Hook points to penalty call as Boks edge Wales

WELSH full-back James Hook believes his early penalty went over and his side should have beaten reigning world champions South Africa in their thrilling opener yesterday.

The 14th-minute strike sailed high above the posts and looked to have gone over, but assistant referees Vinny Munro and George Clancy kept their flags down.

Match referee Wayne Barnes did not have jurisdiction to refer it to TV match official Matt Goddard for a replay verdict, and South Africa escaped.

“I felt it went over,” said Hook, “but it is not something I am going to debate or dwell on. It is one of those things.

“It wasn’t given and we lost by a point, simple as that. It has gone now.”

Wales coach Warren Gatland did not make an issue of the first-half incident, adding: “That is the drama of sport. That is why we are all involved in it.

“I thought it was interesting at half-time when we went in the tunnel and we were saying we thought the kick was over, and Frans Steyn [Springboks full-back] said, ‘yeah, I thought it was over as well’.

“You take the good with the bad. Good sides take disappointment on the chin and they front up next week.”

Wales skipper Sam Warburton also adopted a philosophical approach, although he confirmed he had asked Barnes about going to the TMO during a break in play a couple of minutes later.

“Even if it [penalty] had been given, it might have changed the mindset of the South Africans, and they could have come back,” he said.

“It was in the first half, and there was still 60-odd minutes to go, so you can’t blame the game on that. “It’s hard to say what would have happened.”

Hook’s late penalty miss was preceded by fly-half Rhys Priestland rifling a drop-goal attempt wide. Either successful three-pointer would have put Wales back in front.

It was rough justice on a Wales team who had heroes everywhere, from try-scorer Toby Faletau to strong-running centre Jamie Roberts, combative scrum-half Mike Phillips and skipper Sam Warburton, who made a remarkable 20 tackles despite taking a heavy blow to his head during the second period.

Hook added three penalties and a conversion, while full-back Frans Steyn also crossed for the Springboks, with fly-half Morne Steyn slotting two conversions and a penalty.

But South Africa will need to show a considerable improvement as the tournament unfolds, or their dream of becoming the first team to win successive World Cups will vanish sooner rather than later.

Wales, who have only beaten South Africa once in 26 attempts, now have to regroup ahead of next Sunday’s crucial clash against Samoa in Hamilton.

And Gatland will use the pain of this defeat to rouse his players.

“For 70 minutes of that game we took it to South Africa,” declared Gatland.

“We are proud of the performance, and it is about getting back on the horse and thinking about Samoa next week. Good sides take disappointment on the chin and front up the following week. That is what we have got to do now.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the players’ effort in terms of what they delivered out there. To get 60% of territory and possession against South Africa is a massive step of where we have come as a team, but at the end of the day we weren’t quite clinical enough and South Africa won.”