Dependable Dan Carter steers All Blacks to final with 20-18 victory over South Africa
LONDON, 24 Oct – New Zealand justified their status as Rugby World Cup favourites but were pushed to the limit by South Africa to win the first RWC semi-final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.
After a disappointing and indisciplined first half, the All Blacks turned the match on its head with a 10-point burst in the opening 12 minutes of the second half to secure a lead they would never lose.
Dan Carter’s kicking and tries from flanker Jerome Kaino and replacement wing Beauden Barrett were enough to see off the Springboks, who could score no more than six penalties, five of them from Handre Pollard.
South Africa edged the first half 12-7, largely because the All Blacks presented them with nine penalties and Pollard kicked four of them.
SUCCESSION OF OFFSIDES
New Zealand were ahead 7-3 thanks to a try after six minutes in the right-hand corner by Kaino and Carter’s conversion. But a succession of offsides and a yellow card for Kaino, for kicking the ball away when in an offside position, left the tournament favourites in a precarious position at halfway.
The rain, light in the first half, was noticeably heavier at the start of the second and a piece of brilliance by Carter, who dropped a goal from 25-plus metres, cut the deficit to two points before Kaino returned.
South Africa battled back and Pollard’s penalty made it 17-15, only for Carter to kick it back to 20-15. With 11 minutes left, Pat Lambie, Pollard’s replacement, made it 20-18 to put the result on a knife-edge but, try as they might, the Springboks could never breach the New Zealand defence again.
Courtesy of World Rugby
Photo: Anton Geyser
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