RUGBY Live

Finished

New-Zealand 19 - South Africa 8

New Zealand

South Africa

  1. Battling All Blacks stifle Boks

    Battling All Blacks stifle Boks

    New Zealand kicked off the 2008 Tri-Nations championship with a bruising 19-8 win against world champions South Africa in Wellington. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:80'
    • New Zealand
    • South Africa
    • - There's the final whistle, and that is a very impressive victory for the All Blacks. They start the 2008 Tri-Nations with a statement of intent. Stick with us this morning for Australia versus France at 11am UK time. And the Tri-Nations is back next Saturday as New Zealand take on the Springboks in Dunedin!
    • 80' South Africa advance into All Black territory, but Habana drops a pass in windy conditions and that is the last chance they will get to make their mark.
    • 78' Frantic Springbok defence on their own line - it won't affect the final result - and they eventually win a free-kick that Steyn belts downfield.
    • 77' New Zealand drive the ball over the line from the scrum but it is held up - they'll try again.
    • 76' The TV ref adjudges that Habana carried the ball over his own line - bit harsh - and it's a five-metre scrum for the All Blacks.
    • 76' Carter charges down a clearance kick and races through. Habana just sprints back to beat him to it and touch down. That would have been a certain try.
    • 75' Another New Zealand penalty. It's in their half, and Dan Carter briefly considers having a pop at goal before deciding to find touch inside the Springbok 22. They are just throttling the life out of the visitors.
    • 73' South Africa: Andries Bekker for Bakkies Botha. Try saying that after a few pints...
    • 72' No problem for Dan Carter - his 13th and 14th points of the evening and the All Blacks' 11-point lead looks all but unassailable.
    • 71' Penalty New Zealand. Burger with a rash, off-the-ball tackle on MacDonald, and Carter will surely tack three points onto this lead.
    • 70' New Zealand - Leon MacDonald comes on for the disappointing Sitiveni Sivivatu.
    • 69' Just as the All Blacks are starting to get a head of steam, Percy Montgomery makes a brilliant interception. New Zealand are just relentless in their attacking.
    • 67' Steyn is everywhere now - a real impact substitution. But in truth the Boks have not looked much like scoring since the break.
    • 66' No way! Francois Steyn drops for goal from a couple of yards inside his own half and the ball falls agonisingly short. It passes no more than six inches under the crossbar. Monstrous kick.
    • 65' Steyn fires a dipping clearance towards Sivivatu, who has been quiet tonight and knocks that one on. A chance for the Boks to apply some pressure now.
    • 64' South Africa make another change. Percy Montgomery replaces the impressive Conrad Jantjes. A punishing pace to this game.
    • 62' New Zealand change - Sione Lauaki on from Adam Thomson.
    • 61' Habana has some space to run into and he then finds Jantjes. Much better from South Africa - but they then turn it over and Ali Williams smashes a clearance away.
    • 59' Double change for the visitors, who are right under the cosh. Luke Watson replaces number eight Joe van Niekerk, while Fancois Steyn comes on for Butch James, who in truth has struggled tonight.
    • 58' Brilliant from All Black centre Ma'a Nonu, who accelerates through a non-existent gap and gains 40 metres. Carter then pokes a kick through for Kaino, who is ruled offside as he touches down for the "try". Looks like a very harsh call, and New Zealand have been hard done by there.
    • 56' South Africa try to run the ball from under their own posts but it soon runs into trouble and Bryan Habana is forced to slice a kick to touch off his weaker foot.
    • 54' Boks full-back Conrad Jantjes fields a kick a couple of yards from his own line and is mugged by three All Blacks. He has no option but to go out of play and concede a line out. Great kick by Dan Carter.
    • 52' Schalk Burger tackles Tony Woodcock (no, not that one) with such force that the All Black prop drops the ball. Shuddering hit from Burger.
    • 50' The All Blacks are back in opposition territory and want to finish this now. They have all the momentum.
    • 47' A change up front for South Africa as Brian Mujati replaces CJ van der Linde at prop.
    • 46' Brilliant conversion from Carter - splits the uprights from way out on the left touchline. 16-8 to the All Blacks.
    • 45' TRY!! New Zealand score in the left corner after working the ball from one side of the field to the other - Carter to the fore, obviously - and number eight Jerome Kaino touches down. Great stuff from the home side.
    • 44' Carter appears to be taken down by a neck-high tackle but the referee says play on and New Zealand continue to drive towards the South Africa line.
    • 43' Great defence from All Black winger Rudi Wulf who gathers a Butch James grubber on his own goal line and smashes a huge kick downfield.
    • 41' New Zealand kick off the second hald and Habana juggles the catch before eventually gaining control and kicking away.
    • 40' Half-time in Wellington, and just a point separates the sides. This is developing into a real humdinger.
    • 40' A tactical kicking game develops, however briefly, and we near the break with this game finely poised.
    • 38' Another missed kick by Butch James, who never looks like converting from out on the left touchline. But the Boks are right back in this at 9-8.
    • 37' It's try time!! Bryan Habana for South Africa!! A well-worked break from De Villiers sees the ball land with the jet-heeled winger Habana, who guns it into the left corner.
    • 35' Carter belts a kick downfield that looks like it could be a beauty but just goes out on the full and the Boks will have a line out all the way back inside the opposition half.
    • 33' South Africa win their first line-out of the game (NZ have seven to their name), albeit scrappily. James kicks a poor ball straight into the air but it finds its way back to the Boks fly-half who finds a much better touch on the edge of the All Blacks' 22.
    • 31' Sensational All Blacks break featuring six players and some superb handling. The move is eventually stopped about 15 metres from the line.
    • 29' Carter appears to do a John Terry, slipping as he strikes the ball and pushing the ball wide. But, as this is Dan Carter, the ball curls back inside the left-hand post and it is 9-3.
    • 28' Penalty New Zealand! A needless offside and Carter has a chance to increase the lead from 10 metres inside the SA half. This should present no problem.
    • 27' Poor hands by Habana, who knocks on as he bursts through the centre and New Zealand smack the ball clear.
    • 26' A poor crossfield kick by Carter gifts possession to the Boks as Victor Matfield intercepts Nonu's loose pat to keep the ball in play. Real chance here.
    • 25' High tackle on Schalk Burger and that's a penalty. James will kick from the left side, 15 metres in from the touchline on the 10-metre line. And he pushes his kick right.
    • 23' Carter is played into trouble by an ill-advised quickly-taken line out, but he dodges a charging Bok and clears left-footed before giving his mate an earful.
    • 21' Carter duly boots New Zealand back in front and on the balance of play they probably deserve it.
    • 20' Williams fancies himself as a bit of a twinkletoes, attempting a grubber down the right touchline. The ball stays in and eventually the Kiwis win a penalty that should be an easy three points for Carter.
    • 18' Poor handling from the Boks, and they allow NZ to break with, oddly, Ali Williams. They continue to advance to the edge of the opposition 22 before they are slowed.
    • 16' More fists fly as Habana takes a high ball and is promptly decked. It's a thankless task for the ref, this, but he has just about kept a lid on things so far.
    • 14' A real let-off for the All Blacks, who are right back on their own line but then win a penalty thanks to a Bok offside.
    • 13' South African pressure in the New Zealand 22. They will have a scrum 10 metres out following a knock-on by Ma'a Nonu, who swears loudly to himself.
    • 11' Greg Somerville knocks on and SA will have a chance to clear, assuming they win this scrum, which they do...
    • 9' Carter is absolutely flattened as he sends a grubber kick into the SA 22. Butch James again. No penalty, but an All Black scrum 10 metres from the Boks' line.
    • 7' James takes aim from the 10 metre line, just to the right of centre... and the kick goes over! Three apiece, and an eventful opening here.
    • 6' Fisticuffs! Brad Thorn uses a forearm and then dump tackles somebody off the ball, prompting an almighty ruckus. Mostly pushing and shoving, and a penalty to the All Blacks is reversed. No card for Thorn and James will kick for goal.
    • 5' Carter gets another chance from even closer in and this time he makes no mistake. Easy kick, 3-0 New Zealand.
    • 4' Carter misses the kick!! It bounces off the outside of the right-hand post and away. It was easy - right in front from the edge of the 22. The All Blacks number 10 had successfully converted each of his previous 18 kicks.
    • 3' A test for Bryan Habana, who has to deal with a high ball deep in the South Africa 22. New Zealand win an attacking line out from which they gain the game's first penalty when Butch James impedes Dan Carter.
    • 1' Off we go! South Africa kick off, and the TV game clock, rather bizarrely, starts on 209 minutes. Not sure if that's some Southern Hemisphere system...
    • - The All Blacks dust off the Haka, much to the crowd's delight and the Springboks' amusement. And we're ready to go...
    • - Welcome to LIVE coverage of New Zealand v South Africa, the first game of the 2008 Tri-Nations! It is a cold, rainy evening in Wellington and this should prove a massive test for the visiting world champions.

