Owen Farrell, who slotted three penalties and a conversion on the night.

For Australia their tries were scored by Tom Wright and Folau Fainga’a with Noah Lolesio adding seven points in a loss that will sting the Wallabies.

There were shades of 2016 when veteran scrum-half Danny Care was hooked in the 37th minute as the price for an error-ridden display that included a charged-down kick, knock-on and missed tackle.

Eddie Jones had seen enough and removed Care in the same way he had withdrawn Luther Burrell and Teimana Harrison in the first and third Tests six years ago.  On this occasion the change was rewarded with another solid shift from Jack van Poortvliet.

It could be the last time Care is seen in an England jersey given he has only just returned following nearly four years in international exile, and the same fate could face Guy Porter after his defensive shortcomings were exposed.

Otherwise it was a pleasing day for England, whose scruffy end-of-season performance failed to take the shine off a significant achievement that takes the newly created Ella-Mobbs Cup to Twickenham.

Australia had promised to fly out of the blocks after conceding early leads in the first two Tests and they backed up their words with actions as they grabbed the lead through a Lolesio penalty before creating a half-chance down the right.

Both sides made errors freely throughout the first half and it was a mistake that cost them a certain try when Nick Frost split a tricky pass from Taniela Tupou as England’s defence began to shake.

By now Tommy Freeman was starting to cause the Wallabies problems and when Farrell found the posts England were off the mark.

Just as Jones’ men were starting hit their stride, however, they were picked apart by a mesmerising try that began when Porter failed to tackle Marika Koroibete in midfield, providing the space for Nic White and Wright to combine until the latter went over.

Porter missed a tackle on Reece Hodge and then Koroibete charged through Care as England waved opposition runners through, although a second Farrell penalty at least kept them in the chase.

Danny Care hauled off by Eddie Jones

Jones had run out of patience with Care’s error-ridden display and replaced him with Van Portvliet;  shortly afterwards Freeman began to run amok out wide until Steward pierced the home defence.

Freeman continued to cause problems in the third quarter and England were beginning to take control with a breakaway try from Smith strengthening their position.

Moments after sending Ollie Chessum into space with a short pass, Smith leapt on Lolesio’s fumble which was in part a result of interference from Luke Cowan-Dickie and showed his pace to sprint over.

Crucial tackles from Van Poortvliet and Steward kept Australia out but the line eventually cracked when replacement hooker Fainga’a burrowed over.

England’s lead was now 21-17 but despite the onslaught they were facing, they showed impressive resilience to sweep over the finishing line.

South Africa see off stubborn Wales to earn series win

South Africa produced an improved performance to overcome Wales 30-14 in Cape Town on Saturday and win a thrilling series 2-1.

It also spared the blushes of the southern hemisphere giants after both New Zealand and Australia had succumbed to Ireland and England respectively earlier in the day.

The Springboks were dominant at the fundamentals, with the scrum, maul and kicking game putting significant pressure on their opponents.

They duly went into the break 17-8 in front thanks to Bongi Mbonambi and Handre Pollard tries, while the fly-half also added two conversions and a penalty.

Wales remained in contention via Tommy Reffell’s try and Dan Biggar’s penalty before they got to within touching distance as the pivot added two more off the tee in the second period.

But South Africa were simply too strong and secured the victory when Siya Kolisi touched down and Pollard kicked a brace of penalties late on.

Just four months after losing at home to Italy in the Six Nations, Wales will rightly view the tour as being successful in so many ways, particularly with one eye on next year’s World Cup.

And they also made history through their victory in Bloemfontein that saw them become the first Wales team to beat the Springboks on South African soil.

Ultimately, though, South Africa had too much in the tank for a Wales team that gave it everything.

The visitors suffered a late blow when number eight Taulupe Faletau was ruled out after the warm-up, suffering an injury to his side, with Josh Navidi replacing him and Taine Basham joining the substitutes.

Gareth Anscombe ― Wales’ second Test matchwinner when he kicked a late touchline conversion ― missed out because of a rib injury, so Rhys Patchell took over on the bench, and one enforced change in the starting line-up saw wing Josh Adams take over from the injured Alex Cuthbert.

The loss of such an experienced operator as Faletau would have hit Wales hard, and they almost fell behind in the fourth minute.

