4:30PM - By EMMA CHAMBERLAIN
The All Blacks beat the Springboks 25–12 in Saturday's Tri-Nations encounter at Jade Stadium in Christchurch.
In the first half, Christian Cullen bounced back from a suspected concussion - which briefly sidelined him - to score the game's only two tries.
Cullen was taken down hard in the first tackle of the match shortly after kick-off. However, less than five minutes after returning to the field he scored the All Black's first try. Cullen's second try came just 15 minutes later.
Neither try was converted by All Black first-five Andrew Mehrtens.
The Springboks were first on the score board with a penalty. A drop goal from Bok fullback Percy Montgomery came shortly afterward taking the score to 10 – 6, in favour of the All Blacks, ten minutes before the half time whistle.
In the time remaining, Mehrtens successfully kicked two penalties as well as a drop goal.
Montgomery kicked another drop goal for the Boks and his teammate, first-five Braam van Straaten, put away another penalty against All Black No. 8 Ron Cribb who was pulled up after a punching incident.
This took the score to 19–12 at half-time.
During the second half the only points scored were from two All Black penalty kicks. Substitute Tony Brown - one of four new All Blacks to come on in the second half – successfully kicking the second penalty.
This took Brown past 100 points scored in test rugby.
The Springboks were unable to add anything to their score in the second half, playing one man down after flanker Corne Krige was sin-binned for shouldering a man out of the way of the ball.
The Boks almost had to play two down thanks to the near sin-binning of their prop Cobus Visagie who was pulled up for dangerous play.
But the All Blacks were also in danger of losing a player. Captain Todd Blackadder was warned one of his players could go the same way as Krige after repeated offside play by the All Blacks.
van Straaten missed the only penalty kick he attempted in the second half and Montgomery could not repeat his drop goal success of the first half, kicking very wide in his only attempt.
The Springboks had more opportunities to score in the second half than the All Blacks but failed to capitalise.
New Zealand 25 (Cullen 2 tries; Mehrtens 3, Brown 1 pen; Mehrtens 1 drop goal)
South Africa 12 (van Straaten 3 pen; Montgomery 1 drop goal)
Halftime: 19-12 to the All Blacks
All Blacks test programme 2000
Rugby: All Blacks triumph over Springboks
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