South Africa find some pride again

South Africa 32 New Zealand 22

Andrew Mehrtens and New Zealand must have dreaded the moment. Back in Johannesburg for the first time since losing the World Cup Final to South Africa last year - the same Ellis Park crowd, the same competitive Springbok side, even the same referee, Derek Bevan of Wales.

Their failure this time was a compliment to a committed South African side driven on by Andre Joubert and Joost van der Westhuizen. It was Joubert who set up the first try, in the 25th minute, as a cutback at pace allowed Van der Westhuizen to score under the posts. Thirteen minutes later Joubert added a penalty but an opportunist try by Sean Fitzpatrick on the stroke of half-time gave the All Blacks hope. Joubert, however, in the 46th minute took a Ruben Kruge pass to score at the corner.

Moments later, Van der Westhuizen caught the New Zealanders unawares with a short tap penalty to score again and when Joubert kicked his third penalty in the 56th minute to give South Africa a 32-8 lead it looked over. But New Zealand scored late tries from Walter Little and Justin Marshall.

South Africa: Tries van der Westhuizen (2), Joubert; Conversion Honiball; Penalties Honiball 2, Joubert 3.

New Zealand: Tries Fitzpatrick, Little, Marshall; Conversions Mehrtens (2); Penalty Mehrtens.

SOUTH AFRICA: A Joubert (Natal); J Swart (Western Province), J Mulder (Transvaal), D van Schalwyk (Northern Transvaal), P Hendriks (Transvaal), H Honiball (Natal), J van der Westhuizen (Northern Transvaal); M Hurter (Northern Transvaal), J Dalton (Transvaal), D Theron (Griqualand West); M Andrews (Natal), K Wiese (Transvaal); A Venter (OFS), R Kruger (Northern Transvaal), G Teichmann (Natal). Replacements: F van Heerdon (Western Province) for Andrews, 39; J Stransky (Western Province) for Mulder, 46; G Pagel (Western Province) for Theron 66; W Fyvie (Natal) for Venter.

NEW ZEALAND: C Cullen (Manawatu); J Wilson (Otago), F Bunce (North Harbour), W Little (North Harbour), G Osborne (North Harbour); A Mehrtens (Canterbury), J Marshall (Canterbury); O Brown (Auckland), S Fitzpatrick (Auckland), C Dowd (Auckland), I Jones (North Harbour), R Brooke (Auckland), J Kronfeld (Otago), M Jones (Auckland), Z Brooke (Auckland). Replacements: G Taylor (Northland) for I Jones, 52; A Ieremia (Wellington) for Cullen, 68.

Referee: D Bevan (Wales).