Pool B
NEW ZEALAND 23
SOUTH AFRICA 13
Saturday 21 September International Stadium Yokohama. Att: 63,649
IN THIS MATCH
New Zealand maintained their record of never losing a pool match at a World Cup and in doing so inflicted the biggest RWC defeat (ten-point margin) on South Africa since the All Blacks beat the Boks 29-9 in the 2003 quarter-finals.
TURNING POINT
Two quick-fire tries midway through the first half put New Zealand in control but the Springboks started the second period strongly. Cheslin Kolbe set off on an incredible run to the corner in the 46th minute, only to be put into touch by Richie Mo’unga’s try-saving tackle.
Mo’unga played down the importance of the hit, saying: “I felt a bit like Dora the Explorer – I didn’t know where I was going. He had me inside and then out. I had to try and get there.” But Steve Hansen described it as “a match-winner”.
WINNERS’ PODIUM
Scrum-half Aaron Smith: “Their defence is really sharp when you give them time to come up. We didn’t exit well and put ourselves under a lot of pressure. South Africa definitely dominated that first 15-20 minutes. But the game is all about moments. We tried our guts out to calm down. Once we got into our plan – our structure – we looked better.”
AND THE LOSERS…
Hooker Malcolm Marx: “Discipline let us down at times. The penalty count was 11 to two, so the discipline side hurt us a little bit. We work hard for each other in defence, but the All Blacks managed to exploit a few of our mistakes.”
TEAM LINE-UPS
B Barrett; S Reece, A Lienert-Brown, R Crotty (SB Williams 51), G Bridge; R Mo’unga (B Smith 67), A Smith (TJ Perenara 62); J Moody (O Tuungafasi 51), D Coles (C Taylor h-t), N Laulala (A Ta’avao 51), S Whitelock, S Barrett (S Frizell 76), A Savea, S Cane (P Tuipulotu h-t), K Read (capt). Bridge 24, S Barrett 27. Mo’unga 2.Mo’unga 2, B Barrett. W le Roux; C Kolbe, L Am (J Kriel 57), D De Allende, M Mapimpi; H Pollard, F de Klerk (H Jantjies 72); S Kitshoff (T Mtawarira 68), M Marx (M Mbonambi 62), F Malherbe (T Nyakane 55-76), E Etzebeth (RG Snyman 70), F Mostert, S Kolisi (capt, F Louw 51), PS du Toit, D Vermeulen. Du Toit 48. Pollard. Pollard. Pollard.
