New Zealand snuff out South Africa ‘the hard way’ to reach Rugby World Cup final

Dan Carter anchored All Blacks to a 20-18 victory to reach the World Cup final at the end of a bruising clash at Twickenham on Saturday.

New Zealand's Brodie Retallick grabs the ball in the semi-final against South Africa at Twickenham Stadium, October 24, 2015. Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP Photo

New Zealand are just a game away from becoming the first team to defend the Webb Ellis Cup after a hard-fought victory over South Africa on Saturday.

The All Blacks trailed 12-7 at half time of an intense semi-final, but it was the range of their game and their experience of closing out matches that resulted in Steve Hansen’s side clawing back a half-time deficit in a Rugby World Cup match for the third time in their history.

Dan Carter missed out on the final four years ago, but he will play against either Australia or Argentina back here on Saturday having surpassed Grant Fox as his nation’s highest points scorer.

The fly-half had to thumb to the back of his playbook for his 10 points, however, and in addition to converting the tries of Jerome Kaino and Bauden Barrett he added a penalty and pulled out his first international drop goal for three years.

In contrast South African fly-half Handre Pollard kicked five penalties before he was substituted for Patrick Lambie, who set up a close finish when he added three points to take the game to 20-18 in the 69th minute.

New Zealand had lost only three matches since the last tournament, and like a boa constrictor, inevitably and inexorably the world champions squeezed out any life the Springboks had.

It was captain Richie McCaw’s 147th Test, and with Carter on 111 caps, centre Conrad Smith on 93 and No 8 Keiran Read with 83 the combined knowledge of the All Blacks leadership group dwarfed that of South Africa’s blend of youth and experience.

South Africa have a lot to look forward to in the coming years, once they have got Friday’s third-fourth play-off at the Olympic Park out of the way to complete their commitments at the tournament, with players such as Eben Etzebeth, 23, Damian de Allende, 23, and Jesse Kriel, 21, on the field Saturday.

But while they show considerable promise, experience is still lacking and that was what was missing as they lacked the wherewithal to try something different in their attempts to unlock the New Zealand defence.

South Africa had set out their stall early on and tried to apply pressure through building phases to secure penalties and for the first 40 minutes coach Heyneke Meyer’s strategy worked a treat.

The back-row of Schalk Burger, Duane Vermeulen and Francois Louw in particular pinched New Zealand ball with both Carter and man of the match Ben Smith coughing up possession in their own half.

New Zealand gave away nine penalties before the break, four of which were in their own half all of which were snapped up by Pollard.

In the plus column, the free-flowing All Black forwards and backs continually combined and switched positions which made life tough for the admirable Springbok defence.

Lock Brodie Retallick played centre and fly-half on several occasions, hooker Dane Coles may have scored had he stayed on his feet after a fine catch out wide and it was McCaw and Kaino who worked well on the right wing to secure their side’s first try.

Too often Carter and Nehe Milner-Skudder resorted to the grubber kick, but in the 49th minute Milner-Skudder came off second best when challenging for the ball with Bryan Habana.

Coach Steve Hansen used it as an opportunity to bring on Barrett and Carter’s understudy made an immediate impression by taking advantage of Ma’a Nonu’s clever running lines to dive over in the corner.

Barrett has long been seen as Carter’s successor and by providing another option at fly-half New Zealand found it progressively easier to hem in South Africa through the two player’s boots.

South Africa struggled to match their first-half intensity and never once looked to threaten the New Zealand line in the closing minutes.

The only time South Africa had won a Rugby World Cup match without scoring a try was in the 1995 and 2007 finals.

It was never going to be enough against this All Blacks team and so it proved.

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