Springboks centre Lukhanyo Am kicked into space and wing Makazole Mapimpi gathered before crossing Wales’ line, but replays showed his left foot in touch and the try was rightly ruled out.

Pollard then kicked a short-range penalty, and there was a real intensity about South Africa, with full-back Damian Willemse and Damian de Allende both going close to touching down before relentless pressure was rewarded through a Pollard try that he also converted.

A slippery playing surface made life difficult for both teams, but Wales showed plenty of character and scored from their first attack when Reffell claimed his first Test try following strong approach work by Adams and George North.

Wales’ penalty count quickly mounted up, conceding eight in the first 25 minutes, yet South Africa only held a 10-5 lead, which seemed scant reward for their territorial dominance.

When Wales had possession, they looked to move it quickly, although both sides lost players with injuries as wing Cheslin Kolbe and Wales flanker Dan Lydiate were both forced off.

Maul power

Biggar kicked a penalty seven minutes before half-time, but South Africa then struck from a close-range lineout, driving Wales defenders backwards before Mbonambi touched down to mark his 50th cap in style.

Pollard added the conversion, and Wales arrived at the interval facing a 17-8 deficit.

Pivac made two changes for the second period, sending on hooker Dewi Lake and prop Sam Wainwright, and another Biggar penalty cut the gap to six points.

South Africa should have scored a third try shortly afterwards, but scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse’s pass was adjudged forward and Am was denied after breaching Wales’ defence.

Biggar completed his penalty hat-trick after 48 minutes, yet South Africa responded within five minutes through a Kolisi try that Pollard converted, and the Springboks led 24-14.

And two more Pollard penalties in the final minutes closed out the game as South Africa ensured a winning send-off into their Rugby Championship campaign that begins against New Zealand in three weeks’ time.

Emiliano Boffelli the hero as Argentina stun Scotland

Wing Emiliano Boffelli touched down with the clock in the red as Argentina claimed a stunning 34-31 triumph over Scotland.

Gregor Townsend’s men were the better team for the majority of the first half, despite only going into the break with a one-point buffer.

Duhan van der Merwe and Ewan Ashman both touched down to give them a 14-13 advantage at the break, with Santiago Carreras’ try and two Boffelli penalties providing the hosts’ response.

Scotland then started the second period brightly and appeared to have put the match out of Argentina’s reach when Ashman and Van der Merwe crossed the whitewash once again.

Los Pumas had other ideas, however, and after Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro and Gonzalo Bertranou had brought them back into contention, Boffelli went over late on to complete a superb comeback.

Scotland had made eight changes following their second-Test victory with full-back Ollie Smith making his debut, and they came to life in the 13th minute.

Blair Kinghorn squeezed through two opponents and offloaded to Van der Merwe to power over the line.

Boffelli was soon involved as Argentina responded.  The 27-year-old set up Carreras to go over and then kicked the hosts 10-7 in front.

The action continued as Ashman powered over after a lineout maul and Kinghorn added his second conversion.

Boffelli reduced the arrears with a penalty and Kinghorn hit the bar with a long-range penalty attempt in the final minute of the half.

Scotland took control in the opening 10 minutes of the second period.

Ali Price fed Kinghorn, whose quick pass allowed Ashman to cross out wide.

Van der Merwe then cut inside to follow up some good ball-carrying from his forwards to go over again.  Kinghorn’s kicking put Scotland seemingly well in command, but the hosts hit back inside three minutes.

Argentina’s comeback

A needless penalty allowed Argentina to put the Scots under pressure and Tetaz Chaparro went over after the five-metre scrum.

Scotland’s pack helped them settle and Kinghorn kicked the visitors 11 points in front with 15 minutes left.

Argentina refused to buckle and Bertranou scored from close range in the 67th minute.

With Scotland four points in front, they passed up the chance to kick a penalty and Jonny Gray was held up as he forced his way over the line following the lineout.

Dave Cherry put in some big hits and Price produced a try-saving tackle as Scotland tried to withstand the pressure, but Boffelli had the final say when he dived over and then added a final flourish by kicking from the touchline.

Ireland bounce back with win over Māori All Blacks

Ireland clinched a deserved 30-24 victory against the Māori All Blacks in Tuesday’s July international in Wellington.

