The Springboks failed to close out Wales in the second Test in Bloemfontein on Saturday to go down by one point (13-12), as the Dragons levelled the three-match series 1-1 heading into this week’s decider.
When the Springboks review the match today, they will feel that they could have sealed the series win 2-0 and prevented Wales from bagging a first ever win in South Africa.
But they let their visitors in through the backdoor in the last 15 minutes of what was a bit of a scrappy affair.
Leading 12-3 with 13 minutes to go, Wales then scored 10 unanswered points, with Gareth Anscombe kicking a touchline conversion from Josh Adams’ try in the 78th minute, to claim a dramatic victory at the Toyota Stadium.
With four uncapped players on their bench, South Africa were always going to need a good buffer to allow the rookies room to settle their nerves.
And despite dominating the match in the first half, the Boks simply couldn’t convert their chances into points as they often made the wrong decision to kick grubbers when they should have been more patient on attack.
As it was, things got off to a horrible start for the hosts when experienced flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit was penalised at the first breakdown of the match to allow Dan Biggar to make it 3-0.
Springbok scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse then bravely won a breakdown penalty for the Boks to allow Handre Pollard the opportunity to make it 3-3 in the fifth minute.
With both Biggar and Pollard missing shots at goal, that’s how it stayed until half time.
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber then rang the changes from the start of the second half and after three Pollard penalty conversions the Boks found themselves 12-3 up in the 59th minute.
🎥 HIGHLIGHTS: Check out how the nail-biting Test in Bloem played out as the Boks get ready for next weekend’s decider in Cape Town: https://t.co/td4nJ0QKMT#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #SAvWal #CastleIncomingSeries pic.twitter.com/5libZXclfx
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 10, 2022
At the time, Wales were down to 14 men after Alun-Wyn Jones was unfairly yellow-carded for a “cynical” foul at a breakdown.
With 20 minutes to go and with Wales down to 14 men, you’d fancy South Africa. But they didn’t have their regular Bomb Squad on the pitch and while the players weren’t at fault individually, it was just the collective present that was absent.
Anscombe got Wales within touching distance with a penalty conversion in the 67th minute after Bok debutant Kurt-Lee Arendse was penalised for holding on. Fellow debutant Ntuthuko Mchunu was then penalised in a 76th minute Springbok scrum, from which Wales opted for touch.
Gelant, Fourie adamant that Springboks will deliver in Cape Town. Comments here ⤵️https://t.co/Hfbk1ws9ob#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #SAvWAL #CastleIncomingSeries pic.twitter.com/J3YdfiQsVI
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 10, 2022
From that lineout they took the ball through eight phases before finding the Boks’ right wing vacant, where Adams dove over in the corner.
Anscombe added the extras to make history as the first Welsh winners of South African soil.
The two teams next come to Cape Town for this week’s series decider.
🗣️ Reaction from the Bok camp: "Could our execution be better? Without a doubt" - more here: https://t.co/WG2pQ3FYcN#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #SAvWAL #CastleIncomingSeries pic.twitter.com/0ttxwickaG
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 9, 2022
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za