Boks edge closer to Tri-Nations glory
Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:47
All smiles: Bok flyer Bryan Habana grabs his double
The Springboks took a significant step towards this year's Tri-Nations trophy after they reclaimed the Mandela Challenge Plate with a 32-25 bonus point win over the Wallabies at the Subiaco Oval in Perth on Saturday.
The Springboks did the job - played expansive rugby, scored tries, won the match with a bonus point and yet there were disquieting aspects to their game if they hope to do what they should do - win the Tri-Nations.
Their scrumming was rickety and they were penalised five times at the set-piece and 15 times in the game. In the three previous Tests in the Tri-Nations they had been penalised only 16 times in total.
The Wallabies on the other hand, penalised 33 times in their previous three Tests were penalised only four times in this game, just once in the second half. The penalty count (15-4 against) was a huge disadvantage to the Springboks. Is this confirming the suspision that visiting teams are penalised more than home teams?
Then there was the unraveling when they brought on the bench and gave the side almost a 2nd XV look.
The Wallabies scored three tries after scoring none against New Zealand last week but they beat the Springboks hands down for possession after being thrashed for territory and possession last week. The Wallabies had no difficulty in keeping the ball at the tackle.
They may have lost but the Wallabies may just be more cheerful about the match than the Springboks.
But give credit where it is due - the tries were wonderful and they were scored when it mattered and furthermore there could have been still more of them. Sometimes just a pass in time would have been profitable.
For the Wallabies their hands were too often poor. Richard Brown knocked the first two kicks on him into touch. Rocky Elsom knocked on a simple, no-pressure kick. But worst of all was the erratic passing of Luke Burgess.
Matt Giteau kicked off and from the very start the Springboks were running. From the first line-out Jean de Villiers broke. In fact the start to the match, by both sides, was fast.
When Brown entered from the side of a tackle, Fourie du Preez tapped and ran with strength and speed past Brown and over Stephen Moore to score a try which Morné Steyn converted. 7-0 after five minutes.
The first scrum came after eight minutes and for the first half South African scrumming was untroubled. From a steady scrum on the right, Du Preez ran right and Pierre Spies picked up and passed to the left, to Morné Steyn and Jaque Fourie cut clean through a wide gap on Giteau's outside to race trough and score next to the posts. Astonishingly Steyn missed the conversion. His kick bounced out of an upright. 12-0 after 9 minutes.
Steyn would later miss a penalty but it did not match Giteau's two early misses of penalty attempts.
Ben Alexander was penalised at Australia's first scrum and Steyn goaled from far out. 15-0 after 16 minutes.
After pressure on Du Preez and Steyn set the Wallabies attacking. They then turned a penalty into a five-metre line-out but the Springboks nullified the attempted maul.
Peter Hynes was the first player to attempt an up-and-under but Du Preez leapt to take it. He was the best Springbok under a high ball.
When Bismarck du Plessis was penalised at a tackle, Giteau - third time lucky - goaled. 15-3 after 27 minutes.
Du Preez kicked high and De Villiers and Bryan Habana chased. De Villiers and Lachie Turner jumped for the ball. Turner knocked it into the arms of Habana who sped over for a try 22-3 after 33 minutes.
The Springboks were getting careless now and conceded two free kicks at scrums before Victor Matfield was penalised for being offside at a tackle/ruck and Giteau goaled to end the half at 22-6 to South Africa.,
The Wallabies started the second half well and when John Smit was penalised at a tackle the Wallabies tapped and gave to Giteau who weaved and forced his way past Smit, Steyn, Pietersen and du Plessis to score. 22-13 after 43 minutes.
Were the Springboks paying for late arrival and on the way to falling apart? After all it was the Wallabies who were going through phase after phase, the Springboks who looked rattled. But then the Wallabies overthrew a line-out and Smit surged at the line. The ball went wide left where Habana knocked on with an open line as he dived to score. But back they came for a scrum to South Africa on the left for a Wallaby knock-on. The Springboks scored a try of great simplicity. Spies passed right to Du Preez who gave to Habana who sped through a gap as wide as the Swan River and scored under the posts. 29-13 after 53 minutes.
Now the substitutions started and now the Wallabies kept on attacking, going through phase after phase. At one stage they went through 15 phases before the Springboks won a turnover and Spies came away with the ball not far from his own line. Habana raced away, De Villiers got a great pass to JP Pietersen who kicked ahead. Turner fly-kicked out not far from his line.
Alexander was penalised at a scrum and Steyn made it 32-13 with 13 minutes to play.
Those 13 minutes belonged entirely to the Wallabies.
With five minutes to go their bashing paid off as Giteau slipped over for a try under the posts. He drop-kicked the conversion to save time and missed but back the home side came with much bashing and Turner slipped past Andries Bekker and Matfield to score a try. Giteau's conversion gave the Wallabies a bonus point and also brought the final whistle.
Man of the Match: Bryan Habana had a fine match on attack and defence but our Man of the Match is supremely skilled, supremely effective Fourie du Preez - great on attack and defence, and his instincts are all right. It's a pity that he cannot have the joy of finishing a game as Ricky Januarie wins yet another two-minute cap.
Moment of the Match: Jaque Fourie's try - its was so straightforward and it came from a set piece, from which Springboks are not supposed to score. Mind you, seeing the Springboks running from deep within their own 22 was an unexpected moment.
Man of the Match: Bryan Habana had a fine match on attack and defence but our Man of the Match is supremely skilled, supremely effective Fourie du Preez - great on attack and defence, and his instincts are all right. It's a pity that he cannot have the joy of finishing a game as Ricky Januarie wins yet another two-minute cap.
Moment of the Match: Jaque Fourie's try - its was so straightforward and it came from a set piece, from which Springboks are not supposed to score. mind you, seeing the Springboks running from deep within their own 22 was an unexpected moment.
Villain of the Match: Nobody.
The Scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Du Preez, Fourie, Habana 2,
Cons: Steyn 3
Pens: Steyn 2
For Australia:
Tries: Giteau 2, Turner
Cons: Giteau 2
Pens: Giteau 2
Teams
Australia: 15 James O'Connor, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Adam Ashley Cooper, 11 Peter Hynes, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Richard Brown, 7 George Smith (captain), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 James Horwill, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 David Pocock, 20 Will Genia, 21 Quade Cooper, 22 Drew Mitchell.
South Africa: 15 Ruan Pienaar, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan
Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Frans Steyn.
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
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