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 7-10 Ireland, 41 minutes
Hmm. Retallick is, perplexing, allowed to continue. That looked a very heavy bang to the head - surprised that he is not even being assessed.
Jamison Gibson-Park stabs a grubber into open space on the blindside but his kick spins into touch before Mack Hansen can get to it.
New Zealand 7-10 Ireland, 41 minutes
Early aerial joy for Ireland, getting their mitts to a high kick and tapping it back their way. But soon after the game is halted - Brodie Retalick’s head has made heavy contact with Johnny Sexton’s hips and the New Zealand lock is sat in some discomfort as Jaco Peyper blows his whistle.
Second half
Garry Ringrose will not be rejoining proceedings after that nasty collision with Ta’avao. Bundee Aki remains in the Irish midfield.
Ardie Savea is also done for the evening after a substitution snafu as New Zealand were forced to make sure they had qualified front-rowers on the pitch having lost two tightheads.
What more can this game possibly have in store for us? Here we go.
H/T: New Zealand 7-10 Ireland
But, somehow, New Zealand ended the half the stronger. Their first real opportunity in the Ireland 22 eventually ended in Beauden Barrett’s fortuitous score after James Ryan had been sent for the naughty step following repeated Irish infringements. The second half will begin 14 against 14, with New Zealand only three points behind.
By the way, it appears that in all of the confusion after the flurry of cards, New Zealand failed to drop to 12 men after going to uncontested scrums, and thus had an extra body in the defensive line as James Lowe fumbled his and Ireland’s lines with a score seemingly certain. Another moment of drama in a half with no shortage of talking points - and I hope everyone has managed to re-charge, because the second 40 minutes is just about ready to begin...
H/T: New Zealand 7-10 Ireland
First to leave the field was a leaping Leicester Fainga’anuku, perhaps fortunate to only see yellow after making clumsy contact with Mack Hansen’s cheek. Then it was Ofa Tu’ungafasi, tackling Garry Ringrose awaiting an inside pass with line in sight and again very, very lucky that the officials decided that there was sufficient cover not to award a penalty try.
Finally, no debate about this one. A certain red for an upright Angus Ta’avao:
H/T: NEW ZEALAND 7-10 IRELAND
Crikey. Where to even begin? A remarkable half. So much has gone Ireland’s way, but Andy Farrell’s side have only a narrow half-time lead despite largely dominating the encounter.
Andrew Porter struck in the opening five minutes as the visitors started fast, but that is, somehow, Ireland’s only try of a half that saw New Zealand given three cards and Ireland one.
TRY! NEW ZEALAND 7-10 Ireland (Beauden Barrett try, 41 minutes)
And there is the try! An extraordinary end to an extraordinary half as the ball pops free from a ruck, hits Beauden Barrett’s boot and rolls into the in-goal, the New Zealand fly-half typically swift on to it to dot down as Ireland cry foul, but there is no knock-on - the try is good, and Jordie Barrett’s conversion narrows the half-time gap, improbably, to just three.
New Zealand 0-10 Ireland, 40 minutes
Ireland offside again. Tadhg Beirne this time. More of the same from the All Blacks, Brodie Retallick carrying well. Dalton Papalii puts some footwork on to make three metres as New Zealand edge ever closer and the hooter blares.
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