Rugby-All Blacks edge Springboks to win Rugby Championship in 100th test

New Zealand narrowly justified their number one world ranking with a hardfought 19-17 win over world champions South Africa in Townsville on Saturday to secure the Rugby Championship title with a match to spare.

New Zealand narrowly justified their number one world ranking with a hardfought 19-17 win over world champions South Africa in Townsville on Saturday to secure the Rugby Championship title with a match to spare. The 100th test between rugby's two most successful nations did not disappoint and it was not until Jordie Barrett kicked his fourth penalty two minutes from the end that the All Blacks took the lead for the final time.

Winger Will Jordan scored an early try and Barrett added 14 points from the kicking tee to give New Zealand a 12th southern hemisphere test championship title and a 10th successive test win. South Africa, coming off back-to-back losses to Australia, were much improved but could not carve out enough scoring opportunities to keep alive their hopes of winning the tournament into next week's return match on the Gold Coast.

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