Wales make 'Boks earn win

A nail-biting second Test in South Africa saw Wales give the Springboks a real run for their money before losing 37-21 in Pretoria.

The final score line belied a battling performance as the visitors turned around their 43-17 first Test rout to give their opponents a real run for their money.

The Welsh fought hard throughout, taking the lead three times during the match, and will surely be disappointed to have pushed so hard, got so close but end up leaving with nothing.

Even moments of individual brilliance from mercurial winger Shane Williams and scrum-half Gareth Cooper were not enough to tame the 'Boks, who proved too much for the Grand Slam winners in the final 20 minutes.

Wales took the lead early on through the boot of Stephen Jones, who slotted a great penalty effort between the posts from out on the right after five minutes.

South Africa's reply came six minutes later following a period of intense pressure around the base of the scrum close to the Wales line.

Jean De Villiers found a way through to cross from close range and Butch James added the extras to give the hosts a 7-3 lead.

Breathtaking

South Africa's second came courtesy of the recalled Ricky Januarie, who latched onto an offload from Juan Smith to skip over and give James an easy effort to take the score to 14-3.

It was beginning to look ominous for the visitors but Wales were determined not to give their hosts the walkover they did last week and hit back almost immediately.

And their work on the training ground soon bore fruit, with a delightful set piece from the line out putting Cooper clear to neatly step inside the covering defence and run in for the score. Jones was again on target to close the gap to four points at 14-10.

Next it was the turn of pocket dynamo Shane Williams to make his presence felt with a breathtaking piece of individual genius in the 32nd minute.

Picking the loose ball up outside the Springbok 22 the winger turned South Africa's defence inside out with a wonderful jinking run, leaving five players clutching at thin air and ultimately scratching their heads in bewilderment as he scampered away to the line.

Jones this time was unable to add the points and when, with the score at 14-15 the hosts were handed a penalty at the stroke of half time they did not waste the opportunity, James firing the three points to retake the lead.

Dangerous

Just two points behind on 17-15, Wales began the second half as they had ended the first, taking the game to the Springboks and looking extremely dangerous in the process.

But it was South Africa who had the first opportunity to add points in the second period with a penalty eight minutes in.

James was again on target to stretch the lead to five but just three minutes later, Jones also fired true at the other end to restore the two-point deficit and close the score to 20-18.

The fly-half was in action again on the hour mark to send Welsh fans wild, slotting another penalty to give his side a 21-20 lead with 20 minutes to go.

A simple effort from James beneath the Welsh posts two minutes later however gave the Springboks back their lead and from then on they piled on the pressure.

Replacement Percy Montgomery just failed to break through an increasingly desperate Wales defence but from the breakdown Jean de Villiers found a gap to barge over for his second try.

James added the extras to take the score to 30-21 and, with a nine point lead, put some clear daylight between his side and the visitors for the first time in the match.

Bismark Du Plessis hammered the final nail into Wales' coffin in the last minute, the tv official confirming that he had indeed touched down.

James' kick took the final score 37-21 but Wales can walk away from this game with their heads held high in the knowledge that they went so close to flooring the world champions in their own back yard.