  • Summary

    New Zealand versus South Africa
    Kaino 45’ Tries Habana 37’
    Carter 46’ Conversions  
    Carter 5’, 21’, 29’, 72’ Penalties James 7’
      Drops  

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Stuart Dickinson

  • New Zealand

    Manager: Graham Henry

    On the Field

    • Woodcock
    • Hore Substitution Out (72′)
    • Somerville Substitution Out (76′)
    • Thorn
    • Williams
    • Thomson a Substitution Out (62′)
    • Kaino Try
    • So'oialo
    • Ellis Substitution Out (76′)
    • Carter
    • Wulf
    • Nonu
    • Smith
    • Sivivatu Substitution Out (70′)
    • Muliaina

    Subs

    • Mealamu Substitution In (72′)
    • MacDonald Substitution In (70′)
    • Lauaki Substitution In (62′)
    • Tialata Substitution In (76′)
    • Cowan Substitution In (76′)
    • Boric
    • Donald

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None

  • South Africa

    Manager: Peter De Villiers

    On the Field

    • Steenkamp
    • Smit Substitution Out (38′)
    • van der Linde Substitution Out (47′)
    • Botha Substitution Out (73′)
    • Matfield
    • Burger
    • Smith
    • van Niekerk Substitution Out (59′)
    • Januarie
    • James Substitution Out (59′)
    • Habana Try
    • De Villiers
    • Jacobs
    • Ndungane
    • Jantjes Substitution Out (64′)

    Subs

    • Montgomery Substitution In (64′)
    • Conradie
    • Steyn Substitution In (59′)
    • du Plessis Substitution In (38′)
    • Watson Substitution In (59′)
    • Bekker Substitution In (73′)
    • Mujati Substitution In (47′)

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None