After suffering a 32-17 defeat in the first encounter of their two-match series against the New Zealand indigenous team, this was a much improved performance from Ireland’s midweek outfit.

Both sides scored four tries apiece with Jordan Larmour leading the way for Ireland with a brace while Nick Timoney and Gavin Coombes also crossed the whitewash and Ciaran Frawley added 10 points courtesy of two conversions and as many penalties.

The Māori All Blacks’ points came via a penalty try and further five-pointers from Shaun Stevenson, Ruben Love and Brad Weber, while Josh Ioane added a conversion.

The Māori were fastest out of the blocks and just two minutes after kick-off their backs created space, after a lineout inside Ireland’s 22, before Stevenson ran onto a pass from Ioane and crossed for the opening try.

Five minutes later, Ireland caught the Māori napping when Keith Earls took a quick throw-in at a lineout just inside the home side’s half.  He found Larmour, who raced away before dotting down under the posts.

Frawley added the extras and with the visitors holding a two-point lead they became more confident in their approach as they took the fight to their opponents.

The next 20 minutes was an arm wrestle as both sides tried to gain the ascendancy and it was the visitors who would ultimately do that as they finished the half as the stronger of the two sides.

In the 25th minute, Frawley extended Ireland’s lead when he slotted a penalty after Kurt Eklund infringed at a ruck.  The visitors suffered a setback two minutes later, however, when Cian Prendergast was yellow carded for tackling Isaia Walker-Leawere without retreating 10 metres when the hosts played quickly after being awarded a penalty just outside Ireland’s 22.

However, in the 32nd minute the Māori were also reduced to 14 men when Ollie Norris received a yellow card for a cynical defensive foul close to his try-line.  Ireland set up a lineout maul from the resulting penalty and after a couple of strong drives, Timoney powered his way over the whitewash from close quarters.  Frawley slotted the conversion to give Ireland a 17-5 half-time lead.

The second half started brightly for Ireland when, soon after the restart, Frawley added his second penalty after Walker-Leawere was blown up for taking out Timoney illegally at a ruck.

Five minutes later, the hosts reduced the deficit courtesy of their penalty try after Alex Nankivell was tackled without the ball close to Ireland’s try-line.  Larmour was the guilty party and he was also sent to the sin bin for his indiscretion.

Strong finish

Despite that setback, the Irish did well not to concede points while Larmour was off the field.  Ireland eventually extended their lead in the 67th minute when Coombes burrowed his way over the try-line from close quarters and although Frawley was off target with the conversion attempt, the visitors had their tails up with the score 25-12 in their favour.

The Māori needed a response and that came in the 69th minute when Love crossed for his try after trading passes with Cullen Grace, but they suffered a blow soon after when Stevenson was also yellow carded for deliberately knocking down a Joey Carbery pass just inside Ireland’s half.

Ireland secured the result when Larmour went over for his second try in the 77th minute ― after good work from Stuart McCloskey in the build-up ― before Weber scored a consolation try for the home side in the game’s dying moments.

Wales strike late to seal historic win over South Africa

A late converted try helped Wales to an historic first win over the Springboks on South African soil as they prevailed 13-12 in Bloemfontein.

With just two minutes remaining the Welsh crossed for the game’s only try when the ball was spread wide to Josh Adams for the score and Gareth Anscombe kept his cool to land the crucial conversion, which proved to be the match-winning points.

Victory means that the series is now locked up at 1-1 with a Test remaining in Cape Town next weekend when South Africa are set to recall their big names.

The other points for Wales in the game on Saturday came via a penalty apiece from Dan Biggar and Anscombe while Handre Pollard kicked four for the Boks.

Wales, who saw Biggar and wing Alex Cuthbert go off injured, had lost 11 successive Tests in South Africa, stretching back to 1964.

But just over three months after losing at home to Italy, they stunned the world champions.

The game lacked sparkle and attacking invention ― unlike last weekend’s 32-29 thriller in Pretoria ― yet Wales will not care a jot.

Wing Cuthbert returned to Wales’ starting line-up as a solitary change from the first Test, replacing Adams, while uncapped Saracens prop Sam Wainwright was on the bench.

Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber retained only lock Eben Etzebeth, but returning star names such as Pollard and former World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit were notable arrivals in the three-match series.

South Africa infringed from the kick-off, with flanker Du Toit offending, and Biggar kicked Wales into a 3-0 lead.

