New Zealand v Ireland LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Ireland make history by winning deciding Test
Follow reaction as Ireland make history by beating the All Blacks in a titanic series decider
A courageous Ireland held off a fierce All Blacks fightback to claim an epic 32-22 win in the series-deciding third test in Wellington on Saturday.
Beaten in the opening test at Eden Park, Ireland completed rare back-to-back victories over New Zealand following their win in the second match at Dunedin.
It was not only a first series victory in New Zealand for the Irish but the first time the All Blacks have lost a series on home soil since 1994.
Josh van der Flier, Hugo Keenan and Robbie Henshaw all crossed in the first half as the visitors surged into a 22-3 lead but the All Blacks hit back and got to within three points. But Rob Herring’s try 15 minutes from time proved decisive as Andy Farrell led his men to an historic triumph.
Follow live reaction from New Zealand vs Ireland in the series decider, below:
South Africa vs Wales
Leading South Africa out are two milestone men: Eben Etzebeth is first out of the tunnel in his home city, winning cap number 100. He’s still only 30, remarkably. A concrete pillar of consistency for a decade in the South African second row.
Following him out is Bongi Mbonambi on his 50th cap.
South Africa vs Wales
How does that change things for Wales? Taulupe Faletau is so important to them at lineout time and as a gainline force particularly, and while Navidi is a dynamic, powerful threat, he does tend to carry in slightly different areas.
Out come the Welsh side into a lovely Cape Town evening.
South Africa vs Wales - LATE WALES CHANGE
It’s been a week of up and down weather in Cape Town, but the evening is set fair for this series decider.
And news of the latest of late changes for Wales: Taulupe Faletau is OUT, Josh Navidi is in to the starting side! What a blow for Wayne Pivac, who is forced to call Taine Basham on to the bench.
Jacques Nienaber speaks to Sky Sports
On Eben Etzebeth’s 100 cap, the South Africa head coach says: “We’ve spoken about it in the week - it is special, one of only seven in the country, and it is our responsibility to make it special.”
Nienaber’s coaching was questioned by Jake White, World Cup winning head coach, and Schalk Burger Sr this week, but he does not appear overly concerned: “Pressure will always build in South Africa. We were quite in control with about 60 minutes on the clock and then our discipline and exits let our down a bit. I told the squad not to focus on the white noise and just listen to the reality.”
A South African response?
The last two weeks have been two of South Africa’s poorer performances of recent memory. The changes last week obviously impacted their cohesion, and with a first-choice side back together, you’d think they’ll find greater fluency today. That pack will be desperate to make a statement, too - at times in this series they have appeared to be establishing dominance over Wales, but they’ve failed to really turn the screw in the way that we know they can.
I’d expect Wales to try and get after Jaden Hendrikse. The young scrum-half performed well last weekend, but can blow hot and cold, and if the Welsh forwards can prevent him settling and exerting any kind of control, they can condense the game and disrupt South Africa.
Wayne Pivac offers his pre-match thoughts to Sky Sports
On Gareth Anscombe’s late withdrawal: “Disappointed for Gareth. He failed a fitness Test, but Rhys Patchell has been working really hard on this tour and gets an opportunity. Dan Biggar should be fine.
About a Newlands surface that can churn up under the scrum: “We’ve talked to the match officials about being sympathetic of the ground giving way, so we will just see what happens.
And the objectives today? “For us, we came here to win a series and nothing has changed. We have got that opportunity now and we are just after a big 80 minutes. Our discipline has got to be there.”
South Africa vs Wales
By the way, Wales were so short of fully fit bodies that Wayne Pivac had to call Jamie Roberts into training this week to make up the numbers - the day before the former Wales centre announced his retirement from rugby.
Just a quick word on Roberts, such a consistent performer for so many years in the Wales midfield, who always had so much more to his game than his obvious carrying proficiency.
Former Wales and British and Irish Lions star Jamie Roberts announces retirement
Roberts finished his playing career in Australia with the New South Wales Warratahs.
South Africa vs Wales
Ireland and England sealed series victory away from home earlier - can Wales follow their lead? It is a mammoth challenge for Wayne Pivac’s side in Cape Town, and you do wonder just how much that group of forwards will have left in the tank. But they have really managed to disrupt South Africa during this series, and there is little reason they can’t do it again.
Team News - Wales
A long season, a long series and yet Wayne Pivac has trust that his tried and tested have enough left in the tank to get the job done. Again the Wales head coach makes only a single change, Josh Adams starting in the place of the injured Alex Cuthbert in a fifteen identical to the one that began in Pretoria two weeks ago. Both Dan Biggar and Dillon Lewis are passed fit after injury worries.
The rest, then, are as they were, including the back row of Dan Lydiate, Tommy Reffell and Taulupe Faletau that has combined so well in this series. With Cuthbert out of the 23, Owen Watkin steps up to the bench, which also now includes Rhys Patchell – Gareth Anscombe, match-winner seven days ago, has been forced to withdraw by a rib injury.
Wales XV: Thomas, Elias, Lewis; Rowlands, Beard; Lydiate, Reffell, Faletau; Hardy, Biggar (c); Adams, Tompkins, North, Rees-Zammit; L Williams.
Replacements: Lake, W Jones, Wainwright, AW Jones, Navidi; T Williams, Patchell, Watkin.
Team news - South Africa
Another week, another heap of changes for South Africa with the Springboks restored to full strength for game number three. There has been one series ever-present: Eben Etzebeth starts for a third week in a row, becoming the seventh South African to win 100 caps and still, seemingly, with plenty left in the tank.
The four others retained from the starting team beaten last week are Handre Pollard, Trevor Nyakane, Pieter-Steph du Toit and, most notably, Jaden Hendrikse, who gets the nod at scrum-half ahead of Faf de Klerk, who has been in mixed recent form.
De Klerk thus lends extra experience to a typically fearsome 6-2 bench. Siya Kolisi is back to captain the side and is joined in the back row by du Toit and Jasper Wiese, while loosehead Nyakane is the only member of the tight five that didn’t start the series opener.
South Africa XV: Nyakane, Mbonambi, Malherbe; Etzebeth, De Jager; Kolisi (c), du Toit, Wiese; Hendrikse, Pollard; Mapimpi, De Allende, Am, Kolbe, Willemse.
Replacements: Marx, Kitshoff, Koch, Mostert, Smith, Louw; De Klerk, Le Roux.
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