Marx on parade to make it four in a row

By Paul Rees

South Africa ………………… 18pts

Tries: Kolisi 48, Marx 73

Conversions: Pollard 49

Penalties: Pollard 31, Feinberg-Mngomezulu 54

New Zealand……………….. 12pts

Penalties: McKenzie 15, 27, 40, 59

New Zealand picked a bench to ensure they finished the match strongly, but once again they squandered a lead as South Africa all but clinched the Rugby Championship with a fourth successive victory over the All Blacks for the first time in 75 years.

It was another fiercely fought contest between the two rivals, but New Zealand, and it is strange to say this about them after what they have achieved over the years, lacked a steady hand on the tiller. They were rushed into decisions and when they needed a calm authority as the heat of the game intensified, no one stood up.

For the fourth match in four this tournament New Zealand opened the scoring but conceded last. Head coach Scott Robertson’s ploy of putting the experienced half-backs TJ Perenara and Beauden Barrett on the bench to bring knowhow in the pivotal moments made no difference: their three defeats in the last month have all followed interval leads.

Robertson did not use all his bench, a contrast to his opposite number Rassie Erasmus who brought on his five forward replacements before an hour was up. They made a difference as South Africa, who in the first half were wayward in the lineout, pushed around in the scrum after an assertive start and outnumbered at the breakdown, got on top after the introduction of hooker Malcom Marx on 45 minutes.

Their lineout and scrum improved immediately Marx came on and within five minutes they were ahead having trailed 9-3 at the interval to three Damien McKenzie penalties with Handre Pollard landing one. The Springboks had had more of the game but were too often isolated in possession by Ardie Savea and Sam Cane and forced to hold on.

Star player: Malcolm Marx scores the late try to make the win safe for South Africa
PICTURES: Getty Images

South Africa won the first four penalties after the interval and they forced lineouts with the second and third. Their mauls were held up, and after Eben Etzebeth thought he had scored, scrum-half Grant Williams spotted a gap between Cane and Rieko Ioane on the right side of a ruck and put Siya Kolisi through it.

There was one point in it with seven minutes to go when South Africa kicked another penalty to touch. They had just survived Willie le Roux’s stint in the sin-bin for a deliberate knock on when the fullback looked to have tried to palm a Beauden Barrett pass with his left hand in order to try and catch it. A penalty, perhaps, as he failed to regather, but a yellow card? The game is more and more taking a literal interpretation of the laws, something that is compromising its spirit.

The score was 13-12 to South Africa. McKenzie wasted the opportunity to restore New Zealand’s lead when his penalty for Le Roux’s offence hit a post. Scott Barrett then dropped the ball in South Africa’s 22 after the All Blacks had taken play through several phases and was then part of a lineout mix-up after a penalty was kicked to touch rather than for goal.

Still the chances came and when McKenzie lined up a 40-metre penalty to the left of the posts, it looked a nailed on three points. Pressure does strange things and a difference between this New Zealand team and ones down the generations is that they lost the knack of tilting the match their way.

McKenzie, who had struggled to ignite his backline in the face of South Africa’s relentless defence, pulled his kick wide. Beauden Barrett then had a kick charged down by Damian de Allende and when Cheslin Kolbe chased a chip, he was taken out by prop Tyrel Lomax who soiled a strong performance by receiving a needless yellow card.

South Africa kicked the penalty to touch and although the driving maul was again held up, the alert Marx spotted space on the left and surged over to put his side six points ahead. There was time for New Zealand to come back, but when they had a lineout in South Africa’s half with time up, Pieter-Steph du Toit, who once again had throughout been on hand when needed, intercepted the throw and the champions lost their crown.

Try time: Siya Kolisi goes over for South Africa

That New Zealand blew an advantage for the second consecutive week said everything about where they are. They had the better of the early exchanges, but when they had a player advantage with No.8 Jasper Wiese sent to the sin-bin for a tackle off the ball, Sevu Reece wasted it with a mindless challenge on le Roux in the air when he had no chance of catching the ball.

Reece joined Wiese in the cooler and although no more points were scored until they had both returned to the field, there was a momentum shift.

McKenzie opened the scoring after the first yellow card and added a second on 27 minutes, but it was South Africa who were finding space behind in a match when defenders flew up with scrum-half Williams adept at getting the ball away quickly.

New Zealand struggled to create space and for all the efforts of their back row, with Wallace Sititi making ground in the first half, if suspect in defence, and hooker Codie Taylor, they struggled to create space, quickly closed down. They needed a cool head, someone armed with the gift of time, but not even Beauden Barrett could deliver having been brought on at 15 rather than 10 where he was needed more.

Kolisi remarked after the game that New Zealand were in a position South Africa occupied not so long ago, losing close matches, and predicted they would quickly come again. Perhaps, but a team that used to have no weak links is now reliant on individuals and behind the scrum no one really stands out.

South Africa are a few steps ahead of them. Only Ireland have defeated the Springboks in the last 13 months and victory over Argentina in a fortnight will secure their first Rugby Championship title since 2019. They have a depth the All Blacks lack and they can play as a game and the conditions demand. Robertson needs to give his side an identity.