Springboks overcome battling Wales and pull away to win 41-13 at Twickenham
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Yueke
Thu, Jun 27, 2024
PHOTO: Yueke
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LONDON (AP) — Depleted Wales produced a battling performance before Rugby World Cup champion South Africa turned on the power to triumph 41-13 at Twickenham on Saturday.
Despite conceding two tries and collecting two yellow cards in the first 15 minutes, Wales defied the pre-match predictions by making it a contest until two late Springboks converted tries.
Wales’ list of absentees — players injured, unavailable, or rested — ran into double figures, and it was widely expected to suffer a crushing defeat.
But it trailed only 14-13 at halftime following a try for outstanding captain Dewi Lake, with flyhalf Sam Costelow adding two penalties and a conversion.
The Springboks, who are building for a two-test home series against Six Nations champion Ireland next month, often struggled to impose themselves in their first outing since retaining the World Cup eight months ago.
There were touchdowns for center Jesse Kriel, wings Makazole Mapimpi and Edwill van der Merwe, and hooker Bongi Mbonambi, plus a penalty try, while newcomers Jordan Hendrikse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu landed six goalkicks.
South Africa ultimately scored 27 second-half points without reply, yet Wales will take a considerable amount of confidence on tour to Australia despite suffering a seventh consecutive defeat dating to the World Cup.
“We have new coaches and had a few players making their debuts, so there were areas of the game that were not as good as we would have liked them to be, but there was certainly no lack of effort and intensity, and we realize it will take time for things to come together nicely,” Boks coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“The important thing is that we achieved our goal and the (four) players who made their debuts showed that they are capable of playing at this level.”
The Springboks went ahead inside four minutes when a sweeping attack was finished by Kriel, and another surge featuring No. 8 Evan Roos prompted a professional foul by Wales wing Rio Dyer, who was sin-binned.
South Africa attacked from a close-range lineout and referee Chris Busby awarded a penalty try after Wales No. 8 Aaron Wainwright illegally pulled down the maul. Wainwright was yellow-carded, Wales was down to 13 men, and South Africa led 14-3.
Wales didn’t concede, though.
When Boks fullback Aphelele Fassi was yellow-carded after his boot caught flanker Taine Plumtree in the face, South Africa could not clear the danger and Lake pounced for an opportunist converted try, making it 14-10.
A second Costelow penalty meant South Africa led by just a point.
Wales lost tighthead prop Keiron Assiratti, a late starter, to injury at halftime and will hope it's not serious for their tour.
South Africa struck two minutes into the second half after giving Mapimpi an overlap to score, and Hendrikse kicked a long-range penalty.
His replacement Feinberg-Mngomezulu settled South Africa's nerves by slotting another penalty from inside his own half, and they led by 14 points.
The quality of the Springboks bench began to take a toll, and Wales was powerless to prevent Mbonambi crashing over, and new wing Van der Merwe breaking clear five minutes from time.
“The last 20 or 30 minutes, there was just too much class from the South Africans,” Lake told broadcaster S4C. “We know what South Africa brings, they’re a physical team, and you have to stand up to that. We did for one half.”
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LONDON (AP) — Depleted Wales produced a battling performance before Rugby World Cup champion South Africa turned on the power to triumph 41-13 at Twickenham on Saturday.
Despite conceding two tries and collecting two yellow cards in the first 15 minutes, Wales defied the pre-match predictions by making it a contest until two late Springboks converted tries.
Wales’ list of absentees — players injured, unavailable, or rested — ran into double figures, and it was widely expected to suffer a crushing defeat.
But it trailed only 14-13 at halftime following a try for outstanding captain Dewi Lake, with flyhalf Sam Costelow adding two penalties and a conversion.
The Springboks, who are building for a two-test home series against Six Nations champion Ireland next month, often struggled to impose themselves in their first outing since retaining the World Cup eight months ago.
There were touchdowns for center Jesse Kriel, wings Makazole Mapimpi and Edwill van der Merwe, and hooker Bongi Mbonambi, plus a penalty try, while newcomers Jordan Hendrikse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu landed six goalkicks.
South Africa ultimately scored 27 second-half points without reply, yet Wales will take a considerable amount of confidence on tour to Australia despite suffering a seventh consecutive defeat dating to the World Cup.