The Springboks soon found momentum, though, with Test debutants Kurt-Lee Arendse and number eight Evan Roos threatening Wales’ line before Pollard booted an equalising penalty.

Biggar then missed a long-range penalty, and a cagey opening saw both sides resembling sparring boxers.

Wales suffered an injury blow when Cuthbert made a 17th-minute exit, and Adams ― top try-scorer at the 2019 World Cup ― took over from him.

Roos continued to be a handful for Wales’ defence, and South Africa’s forwards established a degree of momentum that meant the tourists spent a long spell inside their own 22.

But Wales’ defensive organisation, aligned to superb work at the breakdown from flanker Tommy Reffell, meant South Africa could find no way through and it remained all square.

Wales had weathered a storm, with Leicester forward Reffell’s towering work being matched by the efforts of his back-row colleagues Dan Lydiate and Taulupe Faletau.

Both teams had half-chances, but defences dominated to such an extent that errors were forced, with Springboks and Harlequins centre Andre Esterhuizen dropping a straightforward midfield pass.

An attritional first half ended with no addition to the early scoring, and Wales still very much in the hunt as they targeted a series-levelling victory.

Pollard landed penalties

Pivac sent on scrum-half Tomos Williams instead of Kieran Hardy for the second period, while Nienaber introduced hooker Malcolm Marx and prop Vincent Koch.

Cuthbert, meanwhile, had his arm in a sling on the sidelines, while Biggar took a hefty blow on his shoulder before continuing after treatment.

Pollard kicked South Africa into the lead with a 43rd-minute penalty, before Biggar missed a comfortable chance for a marksman of his quality.

Biggar left the action and was replaced by Anscombe after 52 minutes, while Pollard completed his penalty hat-trick for a 9-3 advantage.

Wales then saw Alun Wyn Jones sin-binned, but it was a tough decision by referee Angus Gardner and his officiating team.

Jones protested his innocence before leaving the field, and a fourth Pollard penalty put South Africa nine points clear, but substitutes Adams and Anscombe had the final dramatic say and the Springboks were silenced.

Ireland seal first win over All Blacks in New Zealand

Ireland delivered an excellent all-round performance as they sealed a deserved 23-12 triumph over the All Blacks in Dunedin ― their first victory in this fixture on New Zealand soil.

The All Blacks were their own worst enemy as their discipline let them down and they had to play most of the match with 14 men after Angus Ta’avao was red carded for a dangerous hit on Garry Ringrose.

Ta’avao had come onto the field as a replacement for Ofa Tu’ungafasi, who had received New Zealand’s second yellow card after Leicester Fainga’anuku was also sent to the sin bin earlier on.

In the end, both sides scored two tries apiece with Andrew Porter crossing for both of Ireland’s five-pointers, while their other points came via the boot of Johnny Sexton, who succeeded with three penalties and two conversions.

For the All Blacks, Beauden Barrett and Will Jordan crossed the whitewash with Jordie Barrett adding a conversion.

New Zealand cruised to a 42-19 success in Auckland last weekend but their quest to clinch series glory at the first opportunity was undermined by repeated infringements.

Front-row Ta’avao was sent off for ploughing into the head of Ringrose at the end of a chaotic 15-minute first-half spell.

Referee Jaco Peyper was in the thick of things and could arguably have punished the ragged hosts more severely.

Barrett’s improvised five-pointer and a late Jordan try gave the depleted Kiwis hope but they proved powerless to prevent a first home defeat to their opponents having won the previous 12 meetings.

Ireland arrived at Forsyth Barr Stadium bruised from being blown away at Eden Park.

Andy Farrell’s men once again made a rapid start and, on this occasion, went ahead inside three minutes.

Leinster prop Porter bulldozed over at the end of sustained Irish pressure, with Sexton adding the extras and then landing a long-range penalty forced by the doggedness of Caelan Doris.

New Zealand were struggling to make an impact and were hampered by repeated indiscretions during a frantic opening period in which they were twice down to 13 men.

Winger Fainga’anuku was perhaps fortunate to escape a red card following a reckless charge down on Mack Hansen before prop Tu’ungafasi joined him in the sin bin for tackling Ringrose off the ball to deny the Irish a second try.

