371st All Black Test
1091st All Black Game

8 September 2010

New Zealand vs South Africa at Loftus Versfeld
Pretoria, South Africa
Saturday, 19 July 2003

Reserves:

New Zealand:

South Africa:

 16 M. G. Hammett (sub 60 min)
 17 K. J. Meeuws (sub 54 min)
  (68-78min)
 18 B. C. Thorn (sub 50 min)
 19 R. So'oialo (sub 78 min)
 20 J. W. Marshall (sub 63 min)
 21 D. W. Carter
 22 C. S. Ralph

 16 D. Santon (sub 60 min)
 17 R. B. Kempson (sub 53 min)
 18 C. S. Boome (sub 71 min)
 19 P. J. Wannenburg (sub 65 min)
 20 C. D. Davidson (sub 64 min)
 21 G. Bobo
 22 A. S. Pretorius (sub 56 min)

Scorers

New Zealand

South Africa

Tries:
D. C. Howlett (2),
A. J. D. Mauger,
K. J. Meeuws,
J. T. Rokocoko (2),
C. J. Spencer
Conversions:
C. J. Spencer (4)
Penalty Goals:
C. J. Spencer (3)

Tries:
A. K. Willemse
Conversions:
L. J. Koen
Penalty Goals:
L. J. Koen (2)
Drop Goals:
L. J. Koen

Match Report:

New Zealand romped to a record 52-16 triumph over South Africa in a surprisingly one-sided Tri-Nations match here on Saturday.

The All Blacks outscored the Springboks by seven tries to one with wings Joe Rokocoko and Doug Howlett snatching two each while flyhalf Carlos Spencer, replacement prop Kees Meeuws and centre Aaron Mauger also dotted down.

Spencer kicked four conversions and three penalties as New Zealand pocketed five points, four for winning and one for scoring more than three tries, to go top of the table.

Wing Ashwin Willemse scored the lone South Africa try and the other 11 points came from the boot of fly-half Louis Koen via a conversion, a drop goal and two penalties.

The 36-point victory eclipsed the All Blacks' 28-0 win in Dunedin four years ago in the same competition and the record success was achieved despite Meeuws spending 10 minutes in the 'sin bin' for elbowing Robbie Kempson.

"This was definitely not the result we expected because there is no greater challenge than coming to South Africa and facing the Springboks," New Zealand captain and flanker Reuben Thorne admitted.

"It was one of those days when things went right for us and our backs thrived on the space they created. Up front it was really tough as we have come to expect from Tests in South Africa.

'Good step forward'

"The result was a good step forward for us and a great start to the Tri-Nations. It was more than we had hoped for in our first match of the championship," Thorne said.

Stunned Springbok skipper and loose forward Corne Krige praised the victors, saying they were an extremely skilful side who gave their opponents a lesson in opportunism.

"However, we did concede some soft tries and I believe the result flattered the All Blacks. Last week we took a great leap forward and this week we took a small step back.

"The key area was turnover ball. We put ourselves under so much pressure when we needlessly surrendered possession. There is a lot of hard work ahead of us before the return matches in Australia and New Zealand next month."

South Africa entered the second of six games in the annual southern hemisphere rugby union championship upbeat after a surprise 26-22 win over Australia in Cape Town last weekend.

But injuries prevented coach Rudolf Straeuli fielding an unchanged team with Andre Snyman replacing Marius Joubert at centre and Willemse recalled in place of Thinus Delport.

Loose head prop Dave Hewett replaced injured Carl Hoeft in a late change to an All Blacks team showing three other changes to the one that laboured to victory over France last month in their final warm-up match.

Early lead

Koen gave the Springboks an early lead, slotting an acute angle penalty between the posts before a capacity 50 000 crowd on a clear, warm mid-winter afternoon in the Highveld city.

Spencer failed with his first penalty attempt, pulling the ball left, and Koen had a rare failure from a place kick as an effort from inside his own half drifted narrowly off target.

Despite seeing less of the ball in a scrappy start, New Zealand went ahead after 12 minutes when a break by lock Chris Jack culminated in Spencer darting over for a try.

The All Blacks' lead lasted just four minutes as a slow ball from a maul was transformed into three points when Koen drop kicked a superb goal. But within 60 seconds Spencer succeeded with his second penalty attempt.

Looking increasingly dangerous with ball in hand, New Zealand scored another try 24 minutes into the game when ever dangerous Howlett took a pass from Mauger and dived over near the posts. Spencer converted.

Worse was to come for the Springboks as a wayward pass from fullback Brent Russell presented Rokocoko with a gift try and Spencer converted to give the visitors a 22-6 lead.

Another Koen penalty completed the first half scoring, leaving the All Blacks 13 points ahead after a masterful display in blanket defence and opportunism in attack while the Springboks were let down several times by poor handling.

Chance squandered

Spencer opened the second half scoring with his second penalty and South Africa squandered a chance to score their first try when wing Stefan Terblanche lost the ball with the line at his mercy.

The outlook became even grimmer for the Springboks 10 minutes into the second half before a subdued crowd when another penalty award gave Spencer the chance to add three more points.

And the match was put beyond the reach of South Africa after 62 minutes when the ball was passed along the line to Rokocoko, who had the simplest of tasks to touch down in the corner for a try Spencer failed to convert.

In a hectic finish, Meeuws, Howlett and Mauger scored New Zealand tries, two of which Spencer converted, while Willemse went over and Koen converted.

Note:
Positions displayed show the current player numbering system.
The past has seen players wear letters, Props wearing the Number 15 through to Fullbacks wearing Number 1.