Replacement fly-half Gareth Anscombe has kicked a late conversion from the touchline as Wales claimed their first-ever Test victory over the Springboks on South Africa soil.
Wales earned their error-strewn 13-12 success at the Free State Stadium after the world champions fielded a much-changed side on Saturday.
Wing Josh Adams crossed for the only try of the game with two minutes left on the clock, leaving Anscombe with a difficult conversion to win the game.
Yet he landed the ball through the centre of the posts to make history for Wayne Pivac’s side.
Stand-in captain Handre Pollard kicked four penalties for a Boks’ side showing 14 changes in their starting XV from the first Test win.
They never found any fluency in a game where they mostly dominated territory until the final 10 minutes.
The third and deciding Test in the series will be played in Cape Town next Saturday.
The victory will be sweet for the tourists as they buried their South African hoodoo at a ground known as The Graveyard, winning away to the Boks for the first time at the 12th attempt.
“It was a huge squad effort, the lads who came off the bench were incredible,” Wales captain Dan Biggar said at the post-match presentation.
“We felt we were in pretty good nick last week and were unlucky not to get the job done, so I’m over the moon.
“Being the first Welsh team to win on South African soil makes me really proud. It would have been easy for us to fold in the first half and concede a try or two, but we managed to stick in and rolled our sleeves up.”
The opening period was a battle of the box kicks as South Africa mostly camped in the visitors’ half but lacked accuracy to turn their territorial dominance into points as the teams went into the break locked at 3-3.
The Boks were particularly wasteful with set-piece chances in the Welsh 22, while the visitors’ flank Tommy Reffell, in only his second Test, was superb at the breakdown and won a number of steals.
The Boks pulled away on the scoreboard in the opening 15 minutes of the second half as the tourists continually infringed at the breakdown.
The Roar experts Brett McKay, Harry Jones and Jim Tucker discuss England’s win at Suncorp Stadium in an instant reaction podcast
Replacement lock Alun Wyn Jones received a yellow card for the second Test in a row, though he can feel aggrieved as he was wrongly adjudged to have used his hands in the ruck.
The Boks led 12-3 going towards the hour mark but Wales were able to up the tempo of the game and when they finally found some fluidity and put a few phases together, Adams crossed for the winning try in the corner.
“Discipline cost us and not converting those chances in the first half was crucial,” Pollard said. “It is the smallest of margins, but you have to be on it for 80 minutes.
“If you let up for just a couple of phases against a side like Wales, they will get points. There are lots of lessons to be learnt.”
USrugger
Roar Rookie
Negative, W_L. Look at the players on that team. The majority would make a national team anywhere. They were simply shocking on the day...especially when it came to finishing. They could do everything - check the stats - but score.
USrugger
Roar Rookie
Appalling rugby! Ye Gods. I'm so thrilled for the Taffs, but once again the Boks conspire to kill rugby as a spectacle. Never in the annals of sport hath so much talent been so wasted...except maybe for Eddie's Poms...but they finally pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. This was no second team. This line up could be devastating...if they added some real basics...& got a scrumhalf that wanted to move the ball. In the end, though, it's the COACHING!!! What Gregor Townsend or Andy Farrell would/could do with this team!
CPM
Roar Rookie
Maybe watch the match again and compare the “style” to other matches played and convince me that there is a difference besides variation. There is nothing wrong with the attack it is the execution that is failing, why because of lack of continuity and 19 changes to the match 23.
Biltong
Guest
When the only attacking play you have is driving maul, then you need to adapt your attack to something else. We mauled the whole match and got nowhere, then our backline tried to run laterally acorss the pitch, in the hope they would outrun someone. The reason for running lateral plays is to bring someone in on the angle onto weak shoulders, we didn't do that once. How many offloads did we have in contact to change the line of running? Maybe twice? You can not convince me we have an attack plan that comes anywhere near Ireland's processes of multiphase retain possession, run from dpeth etc. We don't.
