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Well, they’ve done it. New Zealand’s dream of becoming the first nation to win back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles is well and truly alive, after a heroic 20-18 win over South Africa at Twickenham in London.
Though it was played in constant and sometimes heavy rain for the duration of the 80 minutes, this was far from a wet-weather slog. New Zealand needed an outstanding defensive effort – they missed just three of 87 tackles for the match – to overcome first-half discipline issues.
Early tries in both halves, to flanker Jerome Kaino in the 6th minute and Beauden Barrett in the 52nd, were the difference in the end, with Dan Carter missing one penalty but kicking another, along with two conversions and a drop goal.
For South Africa, Handre Pollard (five penalties) and Patrick Lambie (one) enjoyed a perfect night from the kicking tee, but ultimately, they were cruelled by their inability to crack the New Zealand defence, and a severe downturn in fortunes once their bench players entered the fray.
At halftime, though, it really seemed as though New Zealand were doing everything they could to lose the game. The All Blacks had enjoyed 72 per cent territory and 65 per cent possession, and South Africa had even missed 10 first half tackles, yet New Zealand only had Kaino’s try to show for it, and even writing this straight after the game, I’ve still got a major question on Richie McCaw’s pass over the top that put Kaino away.
Where South Africa were maintaining a solid defensive line and contesting the breakdown exceptionally in the first forty, New Zealand were killing themselves with ill-discipline. The Springboks showed an early penchant to play wide in opposition territory in the opening exchanges, but for the most part they didn’t need to, the All Blacks’ ill-discipline was keeping the scoreboard ticking over for them.
At 12-7, I’m sure I wasn’t the only person in the world thinking ‘boilover’. And that thought was only solidified by the stat that came up which said that South Africa had not lost to New Zealand in the previous 21 Tests when leading or level at halftime. The All Blacks had not come from behind to beat the ‘Boks since 1999.
However, there’s always a nagging feeling when this All Blacks side finds its back to the wall.
And so it proved to be. They came out in the second half with a steely intent to overcome the Springboks, and as usual, it was the big names that came up with the crucial plays.
Carter seized on an opportunity just after halftime, when from the back of a scrappy lineout win, the South African defence was slow to come forward. Carter took the extra fractions of a second to pot his sixth career drop goal, his first in just over three years.
Six minutes later, with penalty advantage that would see Bryan Habana yellow carded for a cynical knockdown of the ball out of Aaron Smith’s hands at the back of a ruck, Ma’a Nonu would stand up Jesse Kriel, which was enough to put Barrett away in the corner.
In the space of 13 minutes, New Zealand had swallowed the halftime deficit and even opened a five-point lead themselves.
Sam Whitelock stole a South African lineout in front of Victor Matfield, and it was only moments later that Matfield would be the cause of a penalty reversal, when TMO George Ayoub spotted an illegal ‘neck roll’ infringement in the 60th minute. Another Carter penalty made it 20-15 at this stage, but it was already obvious South Africa were losing the battle of the bench rotations.
The ‘Boks had been enjoying periods of scrum ascendancy, if not complete domination, in the first half, but that quickly disappeared with the injection of front rowers Trevor Nyakane and Jannie du Plessis.
Adriaan Strauss replaced Bismarck du Plessis in this same period, which proved to be the double whammy, with South Africa losing an on-baller as well as Strauss’ lineout throwing turning that strength into a very shaky and suddenly contestable commodity. Strauss’ first couple of throws were picked off, including Whitelock’s crucial steal in front of Matfield.
Matfield has had a long and distinguished career in the green and gold jersey, but his game has rapidly deteriorated in 2015, and he’s been a virtual liability in this World Cup. It’s sad to see what should be such a proud legacy being tarnished before our eyes.
In his 21 minutes on the field, Matfield gave away the crucial penalty, and lost several lineouts that he called to himself – Sam Whitelock admitted to Fox Sports post-match that they deliberately targeted him in their defensive set-up. And it was Matfield that lost the ball at the end of the game when the ‘Boks were trying to build the phases and hold possession to mount one last-ditch attack.
By contrast, New Zealand gained impact with their bench, with Charlie Faumuina and Ben Franks wresting back scrum control, Sam Cane adding to the turning of the breakdown screws, and with Sonny Bill Williams adding elements of attack with his offloads.
They weren’t perfect, New Zealand – though defensively they were pretty close – and that only makes them more dangerous next weekend in the final, where they will face the winner of Sunday’s second semi-final between Argentina and Australia.
No doubt, Los Pumas and the Wallabies will have seen the success South Africa had around the breakdown in the first half, and will be tucking that away for the final preparations and game planning.
But as we well know about this great New Zealand side, knowing how to beat them is only one thing. Actually beating them is quite another thing altogether.