Springboks overrun Wallabies in Tri Nations thriller at Loftus Versfeld

[travelling_gerry]

Springboks overrun Wallabies in Tri Nations thriller at Loftus Versfeld

From David Beniuk in Pretoria, South Africa
August 29, 2010 The Wallabies have failed again at altitude in South Africa, losing 44-31 to the Springboks in the Tri Nations Test in Pretoria after scoring three tries to lead 21-7 inside 10 minutes.
The Wallabies led-28-24 at half-time but poor handling and lineout work cruelled their hopes of recording a first Test win in Pretoria, and the desperate Springboks notched their first win of the series in Victor Matfield's 100th Test in front of 43,152 at his home ground of Loftus Versfeld.
Australia remain without a win on the high veldt since 1963, when Ken Catchpole inspired an 11-9 win at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.
Victory moved South Africa off the bottom of the table, while the Wallabies suffered their third consecutive loss after starting with their campaign with victory over South Africa in Brisbane.
Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom bemoaned a lack of second-half possession.

"Although we got off to a flier, the Boks retaliated just as fast," he said.

"In the second half, we did not retain possession enough to win."
Australia coch Robbie Deans said his team's failure to retain possession at the tackle area was one of the main reasons they lost.
"First and foremost, we did not hold on to the ball long enough and we turned over more ball to the opposition," Deans said.
"It was a game we could have won, and that is immensely frustrating when looking at the history here."
Springboks and Bulls hero Matfield, meanwhile, paid tribute to the fans in Pretoria.

"I have had an unbelievable career and to reach 100 caps at Loftus Versfeld is wonderful," Matfield said.
"These fans are my people, and I want to thank them very much."

The Wallabies scored four tries to three in the first half, opening their account when halfback Will Genia dummied and scored in the third minute before James O'Connor bagged the first of a brace after a scintillating 60-metre run by Kurtley Beale in the fifth minute.
Springboks flanker Juan Smith powered through some threadbare defence, after a Wallabies forward pass in the ninth minute, but O'Connor pounced when Bryan Habana dropped the kick-off and Australia led 21-7.
South Africa reduced the margin to seven points when prop Gurthro Steenkamp burrowed over in the 14th minute, after Wallabies hooker Saia Fainga'a had been penalised for a ruck infringement, and Springboks fly half Morne Steyn landed a penalty goal from 59 minutes six minutes later to make the score 21-17.
The Wallabies' determination to spread the ball paid off again six minutes later, with a Dean Mumm five-pointer, before Springboks No.8 Pierre Spies completed the first-half madness with a 32nd-minute try after his side had put together what seemed an endless number of phases in Australian territory.
Steyn and Matt Giteau exchanged penalty goals in the 47th and 49th minutes before the Springboks took the lead - 34-31- for the first time in the match through a Francois Steyn try a minute after Mumm had spilled a kick-off.
Boks fullback Steyn increased the lead to 37-31 with a 68th-minute penalty goal and winger J.P. Pietersen scored a try a minute from full-time, after a break from scrum half Francois Hougaard, to rub salt into Australia's wounds.
The Wallabies suffered a setback before kick-off when bench forward Scott Higginbotham was denied a chance to make his Test debut after injuring his back in the warm-up.
He was replaced by fellow Queenslander Rob Simmons.
AAP


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...016959,00.html

[CunnamullaFulla]

I think the opening 40 minutes showed some great signs of the potential in this team. The area that needs a huge overhaul is the defence. It's hard to remember a wallaby team this leaky.

There has been a huge mindshift which Deans has finally instilled. The first thought after a turnover is now to spread the ball and attack. Only two years ago, Australia would have put boot to ball but seeing them spreading turnover ball at every opportunity was exciting and rewarding. Some great tries were scored and often the momentum was shifted from dire defence to threatening attack.

It was clear that fatigue set in. Mistakes and errors of judgement that started as a tricle became a flood as the match wore on.

Deans has to get his bench right. If he isn't going to use Barnes (hasn't in last 3 tests) he needs another forward on the bench. They could have done with some fresh legs. It was mystifying to see the team running out of energy and the bench getting splinters.

I think the team should have stayed and trained at altitude as well.

It was exciting to see some great positive rugby paying dividends. It was sad to see the poor defence. It was frustrating to lose a test that could have been put to bed at halftime.

The second half capitulations are worrying

[rick boyd]

(Pedantic journo's corner: I cannot tell you how furiously I grit my teeth when I see the noun 'cruel' abused as a verb. There is no such word as 'cruelled' and people who use it should have their fingers smashed with a brick.

Sorry. I'm off for a cup of tea, a Bex and a lie down.)

[brokendown gunfighter]

just the evolution of language Rick.No use fighting it I'm afraid

[WARHORSE]

(Pedantic journo's corner: I cannot tell you how furiously I grit my teeth when I see the noun 'cruel' abused as a verb. There is no such word as 'cruelled' and people who use it should have their fingers smashed with a brick.

Sorry. I'm off for a cup of tea, a Bex and a lie down.)

school teacher?

[Darren]

(Pedantic journo's corner: I cannot tell you how furiously I grit my teeth when I see the noun 'cruel' abused as a verb. There is no such word as 'cruelled' and people who use it should have their fingers smashed with a brick.

Sorry. I'm off for a cup of tea, a Bex and a lie down.)

