New Zealand V South Africa: Winners and Losers from Rugby Championship

New Zealand won a closely fought Test match in Wellington with a 14–11 advantage they had to defend right up to the final whistle, per ESPNScrum.com

This was a gripping battle between an All Blacks side relentlessly attacking their visitors with their tried-and-trusted game plan, and a South African outfit hurting from late defeat last week and defending with all their lives.

The All Blacks were firmly in charge of the game for the most part but didn’t convert that into points, which is testament to the defensive willpower of the away side. The Boks could have taken the spoils at the end but for a poor choice off a great scrum position.

They now have home games against Australia and New Zealand to ensure they end up with more than just two wins against Argentina as their only successes of the tournament.

Here are the winners and losers.

Some players have rare moments of magic that light up a game. Kieran Read has one every week.

In Wellington, it came in the second half when Aaron Cruden spotted the No. 8 on the wing, where he so often lurks to cause damage.

Read was up against Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, who doesn’t give much away in height to the Cantabrian.

But de Villiers was made to look as though he was wearing concrete boots as Read leapt like Michael Jordan taking flight from a step ladder to pluck Cruden’s cross­–field kick from the night sky.

He then delivered the perfect offload to the on-rushing Richie McCaw, who ploughed over the line to put New Zealand into the lead.

That was his game-defining contribution, but Read also put in a mighty shift at the ferociously­ contested breakdown where the Boks threatened to kill and disrupt the high-tempo style the All Blacks love to play.

Smith was shunted out to the wing for the second successive week to accommodate the skills of Israel Dagg at full-back.

It’s an understandable move from Steve Hansen, affording him the luxury of having his best players on the field, with due respect to Cory Jane.

And the decision was made to seem a masterstroke when the multi–talented Smith was called upon to step into the inside-centre role after injury ended Ma’a Nonu’s evening.

The All Blacks midfield lost none of its threat in the reshuffle, and Smith, who has played just six of his Tests in the centres, proved he can now cover another area if required.

Daniel Richardson of the New Zealand Herald was impressed:

He's a reliable Mr Fix It for any occasion and tonight's test match was no different. He has played at first-receiver for the national sevens side, which is an indication of his ability closer to the action.

Building depth in every position ahead of next year's World Cup is an ongoing concern in the mind of Hansen and Co and it would have been pleasing for them to see Smith hold his own at second-five.

Duane Vermeulen had a barnstorming game at No. 8 for the Springboks. Perhaps playing against the best player on the planet in his position brought another level out of the Western Province man.

He was a key figure in the Boks’ try with a coruscating run that set the perfect platform for what followed, but it was his industry in defence that also stood out.

He was hell­-bent on denying the home side the lightning–fast ball they crave and hit the breakdowns with enormous force.

Undeserving of ending up on the losing side.

The last time the young fly-half was playing on New Zealand soil, he was collecting the award for the best young player in the world following this year’s Junior World Cup.

Now he was back with enormous pressure on his shoulders, with calls for him to be dropped in favour of the more experienced Morne Steyn no doubt ringing in his and his coach’s ears.

Pollard responded magnificently. His positioning and execution for Cornal Hendricks’ try were first class, as was his decision-making, highlighted by his snap drop goal in the second half.

Perhaps not quite a coming-of-age, but Pollard seems to be doing a lot of growing up in this championship.

It was not a great night for South African skipper Jean de Villiers.

He was horribly exposed for Kieran Read’s salmon-like leap that set up Richie McCaw’s try, and failed to take advantage of the reduction in bulk up against him when Ben Smith replaced Ma’a Nonu.

To reach 100 caps is a phenomenal achievement for any player, but it takes time to get to such a milestone, and perhaps that time is beginning to tap one of South Africa’s greatest servants on the shoulder.

South Africa knew what was coming at them and, largely, dealt with it well.

They repelled the oft-used tactic of sending Brodie Retallick down the No. 10 channel and were well-staffed in deep areas to field the regular kicks sent long by the All Blacks.

But they fell short in making their opportunities stick. One break–out following a turnover on halfway petered out with a poor pass that Jean de Villiers had to claw from behind him, while their last-minute chance from a five-metre scrum was screwed up by running too close to the touchline, where the black covering players could easily block the path to the try line.

Heyneke Meyer’s men have no problem staying in the argument against New Zealand, but a little more composure is needed to take the spoils in tight affairs like this.