CPM
Roar Rookie
So you agree it’s not limited because I saw teams this weekend scoring tries from pick and go’s five meters out by driving over the line and scoring or sucking in defenders to force an overlap while camping on the goal line. Did Ireland play attacking rugby or is it a style of rugby they play. Name one team that does not look for a driving mall try, that’s not attacking rugby right. Name one team that does not employ box kick from the scrum or launch high balls to contest. What style of rugby do you think is more effective. Ball in hand 18 phases to score points or kicking for field position for the same effect. What you are talking about is called execution which has to be improved on, not some fantasy about backline players ripping up defences to setup tries by wingers. No team at test level plays like that and no decent defence can be breached that easily. Maybe you were looking at how New Zealand tried to run out of their 22 only to concede a penalty on more than one occasion. With two minutes to play they were in their 22 and instead of kicking the ball out to half way line and winning the subsequent lineout to play in the Irish half they played attacking rugby in their 22 only to lose the ball in their 22. But according to your definition that was attacking rugby right.
Biltong
Guest
It isn't effective, if it was effective we would be able to build scores big enough not to lose in the last minute. Go look at our matches since last year SA vs Lions 17-22 SA vs Lions 27-9 SA va Lions 19-16 SA vs Argentina 32-12 SA vs Argentina 29-10 SA vs Australia 28-26 SA vs Australia 17-30 SA vs New Zealand 17-19 SA vs New Zealand 31-29 SA vs Wales. 23-18 SA vs Scotland 30-15 SA vs England 26-27 SA vs Wales 32-29 SA vs Wales 12-13 It doesn't matter whether we play NZ or Wales, we don't have the game plan to build an unassailable lead. More than 50% of our matches is up to a referees call in the final minute.
CPM
Roar Rookie
It’s effective not limited. Ireland will play 18 phases just to settle on three points in the red zone. The Boks will not take the ball through 18 phases just to get in the red zone. They will kick and contest for the ball then settle on the three points.
Biltong
Guest
Doesn't matter who you select if you play a limited style of rugby.
Harry Jones
Expert
Too slow to clear. Looked around a lot
Harry Jones
Expert
Roos looked very good. Tackled hard too!
Harry Jones
Expert
Andre looked a bit truck-like
Harry Jones
Expert
Deep into the match, Wales had 40 m from 40 carries. So a shutdown D was working. But jeez, we had no disguise in attack. It was smash/bash or wide/slide.
Harry Jones
Expert
Ja, I don’t know where JN is deriving his analytics but it looks like a bit like a controlled experiment - “what if we never ever pass in quadrant X??” or “what if we send 4 chasers?” As Nick B observed, sometimes it looks like the backs are uncoached! But overall, it looks much like 2018/19, in which fitness and heart and opvok is platform. Quite dull
CPM
Roar Rookie
With 19 changes in one week and 6 debutants this is what happens. No continuity to speak of. Now let’s just hope that the coaching staff settle on the best 23 for the next match and stick with them for the RC.
WEST
Roar Guru
If it’s any consolation there’s no way the ABs would of even got close to beating that Welsh team.
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
Hehe Tooly how can you tell what's happening in the match when you have not watched it..
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
Biltong..it seems Gelant does that sidewise goose step of Willie quite often..
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
Biltong I was more disappointed in red dragons as they should put away a team with so many changes..but then again it also looks like they don't like to be an adventurous team...
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
I was surprised a big body like esterhuizen didn't have an impact..i didn't look at the game so closely as it was a hard watch..i think red dragons total run metres was less than a 100m so that tells you they tried to preserve energy as they will use the very same squad again for the last test..
Wallabies_Larkham
Roar Rookie
I don't think Gelant has seen last week highlights of LRZ speed..as he tried to burn him..Gelant seems to run a lot like Beale/Willie when it comes to cramping spaces..