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George Bridge scores for New Zealand against South Africa
George Bridge scores for New Zealand against South Africa

New Zealand 23-13 South Africa: Rugby World Cup match report, highlights and scorers

By Press Association
Rugby Union
Sat September 21, 2019 · 5y ago

Champions New Zealand kicked off their Rugby World Cup defence with a hard-fought 23-13 victory over fierce rivals South Africa.

New Zealand 23-13 South Africa

New Zealand tryscorers: Bridge, Barrett
New Zealand conversions: Mo'unga (2)
New Zealand penalties: Mo'unga (2), Barrett

South Africa tryscorers: du Toit
South Africa conversions: Pollard
South Africa penalties: Pollard
South Africa drop-goals: Pollard

Match highlights

New Zealand v South Africa (40-32) | Rugby World Cup 2019 Highlights

Match report

New Zealand fired an ominous warning of their grim focus to secure a record third-straight World Cup crown by grinding past South Africa 23-13 in Yokohama.

The back-to-back world champion All Blacks fended off everything a turbocharged Cheslin Kolbe and the Springboks could throw at them, powering to an opening victory at times prosaic in style - but every inch foreboding for their foes.

George Bridge and Scott Barrett bagged the New Zealand tries, with Richie Mo'unga slotting 10 points with the boot and Beauden Barrett notching a penalty of his own.

Rassie Erasmus' Springboks tore into New Zealand from the off, appeared to have punched themselves out after 20 minutes, then rose from the canvas for another flurry of combinations after the break.

Toulouse speed merchant Kolbe stormed, stalked and danced his way through, round and over the All Blacks defence - but crucially could not quite provide a finish.

The marauding wing finish the match nursing a possible leg injury too, to heap misery on a frustrating night that had positively oozed promise from the moment he latched onto the ball for the first time in the second-half.

New Zealand hardly excelled here, and Beauden Barrett's move to full-back continues to polarise opinion, and perhaps fail to convince.

But boss Steve Hansen likes his All Blacks to build into tournaments, and his backline that finished the match - with Beauden Barrett at 10, Sonny Bill Williams in the centre and Ben Smith at full-back - will no doubt prove the starting combination for knockout clashes.

A watching Ireland can draw one clear conclusion from this engaging if at times sloppy contest - Joe Schmidt's men will have to crank up their own level significantly to defeat either of these teams.

Ireland will face one of New Zealand or South Africa should they reach the quarter-finals, and after this the size of the task in store for the knockout stages has been laid bare.

For all of South Africa's doubtless frustration in defeat however, both these teams are surely bound for the quarter-finals, whereupon their real assault on the Japan tournament will begin in earnest.

Scott Barrett of New Zealand runs with the ball to score

South Africa's breakneck start rattled a curiously disjointed New Zealand. The Springboks flew off the defensive line with startling speed, hustling their way to a quick 3-0 lead thanks to a Pollard penalty.

The Blue Bulls fly-half struck the post with a second effort off the tee, failing with a regulation shot however - and after that traffic reversed.

Erasmus' men only wound up blitzing themselves with that super-aggressive line speed. The Boks effectively ran out of steam in the first quarter.

Ailing limbs led to misplaced passes, and New Zealand pounced.

First Makazole Mapimpi was hugely fortunate to escape a yellow card for killing the ball just five metres out, with Mo'unga banging over the penalty.

Then Bridge slid home after lightning raids from Sevu Reece, Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett.

And when Scott Barrett cantered home just before the half-hour, New Zealand had total supremacy. Or so they thought.

Suddenly the crowd burst into a Mexican Wave, and Kolbe snapped to it almost in a fit of anger - and the game set on fire.

Somehow Mo'unga denied Kolbe a stunning score at the last, but the All Blacks lost possession on their counter-attack.

And flanker Du Toit flopped home to drag the Boks back into the equation.

Pollard's conversion - and then a finely crafted and equally well-struck drop-goal - dragged Erasmus' men to within four points of the back-to-back world champions.

Mo'unga quickly slotted a penalty to restore the seven-point All Black advantage, before Barrett posted a three-pointer of his own.

Kolbe bobbed, weaved and sneaked round defenders time and again at the death, but to no avail.

The Boks will hope he has not suffered a serious injury, because the fast-rising star has the potential to be the most destructive player in this competition.

Match reaction

Beauden Barrett has been backed to boss New Zealand's latest bid for World Cup history in Japan.

Barrett switched from fly-half to full-back for the All Blacks' 23-13 victory over South Africa in Yokohama, a win that tees up the Kiwis to top Pool B.

The 28-year-old offers New Zealand an extra playmaking dimension from the depth of the backline, with Richie Mo'unga at 10 and the versatile Ryan Crotty at 12.

Barrett's sheer pace and controlling guile helped steer New Zealand home, leaving assistant coach Ian Foster to wax lyrical on the accomplished Blues star.

Back in 2015 Barrett played second fiddle to Dan Carter, stepping off the bench in the big games. This time around he can be the main attraction, and Foster believes he can thrive amid top billing - and underpin New Zealand's drive for a record third-straight World Cup crown.

Asked if he thinks Barrett is ready to own this World Cup, Foster replied: "Yes I do.

"He's been building it for a while. He's a key part of our strategy group, the way he prepares. I know how focused he is on playing well, but there's a few others like that too.

"He's helping Richie (Mo'unga) grow into the position he's in too. He's a part of encouraging and giving them confidence too."

George Bridge and Scott Barrett scored the tries that ultimately saw New Zealand home, in a match where Springboks speed king wing Cheslin Kolbe dazzled throughout a stellar second-half.

All Blacks boss Steve Hansen admitted his side had to toil hard before finding their rhythm, before insisting South Africa can still go on to win the competition.

No side has ever lost a pool match and progressed to become champions, but Hansen believes records only exist to be expunged.

"We're one for one, so that's pretty good," said Hansen.

"We won didn't we? So you've got to be happy with that. Were we perfect? No, but you're never going to be at this stage of the tournament.

"That was the interesting thing about this game right from the get-go.

"We've come out on top of it and very happy that we did but there's plenty of stuff we can work on.

"It was really hard for us early in the game in the scrum.

"The boys adjusted through the game, and got more fluid. But it's always going to be a titanic struggle.

"You can't strike if you don't get TQB - which is top quality ball - at the set-piece."

Asked if South Africa can still win the tournament, Hansen added: "I talked about this the other day. For us to win the tournament we've got to win every game.

"For South Africa win the tournament they've got to win every game, and we've got to do the same. And nothing's changed in that respect after tonight.

"History's a great thing but it's there to be broken.

"Their mindset from now is that every game's a final, and it's the same for us. So yes, they can do it."

South Africa boss Rassie Erasmus admitted his side deserved to lose, before insisting the Springboks can still go on and swipe the Webb Ellis Cup.

"They definitely deserved to win the game," said Erasmus.

"I don't think we can moan about anything, and we have to say well done to them.

"All credit to New Zealand when they had one opportunity to pounce they pounced. That shows a world-class team and we struggled to handle that."

Asked if South Africa can still win the World Cup, he added: "Yes I think we can fight back, in the game we fought back.

"At half-time we were 17-3 down, and I've seen South Africa leak 50 points when we're doing that much.

"So to be back to 17-13 and in their 22 close to scoring a try, there were stages where we really fought back well.

"If you draw New Zealand in your pool you've got a good chance of not topping the pool.

"And then you've got to go and fight back and be the first team in history to reach the final after losing a pool match. That's the challenge now."

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