Arizona Tribune - Subs Adams, Anscombe combine to give Wales historic Springboks win

Winger Adams dived over in the corner on 78 minutes for the only try of an error-strewn match and Anscombe converted from the touchline to snatch victory in Bloemfontein.

A South Africa team showing 14 changes after a dramatic win Pretoria last weekend led 12-3 midway through the second half thanks to four penalty goals from debutant captain Handre Pollard.

Anscombe, who came on for injured skipper and fly-half Dan Biggar, reduced the gap to six points with a penalty before late Welsh pressure paid off with a dramatic triumph.

Wales had lost 11 previous Tests in South Africa against the Boks since 1964, including two in Bloemfontein.

Success for Wales continued a great day for northern hemisphere nations after Ireland triumphed for the first time in New Zealand and England won in Australia.

Wales went in front within two minutes when Biggar kicked a close-range penalty goal after flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit had been penalised for going off his feet at a ruck.

But the advantage lasted just four minutes before rival captain and playmaker Pollard levelled from an equally simple penalty kick.

A second penalty from Biggar, which was more challenging than the first, veered just right of the post in front of a capacity 46,000 crowd at Toyota Stadium in the central city.

Alex Cuthbert, recalled to Wales' starting line-up in the only change to the team beaten 32-29 in Pretoria last weekend, was forced to leave the field injured with less than a quarter of the match completed.

Adams, who had made way for Cuthbert, came on for the tourists, who almost immediately conceded a penalty that Pollard failed to convert.

The scrums were a problem area with Australian referee Angus Gardner awarding numerous penalties or free kicks to both sides for various offences.

While South Africa had the territorial edge in the opening half, their attacks lack creativity and were comfortably contained.

Where Wales were superior in box kicking with most of them contestable while some from South Africa were overhit, resulting in possession being cheaply surrendered.

An arm-wrestle first half full of energy and unforced errors ended 3-3 and South Africa made their first changes during the break with hooker Malcom Marx and prop Vincent Koch coming into the front row.

South Africa dominated much of the second half and the three Pollard penalties put them in a strong position to clinch the series.

Wales replacement lock Alun Wyn Jones was yellow-carded for the second successive weekend just after coming on, but it did not prove costly as both side scored three points while he was sidelined.

But as the match entered the closing stages Wales gained the ascendancy and, after several attempts to score a pushover try failed, a long pass from Anscombe to Adams set up the historic victory.

Ch.P.Lewis--AT