Ricky Januarie produced a marvelous individual try to set up a historic 30-28 victory for the Springboks over the All Blacks in their Tri-Nations rugby test match played at Carisbrook in Dunedin on Saturday. Blow-by-blow scoring:

The nuggety scrumhalf’s magical try in the 74th minute, converted by Francois Steyn, carried the Springboks to their first ever victory in Dunedin and their first in New Zealand since 1998.

A see-sawing match had swung one way and then the other but with seven minutes to play the All Blacks were leading 28-23 and were having the better of exchanges and against a Springbok side who were down to 14 men after skipper Victor Matfield had been yellow-carded for a high tackle by Australian referee Matt Goddard.

But then came the moment for Januarie to write his name bold in green-and-gold annals.

Picking up the ball behind a maul he darted sharply around the left, spurted between Keven Mealamu and Neemia Tialata and into the clear and then performed the most perfect of chip-kicks over the head of fullback Leon MacDonald before re-gathering the ball to dive over the line.

Januarie’s try, the Boks’ second after a first-half score by JP Pietersen, tied the scores at 28-all and it fell to Francois Steyn, with both Percy Montgomery and Butch James having been substituted, to kick the conversion that clinched South Africa’s first victory at Carisbrook since the first test between rugby’s greatest rivals was played in Dunedin in 1921.

The victory re-affirmed the Springboks’ World champion status as they broke a run of 30 home victories by the All Blacks and handed the men in black only their fourth defeat in Dunedin.

In a test every bit as intense and physical as the first in Auckland a week ago the All Blacks edged ahead through the boot of Dan Carter but suffered a massive blow in the 28th minute when their kingpin lock Ali Williams had to the leave the field after a bone-shuddering clash with Schalk Burger.

Williams’ departure meant a debut cap for Kevin O’Neill but it left the home-side, already without Richie McCaw and the banned Brad Thorn, short on experience in the forwards and handed the Boks a key advantage.

Percy Montgomery, providing a cool head and stability at the back, kicked the Boks back into the game but Carter moved the All Blacks in front, 12-9, midway through the half.

In spite of some indifferent kicking out of hand by Butch James and a tendency to turn over the ball, the Springboks were crowding their opponents and forcing them to put the ball into touch and play to their strength in the lineouts.

And it was this pressure that resulted in the Boks’ first try as they forced a 5-metre scrum after a long lineout throw by the All Blacks had gone astray.

After the woes of Wellington the Boks scrum was much-improved and the forwards provided an ideal right-shoulder to launch Joe van Niekerk and the No8, who could have scored himself, passed the ball to JP Pietersen to provide the wing with a try on his 22nd birthday.

Although Montgomery missed the conversion the Boks had a 17-15 lead at the break and the normally boisterous House of Pain was eerily silent as Rodney So’oialo’s men trudged to the dressing room.

The All Blacks made a concerted effort to up the tempo after the break; mounting a series of frenzied attacks that were stifled by the Springboks’ unrelenting defence.

The Boks however fell into the trap of trying to clear the ball, rather than tying it up and taking play to a disrupted All Black pack, while missed touches meant too much of the action was in their half.

And they paid the price in the 53rd minute when a nine-phase build-up opened up a gap for replacement No8 Sione Lauaki to crash over near the posts.

Carter’s conversion moved the All Blacks 22-17 in front and set the stage for a vibrant final quarter.

With Montgomery having been replaced James kicked a penalty to make it 20-22 but then Carter, caught in a tight spot, swiveled and dropped a goal to again widen the gap to five points, 25-20.

Another penalty by James cut their lead back to 25-23 but the flow was with the All Blacks and it took a mighty tackle by Francois Steyn, with a little assistance from JP Pietersen, to stop a rampaging Tony Woodcock on the corner flag.

However it seemed a brave Bok effort would be frustrated when Matfield was sinbinned for a high tackle on Lauaki and Carter goaled the ensuing penalty to have the All Blacks 28-23 clear with just seven minutes left to play.

The Springboks made a double substitution at this point, Ruan Pienaar for James and Schalk Britz for Du Plessis, and they had hardly joined the action when the opportunity arrived for Januarie to writ his name large in history.

Always dangerous on the break Januarie spotted a pair of frontrow forwards blocking his way and conjured up a try that will be recorded in the Springbok Saga.

Steyn, must have had thoughts of a similar kick in the 2006 Super 14 Final, but he made no mistake with the conversion to put the Boks in front.

The All Blacks threw everything into trying to snatch back the lead, Carter missing a penalty and Ma’a Nonu making a dangerous run, but with the blond head of Schalk Burger always prominent the Boks snuffed out their every effort to clinch a win few had predicted.

Scorers were:

New Zealand (15) 28: Try by Sione Lauaki (54 min). Dan Carter kicked a conversion, 6 penalties and a dropped goal.

South Africa (17) 30: Tries by JP Pietersen (31 min) and Ricky Januarie (74 min). Percy Montgomery kicked 3 penalties, Butch James a dropped goal and 2 penalties and Francois Steyn a conversion.

Source: sarugby.com

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