2015 Rugby World Cup semi-final match review: South Africa v. New Zealand at London

With a berth in the World Cup final on the line, the southern hemisphere’s two historic rugby heavyweights met at Twickenham. After South Africa had lost to Japan in their opening match of the group stage, few envisaged that they would get this far in the tournament, but they held the world champions right until the end in an enthralling encounter.

Die bokke scored the first points when Handré Pollard slotted home the first of his five penalty goals, but the All Blacks took an early lead when flanker Jerome Kaino touched down in the corner in the sixth minute. When a South African jumped the gun with his charge-down attempt, Daniel Carter got a second bite of the cherry, and the reigning world champions led 7-3.

The Kiwis, however, had an undisciplined first half; a post-lineout infringement in the tenth minute, another in the twentieth, and an offside call in the thirty-ninth all resulted in Pollard penalty goals. Carter had a set shot of his own but hit the post, and South Africa led 12-7 at the break with Kaino in the sin bin for dissent; all this despite New Zealand having sixty-five percent of possession.

London’s famous rain began to tumble down as a fourteen-man All Black outfit very nearly punctured the Boks’ defence, settling for a Carter drop goal from a smart move at the lineout. Two points down and with Kaino back on the pitch, the momentum was with the men from the Shaky Isles as they switched an attack to the left wing for substitute five-eighth Beauden Barrett to score. Carter made no mistake, and they led 17-12.

To add to the South Africans’ misery, veteran winger Bryan Habana earned himself a yellow card, forcing them to endure ten minutes short-handed against the rampaging All Blacks. But solid defending ensured that the period ended with one penalty goal apiece; Pollard from a scrum infringement in the fifty-seventh minute, and Carter after an Eben Etzebeth misdemeanour in the ruck two minutes later.

Back on, Habana saved his team further troubles by batting a Kiwi chip-and-chase over the dead ball line. Twelve minutes from time, an infringement at the lineout gave substitute Pat Lambie the chance to put himself on the scoresheet, converting the Boks’ sixth penalty goal from six attempts to reduce the margin to 20-18.

But the All Blacks held out, driving forward, looking for space for a drop goal attempt, and hanging onto the ball. A successful South African scrum feed with less than a minute on the clock gave the men in green some hope, but nearly two minutes later they had gained little territory and prematurely ended their drive by conceding a penalty. One of sport’s great international rivalries had produced another classic encounter, and a formidable opponent for the winner of the next semi-final between las pumas and the Wallabies.

South Africa 18 – New Zealand 20

Tries: Jerome Kaino (N. Z.) 6’; Beauden Barrett (N. Z.) 52’

Conversions: Daniel Carter (N. Z.) 2/2

Penalty goals: Handré Pollard (S. Afr.) 5/5; Pat Lambie (S. Afr.) 1/1; Daniel Carter (N. Z.) 1/2

Drop goals: Carter (N. Z.) 1/1