In celebration of the best rugby moments of 2022, OLLIE KEOHANE remembers Springbok flyer Kurt-Lee Arendse’s strike in a record victory that consigned the All Blacks to fifth in the world rankings.

In the 2022 Rugby Championship opener in Nelspruit, the All Blacks were coming off the back of a home series loss to Ireland while the Springboks had won a home series against Wales.

The Boks, regardless of how strong they have been historically, have always had trouble playing the aura of the black jersey more so than the players in it. The men in green and gold had to beat the Kiwis on this day given the quality and form of the respective squads.

But Cheslin Kolbe was injured again, and in his place was young Arendse, backed by the Bok management to start against the All Blacks in only his second Test.

Faf de Klerk was knocked out cold 30 seconds into the game, and as far as omens go, one couldn’t help but feel it may not be South Africa’s day, despite all the hype heading into the match.

Fast forward eight minutes and Handre Pollard bombs a high ball on Beauden Barrett. Arendse and Barrett contest the ball but it bounces off the Kiwi’s shoulder and into the hands of Lukhanyo Am, ever-present on the chase and seemingly always in the right position. Am grips the ball and, as he’s dragged to ground, calmly pops a pass up to Arendse, who is away to the corner for a spectacular try against the All Blacks in his second taste of Test rugby.

That try set the tone for a match where the Springboks were brilliant, dominant and emphatically won 26-10, SA’s biggest win against New Zealand in 30 years. It was the start too, of what would be a great year for Arendse, who stepped into big boots in the absence of Kolbe in 2022 and delivered with equanimity.

Photo: Twitter/@Springboks