Ta’avao was brought on as front-row cover for Tu’ungafasi but promptly dismissed with a bloodied face in the 31st minute following a sickening head-on-head contact with Ringrose, who departed to be replaced by Bundee Aki.

South African official Peyper was at the centre of the gripping action.

He should have briefly reduced New Zealand to 12 men due to their foul play temporarily leading to uncontested scrums.

Amid the chaos, Ireland struggled to manage the game and squandered numerous chances to stretch the scoreboard before being pegged back just before the break.

New Zealand were rewarded for relentless pressure as Beauden Barrett dived over after the ball squirted out of a ruck, with brother Jordie adding the conversion.

That score left Ireland just 10-7 ahead at the interval and also down to 14 men for the restart after vice-captain James Ryan was moments earlier shown a yellow card for cynically stopping a quick-tap penalty.

Ireland regained their composure during the break and were rewarded for their patience.

Porter ― who had only scored two international tries in his career before kick-off ― again battered his way over, just before lock Ryan returned to bolster the ranks.

Excellent goal-kicking

Influential Sexton retained his 100 per cent kicking record, slotting the conversion and then adding two important penalties to steer his side home.

The fly-half, who turns 37 on Monday, later departed the field gingerly following a painful slip, albeit he was fit enough to return for a post-match interview.

New Zealand pushed for a way back into the contest but were repeatedly thwarted by the immense Irish defence before substitute Jordan eventually claimed a late consolation.

Having surrendered momentum in the series, the All Blacks will need to regroup ahead of next weekend’s titanic showdown in the capital.

England withstand Australia comeback to level series

England’s first-half surge proved to be enough to level the series at 1-1 as they overcame Australia 25-17 in Brisbane on Saturday.

The Red Rose dominated the opening period, going 19-0 ahead through Billy Vunipola’s try and 14 points from the boot of Owen Farrell.

Dave Rennie’s men responded via Taniela Tupou just shy of the interval before Farrell moved the visitors 22-7 in front in the early stages of the second half.

This Wallabies side has plenty of spirit, however, and got back into the clash when Samu Kerevi touched down and Noah Lolesio added a three-pointer.

Australia were within a converted try at that stage but Farrell’s penalty proved to be enough as England set up a winner-takes-all clash in Sydney.

The build up to the clash in Sydney will be about patching together battered playing squads, but Eddie Jones will also have plenty of highlights to pour over next week as England started like a freight train.

In the opening five minutes there were wins across the field, most crucially a try for Vunipola from a slickly-worked line-out move.

The tone had been set by Ellis Genge in the opening seconds when he ran through Michael Hooper and full-back Jordan Petaia departed with concussion to escalate the Wallabies’ problems.

Farrell added two penalties to his conversion to extend England’s lead to 13-0 but there were tense moments when referee Andrew Brace examined replays of Genge roughing up Nic White on the floor before opting against a card.

Izaia Perese had come on as Petaia’s replacement but he was sent to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on and once more Farrell was on target, although Australia were lucky they did not concede a penalty try.

England continued to dominate, taking the Wallabies apart up-front and pouring through gaps, while their kicking game was far more evident than in the first Test.

It was hard to see a way back for Australia when Farrell rounded off another spell of total control with his fourth penalty, but a powerful scrum ignited their attack and a first visit to the 22 of the match ended with a try for Tupou.

A further setback came when Itoje departed following a heavy collision with Noah Lolesio and Perese was next to add to the body count when he left the pitch with a knee injury.

Australia’s response

Just as Farrell appeared to have settled England with three points, a dropped restart by Ollie Chessum allowed Australia to build pressure and once Tupou had almost gone over Kerevi arrived to finish the job.

Marcus Smith was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, Lolesio was on target from the kicking tee and suddenly Jones’ side’s lead had been cut to 22-17.

England launched an attack but it lacked the conviction evident earlier and they were soon pinned back in their own 22 following brilliant counter play by wing Tom Wright.

Errors were costing the Wallabies and when Jack Nowell launched a tackle-busting run the tide turned, Farrell was on hand to finish the job.

Scotland claim four-try victory over Argentina in Salta

Scotland bounced back from last week’s defeat as they turned the tables on Argentina in Salta, winning the second Test 29-6 on Saturday.

