AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Radio
  • TV

Springboks veterans retire in style with RWC bronze

11/2/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Springboks put their semi final defeat to the All Blacks behind them as they made light work of Argentina in their bronze match at the Rugby World Cup.
 
Bryan Habana was denied a World Cup record as South Africa beat Argentina 24-13 in the third place play-off as several of their veteran stars bid farewell to Test rugby.
 
Habana needed just one try to break the World Cup career record of 15 he shares with retired New Zealand star Jonah Lomu. But in what is likely to be the 32-year-old wing’s final World Cup match, Habana squandered several chances before being taken off in the 67th minute by Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.


Habana’s fellow wing JP Pietersen and lock Eben Etzebeth, from a Habana pass, did score tries.
 
Fly-half Handre Pollard kicked 14 points as South Africa, who started the tournament with a shock defeat by Japan in the biggest World Cup upset of them all, finished on a high to come third as they did in 1999.
 
Springbok flanker Schalk Burger, captain for the day Victor Matfield and then Habana, all world champions in 2007, were replaced in the second half to a standing applause from a crowd of more than 55,000 as they made their farewells.
 
It looked like a Nicolas Sanchez drop-goal and penalty would be all Argentina had to show for their efforts. But a converted try in stoppage time from replacement front-row Juan Pablo Orlandi gave the Pumas the last word.
 
Sanchez is likely to finish as this World Cup’s leading points scorer with 97 as the only two men left who could overtake him in Saturday’s final, New Zealand’s Dan Carter, and Australia’s Bernard Foley, are still some way behind with 63 and 75 points respectively.
Matfield in his 127th and last Test, led the Springboks in place of Fourie du Preez, injured in the 20-18 defeat by defending champions New Zealand.
 
The Pumas, looking to equal their best World Cup-placing of third in 2007, made 10, mostly enforced, changes, with skipper Agustin Creevy, wing Juan Imhoff, veteran centre Juan Martin Hernandez and prop Marcos Ayerza all missing.
 
Sanchez captained the side for the first time in Creevy’s absence.
 
Argentina were a man down as early as the fifth minute when Irish referee John Lacey sent scrum-half Tomas Cubelli to the sin-bin for obstruction.
 
South Africa kicked the ensuing penalty for a line-out, which they duly won. The ball was worked right, with Pietersen going over for a try after good hands from Ruan Pienaar and full-back Willie Le Roux.
 
Pollard landed the difficult conversion and South Africa led 7-0.
 
Minutes later Habana almost had his record-breaking try but he was beaten to the touchdown by Pumas’ fullback Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino.
 
Argentina, who in August achieved their first win over South Africa with a 37-25 success in Durban, fell further behind when Pollard’s penalty made it 10-0.
 
Habana’s pass to Etzebeth -- who also made an impressive 20 tackles -- gave the lock, sliding in on his knees, just enough space out on the left to score a try. Pollard missed the conversion, but another penalty stretched the Springboks’ lead to 24-3 before Sanchez, surprisingly given the deficit, kicked a penalty.
 
By: Farai Diza
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network