South Africa vs Wales LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as Josh Adams try and Gareth Anscombe conversion make history
Follow all the reaction from Bloemfontein as Wales beat the Springboks on South African soil for the first time
Replacement fly half Gareth Anscombe kicked a late conversion from the touchline as Wales claimed their first ever away victory in South Africa with an error-strewn 13-12 success over a much-changed Springboks at the Free State Stadium.
Wing Josh Adams crossed for the only try of the game with two minutes left on the clock, leaving Anscombe with a difficult conversion to win the game, but he landed the ball through the centre of the posts to make history for Wayne Pivac’s side.
Stand-in captain Handre Pollard kicked four penalties for a Boks side that had 14 changes in their starting XV from the first test win and never found any fluency in a game where they mostly dominated territory until the final 10 minutes.
The third and deciding test in the series will be played in Cape Town next Saturday.
Follow all the reaction below with our live blog:
New Zealand 7-23 Ireland, 71 minutes
And a creaking scrum won’t help their chances. Again New Zealand are penalised at the set piece as Forsyth Barr Stadium falls silent.
New Zealand 7-23 Ireland, 70 minutes
It is hard, of course, to play such long periods down a player but I am struggling to recall an All Blacks performance as bad as this in attack. Their basics, normally so solid, have been far short of the required standard in the face of a strong Irish defensive showing.
New Zealand 7-23 Ireland, 69 minutes
Conor Murray is on for Ireland, a steady hand at the tiller to see them safely home.
Pita Gus Sowakula is introduced for the All Blacks and lurks on the right wing, but the back-row can’t collect Richie Mo’unga’s long fling to him.
PENALTY! New Zealand 7-23 IRELAND (Johnny Sexton penalty, 68 minutes)
Three more points to the Irish tally. 16 points, 12 minutes, the All Blacks down to 14 men - is Ireland’s duck in New Zealand about to come to an end?
New Zealand 7-20 Ireland, 66 minutes
But again All Black hands get up to nick the Irish lineout!
New Zealand play deep inside their own 22. Foolishly, it transpires, as Richie Mo’unga is snared with no support and righly penalised for clinging on as the Irish bodies arrive.
Once more the tee comes on for Johnny Sexton to extend the lead.
New Zealand 7-20 Ireland, 65 minutes
What a kick from Peter O’Mahony! It’s a 50:22! Another error in possession from New Zealand, the two debutants Folau Fakatava and Aidan Ross not on the same page.
The ball pops up into O’Mahony’s arms and the blindside flanker produces a cultured effort with the outside of his right boot, finding open space behind Jordie Barrett to give Ireland an attacking lineout.
New Zealand 7-20 Ireland, 64 minutes
Ireland are pinged for lifting a leg at the maul. That isn’t the first time today, and Jaco Peyper warns the Irish pack to sort their maul defence discipline. The lineout drive about the one thing that has functioned consistently for New Zealand today. Can they force their way back into this?
New Zealand 7-20 Ireland, 63 minutes
This is properly, properly physical. New Zealand defend well and force a knock-on with a hard hit on the otherwise irrepressible Tadhg Beirne.
Folau Fakatava replaces Aaron Smith, making his international debut, and fellow first-capper Aidan Ross is back with us, too, after his brief first-half appearance. Back row Jack Conan and hooker Rob Herring are introduced for Ireland.
New Zealand 7-20 Ireland, 61 minutes
Twice New Zealand nearly burst free! That is an extraordinary tap tackle from Caelan Doris, Jordie Barrett breaking the first tackle after a clever short ball from Rieko Ioane but somehow snared at the ankle by Doris just as he and Ioane look set to romp away into the Irish backfield.
New Zealand keep hold of the ball and big George Bower produces a nasty piece of footwork to make a half-break, but is then isolated, allowing the Irish scavengers to feast on an under-resourced ruck and draw the holding on call.
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