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All Blacks keep home record
05/07/2008 12:00 - (SA)
Wellington - New Zealand comprehensively beat World Champions South Africa 19-8 in the opening Tri-Nations Test of 2008 when they controlled possession, showed more skill and made less mistakes to notch their 30th successive home victory.
On a wet field, the home side seemed more composed, took the right options and generally dominated play for a deserved win. Too often the Boks tried to attack from their own territory, whereas the All Blacks were more patient and tactically played a better game.
The Springboks' expected domination in the lineouts didn't materialise, mainly because the South Africans kicked out the ball more often than the home side - especially in the first half. Even later the Boks didn't get the expected clean possession. At scrum time the Boks were also too frequently put on the back foot by a far superior scrum.
However, in the general loose play, the Springbok forwards initially got to the breakdown in numbers and often slowed down the ball to deny the All Blacks good possession.
But then the All Blacks started turning the Boks around and slowly started turning the screws. Wrong options and basic mistakes cost the Boks, and in contrast to the All Blacks the Springboks' wings didn't get a single ball from a line movement.
With the exception of about four minutes when the Boks were camped on the All Blacks' tryline, the home side looked more dangerous in the first half with three promising movements breaking down. The All Blacks had territorial advantage and also nearly 60% possession in the first half and continued this dominance in the second half.
Ricky Januarie was under tremendous pressure at scrum and ruck time and his service to flyhalf Butch James was generally not up to standard.
Pressure
The first try came in the 29th minute when centre Adi Jacobs did some fine work in drawing two All Blacks before setting Jean de Villiers free for a 40 meter run. Bryan Habana, who had earlier knocked on a perfectly timed pass by James, this time made no mistake when De Villiers gave him a 35 meter run to the line for his 31st Test try and his first in five Tests.
With captain John Smit leaving the field just before the break and CJ van der Linde just after halftime, the Boks scrum was under even more pressure.
The All Blacks turned up the pressure after the break and took control but were given some reprieve when James kicked away possession for Rudi Wulf to gather on his line, kick downfield and had his pack follow up. Eight phases of possession ended with Carter brilliantly delaying his pass for Jerome Kaino to touch down. With Carter converting, the score moved to 16-8.
It should've been 23-8, but referee Stuart Dickinson, who was inconsistent and generally had a shocker, denied the All Blacks a perfectly legitimate try.
Except for sporadic breakouts by the Boks, the All Blacks had the game by the scruff of the neck in the last quarter with the Boks taking a hammering in all facets. An early tackle by Schalk Burger, who was simply outstanding, put the game beyond South Africa's reach when Carter slotted his fourth penalty for a 19-8 lead with nine minutes remaining.
Points: New Zealand: Try: Kaino Conversion: Dan Carter Penalties: Carter (4) South Africa: Try: Bryan Habana. Penalty: Butch James - Sapa
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