Tries from Hamish Watson, Mark Bennett, Matt Fagerson and Sam Johnson saw Gregor Townsend’s men to a morale-boosting victory on the road.

Blair Kinghorn and Ross Thompson contributed off the kicking tee while for Argentina their points arrived via two penalties from Emiliano Boffelli.

Scotland had trailed 6-3 before Watson gave them a narrow advantage three minutes before the break.

But Townsend’s side took control in the third quarter of the match, scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half to tie the series at 1-1.

Watson won his 50th cap as Scotland made five changes from the side beaten 26-18 by Los Pumas seven days earlier.

Dave Cherry, Sam Skinner and Rory Darge returned to the pack and scrum-half Ben White made his first start after getting the nod over Ali Price.

Scotland made a fast start on a blisteringly hot afternoon and Kinghorn landed a simple fourth-minute penalty.

But Edinburgh full-back Boffelli levelled the scores before the contest descended into an arm wrestle with both sides guilty of careless handling errors.

Argentina failed to take advantage of Santiago Carreras scything through before Scotland squandered a similar opportunity.

Darcy Graham set up a thrilling attack by collecting a high ball under pressure, but his fellow wing Duhan van der Merwe was forced into touch with the Argentina defence at full stretch.

Carreras’ skills ― be it with ball in hand or kicking around the fringes ― continued to cause problems, and White’s high tackle on Rodrigo Bruni gave Boffelli an easy penalty.

Scotland, however, seized the lead again just before the break after they had chosen to ignore a straightforward three points in front of the posts and go for the corner.

Argentina were unable to defend a driving line-out and Watson marked his milestone appearance by burrowing over for his seventh Test try.

Scotland extended their lead within two minutes of the restart after Darge and Pierre Schoeman smashed holes in the home defence.

Bennett sliced through to score

White set up Bennett, who cut an excellent line to score his second try in as many weeks, and Kinghorn converted for a 15-6 lead.

Guido Petti appeared to give Argentina hope when storming over, but the score was disallowed for a forward pass from wing Juan Imhoff earlier in the move.

Argentina had a mountain to climb after Boffelli was shown a yellow card after 52 minutes for killing the ball.

Scotland took full advantage as Fagerson barrelled over for his first Test try and replacement Thompson added the extras.

Los Pumas’ misery continued when Carreras seemed certain to score but lost the ball under pressure from Darge.

Scotland put the seal on victory when Johnson charged onto Price’s pass and Thompson converted.

The series will now be decided in next Saturday’s third game in Santiago del Estero.

France given a scare by Japan in Tokyo

France battled back from an eight-point half-time deficit to record a 20-15 victory over Japan in their July international in Tokyo on Saturday.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a hard-fought battle and Japan will be kicking themselves as they held the lead for long periods until a superb try from Baptiste Couilloud late in the second half sealed France’s win and a 2-0 series triumph.

The visitors’ other points came via a five-pointer from Matthis Lebel, while Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu succeeded with a penalty and a conversion apiece.  For Japan, Ryohei Yamanaka scored a brace of tries and Seungsin Lee slotted a penalty and a conversion.

France held the upper hand during the opening exchanges and took the lead in the ninth minute when Lebel rounded off after running onto a skip pass from Virimi Vakatawa.

Lucu added the extras but it didn’t take long for the hosts to respond and they did it in style when Yamanaka crossed for a deserved five-pointer.  This, after Gerhard van den Heever found himself in space and set off on a 30-metre run down the left-hand touchline before offloading to Yamanaka, who dotted down.

Although they failed to convert, that try was a shot in the arm for the Brave Blossoms as they soon took control of proceedings.

Lee succeeded with a penalty midway through the half and with the score 8-7 in their favour, the home side continued to hold the edge as the half progressed.

France battled to gain momentum and seemed shell-shocked by the ferocity of their opponents’ onslaught.  And on the stroke of half-time Yamanaka was rewarded with his second try, scored in similar fashion to his first when he gathered an inside pass close to France’s try-line from Michael Leitch before crossing the whitewash.

That meant Japan were leading 15-7 at half-time but France reduced the deficit to five points by the 45th minute when Lucu added a penalty.  The next 15 minutes were evenly contested with a Jalibert three-pointer off the kicking tee the only points during that period.

