Wales vs. South Africa: Score and Report from Autumn Rugby International
Wales recorded a historic and much-needed 12-6 win over South Africa at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, dominating possession against the Springboks from start to finish but leaving it late to secure the victory.
The hosts came into this match having won just a single test in 27 attempts against teams from the southern hemisphere, and coach Warren Gatland admitted his team were desperate for a result, via BBC Sport:
"We're desperate to get that win.
I know there's been a lot of criticism about us putting ourselves in positions and when you look back at the last few years, there's probably half a dozen [or] seven or eight games that there's only been a few points between winning and losing games that we've been in front [in].
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Leigh Halfpenny gave Wales the perfect start after just three minutes, converting a penalty after the Springboks were caught not releasing.
Roared on by the crowd in Cardiff, the Welsh certainly had the brighter start, moving the ball around well deep in South African territory. Defensively, the team looked solid, closing well around Lwazi Mvovo when the winger found some space to dash.
The Springboks got on level terms after 10 minutes, however, as the Welsh were penalised for not releasing. From a tricky angle, Patrick Lambie kept his cool and put the ball between the uprights.
Despite the brilliant kick, WalesOnline Rugby felt compelled to joke at the 24-year-old's expense:
The hosts wanted a penalty just minutes later after Dan Biggar appeared to be tackled late, but referee John Lacey was unmoved by the crowd's cries. He finally relented to the pressure in the 15th minute, but Halfpenny's effort missed the mark.
Wales continued to press forward, but the South African defence held up well. Midway through the first half, mistakes started to plague the hosts. Ceding possession in promising positions on multiple occasions, the Welsh couldn't translate their dominance on the ball into points.
Mvovo continued to play excellently for the visitors, making plenty of ground when in possession and shutting down the Welsh wingers beautifully. Lambie had another shot at the posts from a penalty, but he couldn't give South Africa the lead. Despite Wales' dominance in possession, the score was 3-3 at half-time, via Wales Online:
Speaking to BBC Sport, former Wales fly-half Jonathan Davies was not satisfied with such a score, saying, "I just think Wales should be in front. They've had a lot of pressure, a lot of territory and a lot of possession. They need to turn pressure into points."
The hosts had played a crisp, clean game in the first half, but proceedings looked much more disjointed after half-time. That didn't stop Halfpenny from making it 6-3 after 47 minutes, however, making up for his earlier error with a great shot from range.
Lambie again tied things up after 50 minutes, booting a massive effort from the halfway line. Penalties were now coming in fast, as Springboks prop Coenie Oosthuizen was spotted coming in from the side. Halfpenny stepped up for the angled kick, and (to the delight of the home fans) he converted for the 9-6 lead.
A fumble from Lambie and some excellent scrummaging from the hosts gave the full-back another opportunity. Having found a nice rhythm, Halfpenny gave Wales a six-point lead after 55 minutes.
Things only got worse for the visitors, as they lost Jean de Villiers to a knee injury that had the Springboks captain in visible agony. Welsh Rugby Union hopes it's not as serious as it initially looked:
South Africa opted to make a number of changes, while Gatland decided to stick with his starters for as long as possible. The fresh legs appeared to give the visitors an edge in the scrum, but said advantage quickly vanished when Cornal Hendricks was sin-binned for a tackle on Halfpenny in the air.
Rugby World didn't agree with the decision:
The collision appeared to wobble the full-back, who soon left the pitch as well to check for signals of concussion, via WalesOnline Rugby:
The hosts desperately pushed forward to convert the man advantage into points, but the Springboks wouldn't relent. This was to the dismay of the crowd, who knew the team's recent track record against sides from the southern hemisphere all too well.
Commentator Eddie Butler had similar ideas, telling BBC Sport:
"There's always something at the very end at the Millennium Stadium. High drama. Shaun Edwards feels it. The whole stadium feels it. How about a two-and-a-half-minute scrummage and then a knock-on at the end of it?
"
South Africa tried one final push into Welsh territory, but Gatland's men held onto the lead, recording a rare and much-needed win over the Springboks. The visitors' official Twitter feed congratulated the hosts:
With an eye on the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the importance of this result cannot be underestimated. Dan Biggar had similar thoughts after the match, telling BBC Sport: "It's everything. This is a real moment for us moving forward."
Wales have the talent to be true competitors at next year's World Cup, but an inability to close the deal against opponents from the southern hemisphere put some serious question marks around Gatland's team.
One win in a friendly won't change much, but it will give Wales the confidence they need moving forward.
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