Dead rubber a bridge too far for weary All Blacks

RUSTENBERG - The All Blacks spent a week in fantasy land but were jolted back to reality, leaving a few sobering aftershocks for them to ponder as they head into a two-month break from test rugby.

In a huge form book reversal, the Springboks upset the All Blacks 21-20 here this morning, thanks to a 35m Andre Pretorius penalty three minutes from fulltime, ending two much-discussed streaks - the tourists' 15 victories and the hosts' five painful losses.

The pre-match signs were there but no one believed them after the display a week ago at a more hostile Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria when the All Blacks played a disappointing first half but still cantered home 45-26.

Coach Graham Henry then made 10 changes and rolled out near enough to his best lineup -- aside from hooker, halfback and fullback.

This week the coaches were intent on relaxation, keeping their players fresh as they eyed their ninth test in 12 weeks; they tanned themselves poolside in Sun City luxury, played golf, gambled and went on safari. Training was still as sharp as ever on Thursday.

In the end that 12th week was a bridge too far, having pocketed the Tri-Nations trophy and Bledisloe Cup a fortnight earlier and not having tasted defeat in 13 months, to the same opponents in Cape Town.

"I just think they were a bit more hungry than us. We were a little bit lethargic today," said All Blacks first five-eighth Daniel Carter who scored the opening try and did his darndest to spark a fightback.

"They really stepped up a level and took it to us and we were just going through the motions out there."

Henry agreed.

"When you've gone through the pain they've gone through, they're absolutely desperate; when you've won 15 on the trot, perhaps you're not absolutely desperate."

On a warm, summery day at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium hosting its first rugby test, and hardly simmering with atmosphere with plenty of empty seats, it was two tries apiece before Pretorius nailed his cool late strike when No 8 Rodney So'oialo entered a ruck from the side.

It ended an unfortunate day for So'oialo, one of the All Blacks' more consistent figures this year, who threw the pass to give master pilferer Bryan Habana his 23rd minute try and was ruled to have obstructed hooker Andrew Hore when his try was crucially denied by television match official Hugh Watkins of Wales, two minutes before the break.

The All Blacks were a touch flat, the lineout malfunctioned again with up to six of their own throws lost, and they spilled crucial passes as Carter, Aaron Mauger and Jerry Collins busted the line and created enough chances.

The energetic Pretorius, recalled at No 10 in place of Butch James, was the spark the Springboks needed while their new loose forward trio which included the recalled AJ Venter and man of the match Pierre Spies, ripped into the All Blacks.

"It was hunger, desperation, all those ugly words that happen after five losses in a row," a beaming Springboks captain John Smit said.

The result showed how difficult it is for a team to maintain focus throughout a crammed programme of test rugby when some matches have little riding on them.

There's still a four-match tour of Europe to come in November, with two tough tests in France and one each against England and Wales, before the 12-month countdown to the World Cup.

Even the All Blacks' target of emulating the 1996 team who won New Zealand's only series in the republic wasn't enough, or the lure of beating coach Fred Allen's record 17-match winning streak from 1966-69.

Not that the All Blacks were far away.

It was 13-13 at halftime thanks to a Carter penalty on the hooter, and when wing Joe Rokocoko pounced on a pinpoint Mils Muliaina grubber with 14 minutes left and Carter nailed the conversion it was 20-18.

Unlike last weekend the Springboks didn't flag after halftime and the crucial try came 15 minutes after the break when they pinched another lineout, Pretorius worked it blind and flanker Pedrie Wannenburg dived over in the corner.

- NZPA