New Zealand’s first-half blitz was enough to see off a spirited South African side in the Pool B opener.
Two tries in quick succession gave the All Blacks a 17-3 half-time advantage, and although Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks side battled gamely in the second half, New Zealand held on for the win through a tense final twenty minutes.
Both sides showed enough promise to live up to their billing as favourites to claim the Webb Ellis trophy. South Africa responded well after half-time to reduce the gap to just four points after an opportunistic try and the second drop-goal of today’s Rugby World Cup action.
You can see all the match info in the below interactive graphic.
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Rugby World Cup Preview Podcast with Lenihan and O’Gara: Winning Webb Ellis is all about timing
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