With time running out on the clock, Les Bleus desperately needed a five-pointer and that came in the 68th minute courtesy of that moment of magic from Couilloud, who caught the hosts’ defence by surprise when he launched a break off the back of a scrum midway between the halfway line and Japan’s 22 before crossing for a deserved try under the posts.

There was drama in the game’s closing stages when Japan thought they had drawn level after Tevita Tatafu crossed the whitewash off the back of a lineout deep inside France’s 22.  His effort was disallowed, however, when television replays revealed he had lost control of the ball while dotting down.

The closing minutes were frantic as the Brave Blossoms spent most of that time camped in France’s half but the visitors held on for the win.

Late Damian Willemse penalty breaks Wales hearts

South Africa came from 18-3 behind to claim a 32-29 victory over Wales, but they were indebted to Damian Willemse who kicked a last-minute penalty to snatch the win.

Wales defended superbly in the opening exchanges and took their chances when they presented themselves.

Louis Rees-Zammit showed his searing speed to touch down twice while Dan Biggar kicked a conversion, a penalty and a drop-goal to give Wayne Pivac’s men an 18-3 lead at the break.

The Springboks’ response came through an Elton Jantjies three-pointer but he was replaced at the start of the second period and Willemse did a much better job in the fly-half position.

They were able to build pressure and eventually touched down twice via their trusty maul as Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx went over.

Two more Biggar three-pointers kept the hosts at arm’s length but the Boks were unrelenting and Cheslin Kolbe crossed the whitewash to move South Africa to within touching distance of the tourists.

A penalty try ― once again via their lineout drive ― took the home side into the lead and led to Wales going down to 12 men as Rhys Carre followed Alun Wyn Jones and Rees-Zammit into the bin.

Jones returned to help the visitors level matters when Dewi Lake scored, but there was late heartbreak for Pivac’s charges when a deliberate Biggar knock-on resulted in Willemse kicking the winning points.

A minute’s silence was held before kick-off in memory of former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Phil Bennett, who died last month, while the Wales players wore black armbands.

And Wales scored a try after just three minutes that would have thrilled Bennett, with a flowing move ending in Liam Williams sending wing Rees-Zammit clear, and the Gloucester speedster cruised home from 35 metres out.

Biggar underlined the quality of his team’s start by landing a 40-metre drop-goal that left South Africa eight points adrift inside the first 10 minutes.

The Springboks needed a response, but a long-range Jantjies penalty hit one post and then struck the other before bouncing to safety from a Welsh perspective.

Jantjies made no mistake off the tee three minutes later, though, before Biggar cancelled out that penalty and the opening quarter ended with Wales 11-3 ahead.

Jantjies then missed another penalty, and he also struggled tactically, but his sharp break put Wales under pressure, only for the visitors to claim a second try eight minutes before half-time.

Centre Nick Tompkins’ challenge on Jantjies saw the ball bounce clear, and Rees-Zammit kicked ahead before gathering possession and surging clear for his second try.

Biggar’s conversion made it 18-3, and although the skipper was then yellow-carded for slowing the ball down after a try-saving tackle on Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk, South Africa had a mountain to climb, trailing by 15 points at the break.

The comeback

South Africa had to start eating into Wales’ lead, and they claimed their first try after 46 minutes when Mbonambi was driven over by his fellow forwards.

Full-back Willemse added the conversion after moving to fly-half instead of a substituted Jantjies, before Biggar rejoined the action.

South Africa, helped by their enviable strength off the replacements’ bench, had Wales on the back foot, while the visitors saw substitute prop Tomas Francis taken off after suffering what appeared to be a nasty injury.

And before Wales could regroup, the Springboks struck again, as replacement hooker Marx touched down, making it 18-15.

Biggar kicked two penalties during a six-minute spell either side of the hour mark, which meant Wales went into the final quarter with a nine-point advantage.

The Springboks hit back, though, through a try for wing Kolbe that Willemse converted from the touchline, before Jones was yellow-carded for being offside in the build-up to Kolbe’s score.

Rees-Zammit was also sin-binned following a technical infringement, reducing Wales to 13 players, and South Africa went ahead with a penalty try after Wales collapsed a maul, before Carre became their third player in the sin-bin at the same time.

Incredibly with three minutes left, Wales drew level through Lake’s try, but Biggar was then guilty of a deliberate knock-on and Willemse kicked the match-winner.