Having come within a whisker of achieving the feat on South African soil in the second Test last summer, Warren Gatland’s men put historical heartache to bed to end the Dove Men Series on an almighty high with a 12-6 win over the world’s second best side.
Four Leigh Halfpenny penalties paved the way to just a second victory over the Boks since 1906 as Wales bounced back from last week’s late defeat to the All Backs in superb style.
Halfpenny struck once in the first half and three times in the second to finish with a 100 per cent record from the tee but it was the performance of the Welsh pack that really set the platform as they more than matched a South African side known for their physical prowess and expertise in the setpiece.
Fly half Dan Biggar controlled proceedings brilliantly to pick up the man-of-the-match award as the Welsh defence kept Springbok scoring chances to a bare minimum, while skipper Sam Warburton and Alun Wyn Jones led from the front to ensure Wales kept their composure as the clock ticked towards the red.
The scoreboard read just three points apiece at the break but the opening 40 minutes certainly wasn’t short on entertainment or commitment as Wales dominated the early exchanges before South Africa settled into proceedings and ended on the front foot.
With Wales on the attack from the off after a clever, short kick off and a stunning catch from a Springbok up and under by Biggar, Halfpenny deservedly opened the scoring from the edge of the 22 with just three minutes on the clock.
The Springboks were level on the 10-minute mark, though, as Patrick Lambie landed his first of his two successful strikes. The Sharks playmaker, who started the tour as second choice to Handre Pollard but shone in the South African win at Twickenham, made no mistake from 45 metres out after Biggar felt he had been wrongly penalised having stolen possession at a midfield maul.
A short lineout exchange between Jones and Scott Baldwin handed Halfpenny his second shot at goal with a quarter of an hour gone as Springbok scrum half Cobus Reinach was caught offside but the Welsh full back hit the near post from five metres in from the left touchline.
The majority of the 58,235 crowd felt Bok lock Eben Etzebeth was fortunate to escape a yellow card for an in-the-air collision with Biggar moments later but Wales almost provided the perfect response as a clever chip and chase from Liam Williams led to a lineout just five metres from the South African line. Jones duly won possession at the front but the Boks stopped the drive in its tracks and the chance was lost when the ball was spilled two phases later.
Lambie’s brilliant break from deep in his own 22 put Wales well and truly on the back foot approaching 25 minutes but Halfpenny’s cover and Gethin Jenkins’ superb tackle on Willie le Roux when the ball headed back into midfield released the pressure and raised the noise level simultaneously.
Wales then looked destined to claim the try their early dominance deserved but they were thwarted by the narrowest of margins. Warburton’s side twice employed the 15-man lineout and driving maul that had worked so well against the All Blacks two years ago but the Boks somehow stood firm until referee John Lacey awarded them a scrum when Halfpenny was hauled down with the line within reach.
Lambie could have made Wales pay on the half hour but he pulled his long-range penalty wide of the left post before Halfpenny’s huge hit on Etzebeth halted the giant South African as he charged into the 22 after stepping inside Dan Lydiate.
The Boks battered away in Welsh territory as they enjoyed their best spell with the half drawing to a close but a series of big tackles from the Welsh pack, including one monster double hit from props Samson Lee and Jenkins on Coenie Oosthuizen, kept Wales on level terms.
Lambie turned down a lengthy shot at goal with less than two minutes of the first period remaining but it proved to be the wrong decision as Wales once again held firm when the resulting lineout drive failed to gather momentum and ended with a South African knock on.
Wales struck first after the interval as Halfenny hit the target from beyond the Bok 10-metre line after Bismarck du Plessis failed to release possession at a midfield ruck on 47 minutes but the lead was shortlived as Lambie responded in kind from halfway.
Halfpenny guided Wales back in front moments after Lambie’s leveller, though, when Oosthuizen came off his feet at a ruck inside his own 22, and they were six points clear for the first time when the star of the last Lions tour struck again from a similar position with 56 minutes gone. Halfpenny’s fourth success from five was the product of substantial effort from his pack as the Welsh eight struck right at the heart of the South African psyche when they shoved their counterparts backwards after a Bok knock on.
South Africa then saw talismanic skipper Jean de Villiers stretchered off with a nasty knee injury less than 30 seconds later and it was Wales who continued to dominate much of the proceedings in his absence.
Liam Williams seemed destined to race 95 metres to the South African line after claiming a crosskick on the hour but Lacey ruled that the in-form Scarlets star had called for a mark and duly called a halt to proceedings as space opened up down the left-hand side. The call was met with a chorus of boos from the home support but Williams acknowledged the referee’s decision with a wry smile, with the full back cum wing perhaps recognising that Wales had done well to escape unscathed after Jamie Roberts had knocked on inside his own 22.
Cornal Hendricks then saw yellow for taking out Halfpenny in the air with 17 minutes remaining and the momentum appeared to be about to swing firmly in Wales’ favour when they laid siege to the South African line soon after the wing’s departure. Wales hammered away after Jonathan Davies’ initial burst but the Springboks shut the door in brutal fashion to eventually win themselves a penalty just half a yard from their own posts.
A surprising knock on from the off-colour le Roux then led to a Welsh scrum five metres out as the game entered the final 10 minutes but the Bok setpiece battled back from their earlier difficulties to clear the danger and ensure the gap stayed within a converted try despite Wales’ growing superiority.
It was a similar story for much of the remainder of the match as Wales went looking for the score that would surely kill off South Africa. But they were met with the same response on each occasion as the Boks refused to buckle, even with a one-man disadvantage and a deafening din in the Millennium Stadium.
De-ja-vu threatened to rear its ugly head once more when a mistake from Scott Williams in attempting to keep a Bok penalty kick to touch in play handed the tourists one last chance to wreck Welsh celebrations, just as they had done Nelspruit five months ago, but the pack saved their best ‘til last with a huge hit at the resulting setpiece. With the Boks going backwards and Duane Vermeulen unable to control the ball at the base, the Wales eight surged through and Taulupe Faletau picked up possession to all but clinch an historic success.
