Biggar mistake hands Boks a dramatic win
SOUTH AFRICA 32 WALES 29
Damian Willemse broke Welsh hearts last night with the final kick of a pulsating Test match as world champions South Africa triumphed at Loftus Versfeld, writes ANDREW BALDOCK.
Willemse’s penalty – awarded following a deliberate knock-on by Wales captain Dan Biggar – denied Wales a draw.
And for large parts of a breathtaking contest, Wayne Pivac’s team looked destined to end 58 years of hurt by claiming a first victory over the Springboks in South Africa.
Beaten at home by Italy just three months ago, Wales were written off before they arrived in Pretoria, but wing Louis Rees-Zammit’s first-half try double helped put South Africa on the rack.
Wales, though, were briefly reduced to 12 men during the frantic closing stages after Rees-Zammit, Alun Wyn Jones and Rhys Carre received yellow cards.
A capacity 50,000 crowd saw their heroes go 29-24 ahead through a 75th-minute penalty try, then replacement hooker Dewi Lake’s touchdown hauled Wales level before Willemse landed his winning kick.
Wales were humiliated 96-13 by South Africa on the same ground in 1998, but they head to Bloemfontein for next Saturday’s second Test after one of their finest performances in recent seasons.
South Africa scored tries through Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx and Cheslin Kolbe, in addition to the penalty try, while Willemse kicked two conversions and a penalty, and Elton Jantjies landed a penalty, with Biggar kicking three penalties, a dropgoal and a conversion.
Wales scored a try after just three minutes with a flowing move ending in Liam Williams sending wing Rees-Zammit clear.
Biggar landed a 40-metre drop-goal that left South Africa eight points adrift inside the first 10 minutes.
Jantjies and Biggar swapped penalties before Wales claimed a second try eight minutes before half-time.
Nick Tompkins’ challenge on Jantjies saw the ball bounce clear, and Rees-Zammit kicked ahead before gathering and scoring.
Biggar’s conversion made it 18-3, and South Africa had a mountain to climb, trailing by 15 points at the break.
They claimed their first try after 46 minutes when Mbonambi was driven over by his pack. Willemse added the conversion and they struck again when replacement hooker Marx touched down, making it 18-15. Biggar kicked two penalties during a six-minute spell But the Boks hit back through a Kolbe try that Willemse converted before Jones was yellow-carded for being offside. Rees-Zammit was also sin-binned following a technical infringement and South Africa went ahead with a penalty try after Wales collapsed a maul, and Carre became their third player in the sin-bin.
Wales still drew level through Lake’s try, but Willemse had the final word.