“We have new coaches and had a few players making their debuts, so there were areas of the game that were not as good as we would have liked them to be, but there was certainly no lack of effort and intensity, and we realize it will take time for things to come together nicely,” Boks coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“The important thing is that we achieved our goal and the (four) players who made their debuts showed that they are capable of playing at this level.”
The Springboks went ahead inside four minutes when a sweeping attack was finished by Kriel, and another surge featuring No. 8 Evan Roos prompted a professional foul by Wales wing Rio Dyer, who was sin-binned.
South Africa attacked from a close-range lineout and referee Chris Busby awarded a penalty try after Wales No. 8 Aaron Wainwright illegally pulled down the maul. Wainwright was yellow-carded, Wales was down to 13 men, and South Africa led 14-3.
Wales didn’t concede, though.
When Boks fullback Aphelele Fassi was yellow-carded after his boot caught flanker Taine Plumtree in the face, South Africa could not clear the danger and Lake pounced for an opportunist converted try, making it 14-10.
A second Costelow penalty meant South Africa led by just a point.
Wales lost tighthead prop Keiron Assiratti, a late starter, to injury at halftime and will hope it's not serious for their tour.
South Africa struck two minutes into the second half after giving Mapimpi an overlap to score, and Hendrikse kicked a long-range penalty.
His replacement Feinberg-Mngomezulu settled South Africa's nerves by slotting another penalty from inside his own half, and they led by 14 points.
The quality of the Springboks bench began to take a toll, and Wales was powerless to prevent Mbonambi crashing over, and new wing Van der Merwe breaking clear five minutes from time.
“The last 20 or 30 minutes, there was just too much class from the South Africans,” Lake told broadcaster S4C. “We know what South Africa brings, they’re a physical team, and you have to stand up to that. We did for one half.”
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Panthers Facing the Task of Regrouping for Game 7, with History and the Stanley Cup on the Line
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It’s the greatest offer a team could get at the start of every season: Reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and as an added bonus, play host to it in your rink.
One game. For everything.
“Yeah, 32 teams are all-in on that idea,” Florida coach Paul Maurice said.
This is the reality for Maurice and the Panthers. On one hand, the Panthers have blown a 3-0 series lead against the Edmonton Oilers in this Stanley Cup Final. On the other, there’s still Game 7 on Monday night in Sunrise, Florida. And before his team took off on the 5 1/2-hour flight back home from Alberta on Saturday, Maurice insisted his team will focus on the opportunity that awaits, not the opportunities that were wasted while losing Games 4, 5, and 6 by , , and scores.
“I’m not concerned about the past at all,” Maurice said. “Our plan is set. It started last night after the game. Met this morning, did video, do the same tomorrow, get ready to play. I know it’s 3-3. The concern of the previous three games certainly didn’t affect Edmonton and it won’t affect us.”
There are lots of numbers swirling around right now and really, none of them are good for the Panthers. The Oilers became just the third team in Stanley Cup Final history to go down 3-0 in a series and force Game 7; the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs did it and beat the Detroit Red Wings in Game 7, while the Wings erased a 3-0 deficit against the Leafs in 1945 but then lost the finale.
And these Oilers are now the sixth team to have three consecutive games with at least five goals in the title series. The other five — Pittsburgh in 1991, Edmonton in 1984, the New York Islanders in 1981, Toronto in 1932, and Montreal in 1919 — all won the Cup.
“It’s nice to be around this team because I think they’re having the time of their lives right now,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “Not just because we’re going to Game 7, but I think we were having a great time when we were down three games.”
The Panthers are not having a great time. That could change Monday. Or else.
The stigma of being the first team since 1942 to waste a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final is the sort of thing that could haunt a franchise for a long, long time. It will inevitably bring questions about the futures for many people in the organization. It could bring a sudden end to all the momentum Florida has built in the last four years, after spending much of the previous two decades being largely irrelevant.
Or they could just win Monday and solve all those problems.
“Embracing that is the key to it,” Maurice said. “Feeling positive about and feeling excited about it, and that’s coming. Both teams get that opportunity to feel fired up. Game 7, Stanley Cup Final, it is set for every young man’s dreams. Nobody ever dreamt about a Game 4 overtime winner. It’s always Game 7.”
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