Sport

South Africa give All Blacks something to stew on

South Africa...40 New Zealand...26: With one bound Springbok rugby appears to be free

Andy Colquhoun in Johannesburg
Mon Aug 16 2004 - 01:00

South Africa...40 New Zealand...26: With one bound Springbok rugby appears to be free. Nine months ago, when the All Blacks handed South Africa an eighth successive lesson in how to play winning rugby at the World Cup, this kind of reversal of fortunes would have been unthinkable.

Dumb, dumber and dumberer summed up the rugby style and pop psychology applied by the then coach Rudi Straeuli who had prepared his players for the 2003 World Cup at the controversial military-style Kamp Staaldraad (Camp Barbed Wire).

But now it is the All Blacks who have the problems, and they will have to stew until their winter tour of Europe on whether these stem from a tactical blunder or run far deeper.

The Springboks are a very different animal this year and if they beat Australia in Durban in the final match of the series on Saturday, they will also win the Tri-Nations title for the first time since 1998.

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Their hero in Ellis Park, Johannesburg before a crowd of 62,837 on Saturday was the outside centre Marius Joubert, who strode in for only the third hat-trick conceded by the All Blacks - he also made a fourth for the wing Jean de Villiers.

If Percy Montgomery had not missed 13 points with the boot this would have been New Zealand's heaviest defeat.

Springbok coach Jake White said the team must now concentrate on next Saturday's showdown with Australia in Durban. The winner of that match will win the Tri-Nations.

"This week was our most important game, but now next week is," White said.

The South African victory win was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, though, with the All Blacks streaking to a 10-0 lead in the first six minutes and going into the last 15 minutes 26-25 up.

South Africa dominated possession, especially in the first half, and White said he was delighted with his team's improvement in the tight phases. "We didn't lose a lineout today after taking lots of flak in that department and there was nothing wrong with our scrumming either."

New Zealand coach Graham Henry put his team's defeat, which saw them relinquish the Tri-Nations title, down to their inability to get enough possession.

"We didn't get a lot of ball and the few opportunities we created, we couldn't finish," Henry said. "The Springboks put us under pressure and caused us to make mistakes we don't normally make."

SOUTH AFRICA: Montgomery; Paulse, Joubert, Barry, De Villiers; Van der Westhuyzen, Conradie; Du Randt, Smit (capt), Andrews, Botha, Matfield, Burger, Britz, Van Niekerk. Replacements: Du Preez for Conradie (44 mins), Venter for Botha (61 mins), J Cronje for Van Niekerk (67 mins), Van der Linde for Du Randt (70 mins), Hanyani Shimange for Andrews (80 mins)..

NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina; Howlett, Umaga (capt), Tuitupou, Rokocoko; Mehrtens, Marshall; Meeuws, Mealamu, Hayman, Jack, Maling, Gibbes, Holah, Rush. Replacements: Newby for Holah (59 mins), Somerville for Meeuws (62 mins), Tuiali'i for Rush (62 mins), Kelleher for Marshall (72 mins), A Mauger for Tuitupou (75 mins).

Referee: N Williams (Wales)