All Blacks extend winning streak

Dropped scrum-half Aaron Smith was the hero on Saturday for New Zealand, coming on to score a game-changing solo try as the All Blacks defeated South Africa 21-11 in the Rugby Championship. The win in Dunedin kept the hosts unbeaten after four matches while the injury-hit Springboks saw their record slump to one win, a draw and two losses. Smith, who had been dropped to the bench for breaking team protocol, was introduced for the second half with the All Blacks holding a slender 5-3 lead. Then midway through the half, with the scores locked at 8-8, he snapped the deadlock with a brilliant solo try when he darted around the side of a ruck and scampered 30 metres to the line. The All Blacks scored two tries, to Israel Dagg and Smith, while Aaron Cruden kicked three penalties and a conversion. South Africa’s points came from an exceptional try to Bryan Habana and penalties to Morne Steyn and Johan Goosen. The win extended the All Blacks’ unbeaten run to 14 games, four short of the world record 18 held by Lithuania. In the first half, the Springboks put away their kicking game and took the All Blacks on in the forwards with their confidence growing as they held their own in the bruising opening exchanges. It kept the visitors within striking range of the posts but kickers Morne and Frans Steyn were woefully off target, being successful with only one of six shots at goal. When the Springboks resorted to the boot early in the second half, a piece of individual brilliance by Habana produced an immediate try. The right wing scoring machine charged straight through Cruden, then gathered in his own chip-kick over Richie McCaw’s head to score in the corner. It put South Africa ahead 8-3 with Morne Steyn again off target with the conversion attempt. While the All Blacks were counting their blessings at the inaccuracy of the Springbok kickers, they were also ruing the Springboks’ discipline. Australia win Australia came from 13 points down to edge a spirited Argentina 23-19 in a Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, leaving the Pumas still searching for their opening tournament victory. After consecutive defeats to world champions New Zealand, the Wallabies have fought back to win two out of two, having beaten the Springboks last week, handing under-pressure coach Robbie Deans more breathing space. Argentina remain winless after losing to the All Blacks last weekend, following a draw in Mendoza with South Africa and a defeat in Cape Town. Trailing 6-3 at half-time, the Wallabies found themselves further behind after two Argentine tries within 12 minutes of the second half starting.