YOKOHAMA • New Zealand's proud record of never having lost a Rugby World Cup pool game is still intact after a thrilling victory over South Africa yesterday.
In one of the great World Cup pool matches, the All Blacks' counter-attacking brilliance narrowly cancelled out the Springboks' more direct and physical tactics to secure a 23-13 win in their opening Pool B fixture in Japan.
From 17-3 up at half-time, Steve Hansen's team had to weather a determined South African fightback but held their nerves in the final quarter before 64,000 fans in Yokohama's International Stadium.
Having wrested the Rugby Championship from their rivals last month, South Africa pinned a scrappy New Zealand, who are seeking their third straight world title, back for the first 20 minutes.
But, with only three points to show for it, the Springboks were left stunned by two scintillating team tries from wing George Bridge and lock Scott Barrett.
"It was the full 80 minutes and right to the end of the Test match we had to work (hard)," said New Zealand captain Kieran Read.
"Good fortune sometimes happens and in those two moments we managed to take them and that made the difference in the game."
A Pieter-Steph du Toit try, moments after a stunning Cheslin Kolbe break, got South Africa right back in the match after half-time.
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The All Blacks have never lost a pool-stage match in Rugby World Cup history, winning all 29 such fixtures. The Springboks have now lost three of 23 in the pool stage (including 2003 v England, 2015 v Japan).
Handre Pollard cut the deficit to four points with a drop goal but penalties from Richie Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett consigned South Africa to their first defeat this year.
The All Blacks, who have an 11-day break before playing Canada, should go on to top the pool and hope for an easier quarter-finals as a result. South Africa next face Namibia in Toyota next Saturday.
Read also suggested that a greasy ball coming off the pitch had made life "pretty tough" for the players.
"We had to defend early, but when we did get opportunities we tried to speed up the play a bit," he said.
The Springboks had the physicality to match but not the precision, with too many missed tackles, at times aimless kicking and poor hands under the high ball giving away territory.
After a long-range penalty from Pollard opened the scoring, he missed a simple chance when he struck the post - and then came New Zealand's sucker-punch.
The last time the Kiwis lost a game when leading by seven points or more at half-time, remarkably, was against France in the quarter-finals of the 2007 World Cup.
They have never been reeled in when leading by more than 12 points, leaving South Africa with a Mount Fuji-sized challenge to overcome and the All Blacks closed out the win they just about deserved.
"They won it, I don't think we lost it. Two tries to one, they deserved to win the game," South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus admitted.
"Discipline was our biggest downfall. I don't think we can really moan about anything, but just say well done to them.
"But I think we can fight back. If you're grouped with New Zealand in a pool, you've got a good chance of not going undefeated. Then you have to fight back and get to the final, so we have to go that route."
THE GUARDIAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
