Tri-Nations: New Zealand beats South Africa 19-8

Enlarge Photo Tri-Nations: New Zealand beats South Africa 19-8

Sat, Jul 5 03:26 PM

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) _ New Zealand extended its world-record home winning streak to 30 matches when it beat South Africa 19-8 in the opening game of the Tri-Nations rugby series Saturday. The All Blacks chipped away at South Africa's world champion status and No.

1 world ranking, outplaying their opponents in most aspects of a match played in wet, windy and bitterly cold conditions. South Africa, which has not won a match in New Zealand in 10 years, looked to the match as a chance to prove the validity of its top world ranking, which came as a package with its victory in last year's World Cup in France.

New Zealand's scrum was superior to South Africa's, its previously troubled lineout was sound and its loose-forward trio, a perceived weakness, was vastly more constructive than South Africa's. "This was a very important match for us," said Rodney So'oialo, who replaced Richie McCaw in two crucial roles as New Zealand's No.

7 and captain. "We worked very hard for this all week and we got the result we wanted.

"The first 15 minutes of the second half were crucial. They were hard to crack but we managed to get on top and to stay there.

" Both teams scored one try; South Africa through winger Bryan Habana in the first half and New Zealand through No. 8 Jerome Kaino in the second.

All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter created the winning margin by kicking a conversion and four penalties 14 points or five successes from six shots. South Africa's Butch James kicked a single penalty from three attempts.

The All Blacks, from the outset, pinned South Africa onto defense with an accurate tactical kicking game and from eager and mobile defense. Their ability to chase kicks and emphasize pressure imposed at set pieces denied the Springboks the chance to impose their pattern on the game.

"It was just fantastic. We showed a lot of guts tonight," All Blacks co-coach Wayne Smith said.

"We kicked particularly well and when we kicked we put the heat on. We made one error on the short side when Habana scored but generally the attitude was to be good on defense and we did that today.

" New Zealand took the lead with a Carter penalty after four minutes, answered two minutes later by James, from his first attempt at goal. Further penalties by Carter in the 20th and 27th minutes put the All Blacks ahead 9-3 but the Springboks put themselves in the match with Habana's try three minutes from halftime.

Center Jean de Villiers made a clean break from broken play and fed Habana, whose pace was too much for New Zealand's fractured blindside defense. New Zealand started the second half with obvious determination, applied steady pressure and profited when Kaino scored in the 45th minute after super leadup work by Carter, prop Tony Woodcock and lock Brad Thorn.

Carter's conversion gave the All Blacks a 16-8 lead and his final penalty, 10 minutes from fulltime, made their lead unassailable as the conditions steadily deteriorated. "It was hard out there tonight," said Victor Matfield, who replaced John Smit as Springboks captain when Smit left the field with an apparent knee injury.

"We needed to get on top of them right after halftime but we couldn't do that. They showed us how to hold onto the ball in wet weather.

" The teams meet again next Saturday in Dunedin. __ Scorers: New Zealand 19 (Jerome Kaino try; Daniel Carter conversion, 4 penalties), South Africa 8 (Bryan Habana try; Butch James penalty).

HT, 9-8.

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