Rugby

All Blacks bounce back with famous Ellis Park victory

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Springbok centre Damian de Allende is tackled by All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo'unga

The embattled All Blacks rallied to end their slump by punishing the rattled Springboks with a well-deserved victory in Johannesburg on Saturday.

It was as much of a dramatically improved performance from New Zealand as much as it was a slump from the Springboks.

Going into the game at Ellis Park on the back of five defeats in their last six Test matches, the All Blacks were expected to struggle against a powerhouse pack at altitude. However, it was the visitors who looked far more comfortable and the hosts who appeared off the pace from the get-go.

The Springboks will be asking themselves a few tough questions ahead of what could a tough two-Test mini-tour of Australia, before a trip to face the Pumas in Argentina.

By the time hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho barreled his way over the tryline to give New Zealand a 15-0 lead in the 28th minute, a loud home crowd was stunned into silence.

An early concussion injury to Jesse Kriel did not help matters for the Springboks as it prompted a backline reshuffle as Willie le Roux made his way onto the park as Kriel’s replacement. That change saw Damian Willemse move to inside centre, Damian de Allende to outside centre and Lukhanyo Am to wing. While Am had a sensational outing and was possibly one of the best players on the park, De Allende looked far from comfortable defending in the outside channels and the All Blacks exploited that ruthlessly.

The All Blacks also gave the Springboks a nightmare at the lineouts, prompting Joseph Dweba to be hooked in the first half, and put the hosts under good pressure by returning to a good kicking strategy.

A brilliant solo try from Am, where he brushed two tacklers off on his way to the tryline, along with a long-range penalty from Handre Pollard got the Boks back into the match, cutting the deficit to five points at the break.

Pollard and Richie Mo’unga traded penalties in the second half, but the crowd was back on their feet when Makazole Mapimpi scored after a brilliant from Malcolm Marx and wonderfully floated pass from Willemse.

It appeared as if the Springboks were finding their groove when Beauden Barrett was yellow carded for a cynical off-the-ball tackle and Pollard converted the subsequent penalty to give the home side the lead for the first time in the match.

However, it was the All Blacks who finished strongest as David Havili reached over to finish off a coast-to-coast move, before Scott Barrett scored in the final play of the contest to secure the bonus-point for the visitors.

Photo: Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images