Welsh players celebrate what is only their second ever win over South Africa

by Paul Cook –

Boy, did they need this. After a month which has seen defeat snatched from the jaws of victory against both Australia and New Zealand, and a far from comfortable win over a Fiji side a man down for the last half hour, Wales have finally got the Southern Hemisphere monkey of their backs with a gutsy 12-6 victory over South Africa.

With dissension starting to build amongst the ranks of local media and a fervent fanbase, all the talk before kick-off had been about Warren Gatland’s record against the big three since taking charge of the national side in 2007. One win from 27 attempts simply wasn’t good enough and 11 months out from the World Cup, he and his team were desperate to take a giant scalp.

They did so through tactical nous, outstanding defence and a willingness to put their bodies on the line, none more so than flyhalf Dan Biggar, who walked away with Man of the Match honours after mixing a faultless kicking game with a showreel of big hits on bigger men that would have made Jonny Wilkinson purr.

Three-all at half-time, the boot of Leigh Halfpenny did all the damage as Wales smothered a toothless Springbok attack, forced errors and penalties and toughed it out for the full 80 minutes. But while the tourists bore all the hallmarks of a team that had played a game too far on this never ending rugby calendar, take nothing away from a Welsh side that can now head into 2015 with a renewed sense of confidence that what they are doing does work when executed correctly and sustained for an entire match.

Showing their intent from the start, Wales put together 12 phases from the kick-off before South Africa were pinged for holding on and Leigh Halfpenny dissected the posts from out wide as only Leigh Halfpenny does.

Man of the Match Dan Biggar in the thick of the action. His defensive work was a standout

The Springboks responded with some trademark physicality, testing the Welsh rearguard around the fringes with some damaging ball carries and fearsome tackling, led as usual by Duane Vermeulen. One such foray drew a penalty for not releasing but Dan Biggar appeared to have been hard done by on the replay. No matter, Pat Lambie levelled the scores from distance.

A sneaky one-two lineout play in the 13th minute between hooker Scott Baldwin and lock Alun-Wyn Jones drew a penalty when Cobus Reinach went off his feet but Halfpenny showed his human side by striking an upright.

Defences ruled with chances at a premium for both sides as the clock ticked off the opening quarter. Wales were having the better of the possession and territory whilst employing a well thought out kicking game but were struggling to get behind South Africa’s aggressive first up tackles.

The visitors meanwhile, looked to Lambie to construct an opening but with a new wing combination – Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen having returned to club duty in France and Japan respectively – they were still trying to gel as an attacking unit.

Wales chanced their arm just before the half hour, twice throwing all available 14 men into the lineout in an effort to force the ball over through sheer weight of numbers. But they nearly shot themselves in the foot when Victor Matfield almost stole the throw which would have made life very interesting with no red shirt present across 80% of the field.

But when they did get it right, diminutive fullback Halfpenny would have made for the unlikeliest of try scorers had he managed another half a metre from a despairing dive through a forest of bodies.

The powerful Eben Etzebeth was one of the Springboks’ best in what was a lacklustre performance from the tourists

Lambie missed his own long range penalty before a rampaging Eben Etzebeth was bravely felled by a superb tackle from Halfpenny as he bore down on the posts. But it was the defensive display from Biggar that was the highlight of the opening stanza, the flyhalf putting himself in harm’s way time and again to fell a cavalcade of prime Springbok beef.

An intriguing if unspectacular half came to a close with the 3-3 stalemate still the status quo, Wales having done their job to thwart the Boks without making any serious inroads at the opposite end.

Having gone into half-time with the same scoreline last weekend against the All Blacks, only to concede five second half tries, the challenge for Gatland’s side was to finally go toe-to-toe for the full 80 minutes with a world heavyweight and remain standing.

A penalty from Halfpenny six minutes after the restart got them on their way, captain Sam Warburton pinning Bismarck du Plessis in possession to earn his fullback a shot at the posts. But a scrum penalty after the restart allowed Lambie to strike back with aplomb, levelling at 6-6 from just inside halfway

That strike was soon cancelled out when tight head Coenie Oosthuizen came in from the side and Halfpenny edged Wales back in front by three as a game of fine margins became ever more tighter.

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer rang the changes, flanker Nizaam Carr and loose head Trevor Nyakane brought on to the steady the ship but the turnover in the front row proved costly as a magnificent Welsh scrum in the 55th minute earned the biggest cheer of the night from the Millennium Stadium crowd. Eight red jerseys marched their vaunted opponents backwards for referee John Lacey to award the penalty and Halfpenny’s radar was on song once again.

Fullback Leigh Halfpenny struck all 12 of Wales’ points through penalties

Out of sorts and chasing the game, South Africa’s evening took a severe hit just before the hour mark when Jean de Villiers departed the field. Caught in the wrong position at a ruck, the captain’s knee folded beneath him at such an oblique angle that the replay induced audible discomfort from the crowd, the initial prognosis a dislocated knee.

Victor Matfield assumed the captaincy and his challenge immediately grew with a harsh yellow card for Cornal Hendricks, deemed to have taken Halfpenny in the air when both parties appeared to have nothing but the ball in their sights.

It was just the fillip the home side needed. With 15 minutes to go and a man advantage, now was the time for them to step up and see this one home and they almost procured a potential match winner when scrumhalf Rhys Webb dummied to go himself under the posts only for Matfield and Nyakane to combine and pull off a try saving tackle.

But South Africa, a pale shadow of the side that beat the All Blacks eight weeks ago, were unravelling fast, individual errors mounting as a long and attritional season appeared to take its toll in the final act. Incoming scrumhalf Francois Hougaard kicked out on the full before the usually dependable Willie le Roux knocked on as he attempted to run back a clearing kick.

Those mistakes served only to fuel Welsh belief, in both those on the field and those watching in the stands, and the hosts upped the ante in the final 10 minutes. Unable to seal the deal with a try, nerves amongst the Welsh faithful and up in the coaches’ box were shredding fast as the clock ticked towards full-time but when a 5 metre attacking Springbok scrum was thwarted and le Roux knocked on again, the writing was on the wall and Wales had secured a famous – and much needed – victory.

Wales 12 (Leigh Halfpenny 4 pens) defeated South Africa 6 (Pat Lambie 2 pens)
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