Classic Clashes – Springboks v All Blacks

Ahead of their tournament-opening encounter in Nelspruit next Saturday, Quintin van Jaarsveld highlights five classic Rugby Championship clashes between the Springboks and the All Blacks on South African soil.

Lengendary Comeback

On a high following their famous 13-3 win over the All Blacks in Wellington, the 1998 class of Springboks looked set to crash back down to earth in the return fixture in Durban as the vengeful visitors held a commanding 23-5 lead with 13 minutes left of the clock. 

Justin Marshall had scored after a barnstorming run by the great Jonah Lomu while Taine Randell also touched down with Andrew Mehrtens converting both tries and adding three penalty goals to the hosts’ solitary try by Stefan Terblanche. 

Down by 18, Joost van der Westhuizen sparked one of the all-time great comebacks as the legendary scrumhalf sliced clean through from a lineout maul in vintage fashion. Bobby Skinstad forced his way over in the 72nd minute, with Percy Montgomery landing both conversions to close the gap to four. 

Brimming with belief, the men in green and gold completed the fairy-tale fightback with an unstoppable driving maul in the final play of the Test match, James “Bullet” Dalton dotting down to snatch a 24-23 win. 

It was the Springboks’ first home win over their arch-rivals in the Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship with Nick Mallett’s men going on to wallop the Wallabies 29-15 to celebrate their maiden title.

Ten – Try Thriller

The rivals’ first showdown of the new millennium in South Africa was an electrifying exhibition of champagne rugby at Ellis Park. The 2000 spectacle produced 86 points and 10 tries, eight of which were scored in a breathless first half. 

Chester Williams, playing on the right rather than his usual place on the left wing, broke Christian Cullen’s tackle to start the shootout with Robbie Fleck running in two top tries on either side of a Tana Umaga counterstrike.

Mallett’s charges showed they can strike from deep as well as Werner Swanepoel sniped over after a surging run by Corne Krige before Thinus Delport shot into a gap and swerved past Cullen for a classic try.

Trailing by 20, the Kiwis looked dead and buried but that changed in a flash as tries by Cullen and Umaga brought them right back in it at 33-27 going into the break.

The battle of the boot between Braam van Straten and Andrew Mehrtens, who contributed 16 and 20 points to their respective team’s tallies, came more into focus in the second half and a second try by Cullen helped New Zealand edge into a 40-39 lead.

The Andre Vos-led hosts weren’t going to let it slip, though, with Swanepoel’s opportunistic second score in the 68th minute proving to be the match-winning try as the Springboks held on for a heart-pumping 46-40 victory, which is still their highest score against the All Blacks.

The Morne Steyn Show

The 2009 dual in Durban was dominated by one man. Playing in his fifth Test and starting in the green and gold No 10 jersey for just the second time, Morne Steyn rewrote the record books as he scored all of the Springboks’ points to pilot them to an unforgettable 31-19 win.

The flyhalf slotted eight penalty goals, scored a try, and added the conversion while the visitors managed a try by Isaac Ross and 14 points off the tee via Stephen Donald, who kicked three penalty goals and a conversion, and Luke McAlister, who landed a penalty goal.

Steyn’s stunning haul was historic on multiple levels. It remains the world record for the most points by a player who’s scored all of his team’s points, the most points scored by a player against New Zealand in a single Test, the highest individual points tally in a Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship match and a South African record for the most penalty goals in a single Test.

The then-25-year-old’s heroics also saw the Springboks – captained by John Smit and coached by Peter de Villiers – topple the All Blacks on successive weekends for the first time since 1976 as it came on the heels of a 28-19 victory in Bloemfontein and led to South Africa’s third Southern Hemisphere title.

Dagger Through Bok Hearts

The All Blacks spoiled a momentous occasion for South Africans in the cruelest of fashions in 2010. A 94,000-strong crowd packed the FNB Stadium for the first-ever Test match in Soweto, which doubled as captain John Smit’s 100th appearance for the Springboks.

The atmosphere was electric and the battle brutal. For 77 minutes, the hosts led the dance. Hardman Schalk Burger had bludgeoned his way over in heavy traffic with ace goal-kicker Morne Steyn slotting five from five to give the Springboks a 22-17 lead with three minutes remaining.

New Zealand, who had countered with a try by Tony Woodcock and a dozen points by Dan Carter, spoiled the party as a missed forward pass by Israel Dagg to Mils Muliaina led to captain Richie McCaw scoring a five-pointer to level the scores before Ma’a Nonu slipped through centurion Smith’s attempted tackle and put Dagg away to consign the Springboks to a heart-breaking 29-22 defeat and seal the silverware.

Boks Snap All Black’s Unbeaten Streak

The 2014 clash was a historic humdinger on the Highveld as it saw the coming of age of a fresh-faced Handre Pollard, one of the highlights of Pat Lambie’s career, and the Jean de Villiers-led Springboks break the world champion All Blacks’ 22-match unbeaten streak.

Francois Hougaard ran in a classic try while 20-year-old Pollard scored a delectable double and added three conversions and a penalty goal, while the All Blacks scored through Malakai Fekitoa, Ben Smith, and Dane Coles, with Beauden Barrett adding 10 points with the boot to give the visitors a 25-24 lead at Ellis Park.

In the dying moments, a no-arms hit by Liam Messam to the head of Schalk Burger was brought to referee Stuart Barnes’ attention and a penalty was ultimately awarded. The make-or-break moment fell on the shoulders of replacement flyhalf Lambie, who had ice in his veins as he nailed a 55-metre penalty goal to secure a dramatic 27-25 win.

It was the Springboks’ only triumph over their arch-rivals during the Heyneke Meyer era and the All Blacks’ first loss since falling 38-21 to England at Twickenham in late 2012.