I always thought of cruel as an adjective - cruelness or cruelty would be the noun, no? None the less, "cruelled" is a bit of an abomination.

[zimeric]

a little like 'yous' or 'youse' right?

[BDAVEY]

what a game.... I feel Moore will get the run on this week and thee will be a few changers. Brown needs to be replaced with someone not too sure who.
when will the wallabies stop trying to jink and sidestep (QC and KB) there way through it comes off once ... straight up the middle.... looks great when it comes off but very rarely. Great to Genia back playing well. Sharpie played well as usual they missed hime when he came off.

[Burgs]

It would also seem pointless to "jink and sidestep" when the tackler is still 15m away...

[BeeJay]

what a game.... I feel Moore will get the run on this week and thee will be a few changers. Brown needs to be replaced with someone not too sure who.
when will the wallabies stop trying to jink and sidestep (QC and KB) there way through it comes off once ... straight up the middle.... looks great when it comes off but very rarely. Great to Genia back playing well. Sharpie played well as usual they missed hime when he came off.

Agreed. As per my comments in the other thread:

Qantas Wallabies named to face South Africa

[TOCC]

The said 'jink and step' got over the advantage line on numerous occasions throughout the night, it keeps the defense from sliding as well
Posted via Mobile Device

[travelling_gerry]

Altitude or attitude? Wallabies blow their chance at redemption
Greg Growden
August 30, 2010

South Africa 44 Australia 31

PRETORIA: The Wallabies have tried every method to end their losing ways, but captain Rocky Elsom opted to jolt his teammates with a no-holds-barred dressing-room speech after their implosion against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday night.

Elsom and coach Robbie Deans had every right to talk tough after the Wallabies drifted out of the Test, wasting leads of 21-7 and 28-17 to hand the Springboks their first Tri Nations victory of the year.

After a madcap start, which comprised five tries in the first 14 minutes, including three from the tourists, the Wallabies were unable to take advantage of their early superiority and were outscored 37 points to 10 in the final hour of play.

The Wallabies deflated appreciably, especially at the lineouts, restarts and breakdown, where they often lost possession. They were in a similar state after the game, realising they had let slip the best chance in years to become the first Australian team to win on the highveld since 1963.

When the players returned to the rooms, Deans addressed the team. Elsom followed and promptly told the players their performance was ''simply not good enough'', considering they had been preparing for this Test match for several weeks.

In a blunt address, Elsom said it was time for the Wallabies to toughen up and be hard on themselves. The drop in standards was unacceptable. As one team official explained: ''They certainly know they butchered that Test.''

What most irritated the Wallabies was how they wasted such a tremendous start. After winger Drew Mitchell had a try disallowed in the second minute, halfback Will Genia took advantage of good field position to score shortly after when he pierced the defences of Victor Matfield and Jean de Villiers.

In the fifth minute, fullback Kurtley Beale made an exhilarating 60-metre run that placed Genia in the right spot to put winger James O'Connor away for Australia's second try. This was followed by the Wallabies' first serious lapse, when their midfield defence disintegrated, enabling Springbok flanker Juan Smith to run through the biggest hole imaginable.

From the kick-off, the Wallabies hit back when Springbok winger Bryan Habana dropped the ball. He was still wondering where it was when O'Connor scooped it up and shot off for his second try. At 21-7, the Wallabies were in the box seat.

That did not last, though, because their lineout defence wasn't sturdy enough to stop prop Gurthro Steenkamp running through the middle and easily finding the line.

The Wallabies kept attacking, attempting wide expansive moves, but gradually were worn down by a more pugnacious opposition, who repeatedly bustled their way into good attacking positions. The Wallabies began to waste lineout chances, with Matfield, on the occasion of his 100th Test, repeatedly stealing their throws. Beale suddenly looked vulnerable under the high ball, Genia was successfully stalled by his opposing halfback Francois Hougaard, and they started fumbling the restarts and dropping the ball in open play. By the 50th minute, the Wallabies had surrendered the lead and then floundered for the rest of the game, as tries by Pierre Spies, Francois Steyn and JP Pietersen had the Springboks accelerating well past them.

Deans said the Wallabies' inability to remain composed under pressure had derailed them once again.

''We couldn't hold onto the ball, so we didn't spend enough time in possession,'' he said. ''We turned over more ball than South Africa and, critically, at the end when we had built some pressure, our set-piece came up short. Our finishing also wasn't as effective. We know it was a game we could have won, which is immensely frustrating.''

Genia did not hold back, explaining that a vast improvement, especially at lineout time, would be required if they wanted to stop the rot in the return bout at Bloemfontein next Saturday night.

''We made very bad errors at crucial times in our set-piece,'' Genia said. ''That let us down. We had four lineouts 10 metres from their line and mistakes came back to haunt us. Victor Matfield was very good at reading our ball and, at the end of the day, we weren't good enough to win our own ball.

''Not to win after our good start is very frustrating and very disappointing. Sadly, we dropped off pretty much at the start of the second half. We just weren't good enough at the lineouts and regathering at the restarts. As irritating was in the first half was that as soon as we scored points, they scored straight away.'' Judging from Elsom and Genia's sentiments, it will be a grim week on the training paddock.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...829-13xpr.html

[SNOB]

A great team going forward and attacking but where the hell is the defence?
Who is the defence coach at the moment? I doubt many clubs are waiting in line to hire him on the evedence of that game.