Rugby Championship 2019: Brodie Retallick suffers dislocated shoulder as Springboks salvage late draw
New Zealand 16-16 South Africa: Herschel Jantjies scored his third try in two games to snatch a late draw with the All Blacks, but Retallick’s injury will be the main concern eight weeks out from the Rugby World Cup
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Your support makes all the difference.Replacement scrum-half Herschel Jantjies scored a try in the final minute of play to help South Africa snatch a 16-16 draw with New Zealand in a tense Rugby Championship clash in Wellington on Saturday, but an injury to All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick soured only the fourth international draw between the two sides.
Jantjies pounced on an error by Aaron Smith to silence most of the sold-out crowd, who had until the try been expecting a tight win for the world champions at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
Jack Goodhue scored the only try for the All Blacks after a scintillating break from Beauden Barrett, while the full-back and fly-half Richie Mo'unga added the rest of the points from the boot.
Springboks fly-half Handre Pollard kicked three penalties for the visitors, then held his nerve to slot the conversion that locked the scores at 16-16 and ended the game.
Jantjies, who scored two tries on debut against Australia last week, had replaced Faf de Klerk midway through the second half after the 27-year-old had a head injury assessment and did not return.
But the All Blacks will also be sweating on the fitness of their lock Retallick, who looked in pain and cradled his left arm as he walked off in the 61st minute. The 28-year-old was competing over the ball in a ruck when a clearout from Springboks opposite number RG Snyman left him in pain and needing to leave the field, with suspicions that the Chiefs second row had dislocated his shoulder confirmed soon after by head coach Steve Hansen.
“He has dislocated his shoulder and is on the way to hospital,” Hansen said in his post-match press conference.
With just eight weeks to go until New Zealand open their Rugby World Cup defence in Japan – coincidentally also against South Africa – Hansen will be sweating on one of his first names on the teamsheet.
The match had been billed as one of experimentation by both teams as they finetuned their World Cup preparations and it was just as intense as their last three matches, which had been decided by two points or fewer.
Neither side was able to truly stamp any authority on their opponents, although South Africa's tactical kicking game and brutal defence kept them in the game when the All Blacks looked to have gone up a gear in the final quarter.
Early pressure by the Springboks had resulted in two penalties to Pollard to give them a deserved 6-0 lead before the game turned into an arm-wrestle between the 22-metre areas.
It was not until the 37th minute before All Blacks passes finally stuck when Beauden Barrett found space following a turnover and he passed inside to Goodhue, who ran 30 metres to give the home side a 7-6 lead at the break.
Barrett and Pollard traded penalties in the third quarter, with the injection of replacement players sparking the world champions, who began to finally get over the advantage line out wide.
Mo'unga then added two further penalties, the second to give the All Blacks a 16-9 lead with six minutes remaining before a fortuitous bounce of the ball off Smith while under pressure gave Jantjies the try that levelled the match.
Australia meanwhile held off a late fightback from Argentina to secure a 16-10 victory in a scrappy Rugby Championship contest in Brisbane on Saturday.
Winger Reece Hodge scored Australia's only try in the first half but Pumas number eight Facundo Isa crashed over with six minutes on the clock to set up a tense finish.
The home defence held firm, however, to secure the Wallabies only a fourth victory in their last 14 tests and extend Argentina's losing streak in internationals to seven matches.
With New Zealand and South Africa having drawn 16-16 earlier on Saturday, the Wallabies could now win the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2015 if they can beat the All Blacks in their final match of the tournament.
Reuters
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