Outside half Derrick Hougaard won five senior caps in the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia and in last year’s Under-21 World Cup he scored 25 points against Wales, but his last-minute drop-goal winner in Glasgow on Tuesday evening was his most important contribution to South African rugby.
A young Wales squasd had put up one of their best-ever perfomances to lead 26-24 after being 19-0 down in 27 minutes. Three tries, two converted by Hougaard, looked to have secured an easy win, but Chris Davey’s men dug deep and tries by scrum half Richie Rees and Lee Thomas, plus two Thomas conversions took Wales to 14-19 down at the break.
Then, wing Matthew Nuthall crossed and the Thomas conversion took put Wales ahead at 21-19. South Africa hit ack with a try by centre Earl Rose, only for Nuthall to restore the two-point lead until Hougaard’sw superb 80th-minute goal.
Thomas had an injury-time penalty to win it, but shot wide, yet his side had earned the plaudits.
The Wales side was: – Ricky Williams; Matthew Nuthall, Andrew Bishop, Lee Thomas, Chris Czekaj (rep: Matthew Jones); Nick Macleod, Richie Rees (rep: James Ireland); John Yapp, Kieran Crawford (rep: Will Kay), Cai Griffiths (rep: Ian George), Alun Wyn Jones, Ian Evans (rep: Jonathan Mills), Tom Brown (rep: Richard Dale), Jonathan Edwards (capt), Gavin Quinnell. Replacement not used: Steven Ireland.
