TWO TRIES APIECE for Cory Jane and Zac Guildford helped New Zealand get their Tri-Nations campaign off to a winning start on Saturday morning.
An injury-ravaged South Africa were on the receiving end of a six-try defeat with Wyatt Crockett and Colin Slade adding tries of their own to Jane and Guildford’s haul.
Dan Carter added ten points with the boot – to edge back in front of Jonny Wilkinson in the battle to be the world’s leading Test points scorer – but, in truth, it was not the fly-half’s best kicking display and it might have been much more convincing from the All Blacks.
Carter opened the scoring with a penalty kick after three minutes before Crockett touched down in the corner following some good work by Conrad Smith. The crowd only had to wait minutes for the All Blacks’ second – their number ten instrumental in allowing Guildford to race clear for the line.
At 13-0 down, it started to look like it might be a very difficult night for John Smit’s side but the Boks gave their supporters a glimmer of hope when their captain crossed over following a trademark line-out move. Morne Steyn converted to leave the scores at 13-7.
However, that was as good as it got for South Africa. They failed to score again in the contest, and Jane picked up the first of his tries five minutes later with a neat side step before sprinting clear and sending his team in 18-7 at the break.
Jane collected his second shortly after play resumed – collecting a bouncing ball to run in unchallenged. Carter then kicked his first conversion of the night and added a penalty to take the scoreline to 28-7.
Good play from Ma’a Nonu provided Guildford the chance to score his second on the night just after the hour mark and the winger turned assistant to put Slade over – after an exceptional series of passes from the men in black – with ten minutes remaining.
What’s next: The final score line has a very impressive look about it but the Kiwis were not as clinical as they can be and, with Australia next up at Eden Park, have plenty to work on. The Bok, on the other hand, battled hard but had few answers to their opponents’ attacking threats. They are now bottom of the table with two defeats from their opening two games – their supporters will want to see improvements and quickly.