New Zealand 5

South Africa 0

A missed tackle and a titanic defensive effort were just enough to send the All Blacks through to Saturday's Classic final after an enthralling battle with South Africa at the National Sports Centre last night.

Jackie Tarrant's first half try was all that separated these two giants of world rugby, with New Zealand just edging a game they spent the majority of defending.

And what a defence. For every yard the Springboks gained the Kiwis smashed them back two, and when last year's beaten finalists did break through the gain line, uncharacteristic handling errors, or magnificent last ditch tackles stopped them in their tracks.

The All Blacks' Deon Muir, Hayden Scown, and Pita Alatini were immense in defence, and Muir's tackle on Evert Ferreira early in the second half, when the Boks had broken clear down the blindside from a set scrum, saved a certain try. The number 8 covered every inch of the field, and more than once turned South Africa over inside his own 22.

"It was just guts, that's what it was, just straight hard guts," said All Blacks coach Andy Hayden. "They played their hearts out and you have just got to admire that.

"There's never any quarter given in these games, and I think they (the All Blacks), just wanted it a wee bit more."

The All Blacks' desire and work rate was summed up by Jackie Tarrant in a two minute spell in the first half. Having brushed past Brett Hennessy and Clinton Van Rensburg to score the game's only try, he was then on hand to haul down Deon Kayser inches from the try line at the other end.

For their part the Springboks threw everything that they had at the All Blacks, and still they could not break through. Time and again Braam Van Straaten was smothered by two Kiwi defenders as he tried to make a little half break, and if he did get through, the All Blacks appeared from everywhere to turn the ball over.

And when Van Straaten and Robbie Fleck did finally link up, the ferocity of the All Blacks' tackling usually resulted in the ball being coughed up. The got in their fair share of hits as well though, with one particular bone cruncher from centre Trevor Halstead on opposite number Alatini was felt around the ground.

In the end however it was their handling errors that finally proved the South Africans' undoing, that, and an All Blacks' side that refused to break.

"It was quite physical, and I think at the breakdown we were probably outplayed," said Springbok centre Fleck. "The All Blacks rucked as a unit which is probably their strength, but they defended really well, and we kept coming at them, wave after wave, and they kept stopping us dead, so hats off to them.

"We had a lot of handling errors, and we played well in patches, but it was just that final pass that went astray, or we knocked it on, and obviously the greasy conditions didn't help.

"But I think the All Blacks played the percentages right. They didn't really play too much rugby, where we tried to play all the rugby, which is quite ironic really.

"It didn't really work in our favour, so well done to them."

In yesterday's first game, Argentina beat Canada to claim a place in the Plate final where they will face Australia.

The Pumas eventually won 14-7 in a game they should have had wrapped up by half time.

Dominant in the forwards, and with a rolling maul Canada had no answer to, Argentina wasted five good scoring opportunities with poor handling.

They fell behind to an Eric Forsyth try, but levelled just before the break through scrum half Leandro Lobrauco from one lineout, and took the lead from another moments after the re-start when Frederico Mendez ploughed over from close range.