Wallabies end Tri Nations drought

[Darren]

The Wallabies have won the Tri Nations for the first time in a decade with a thrilling 25-20 win over the All Blacks at a packed Lang Park on Saturday night.

Despite a phenomenal second-half surge from New Zealand, which saw it level the match from 17 points down, an out-of-the-blue try from Kurtley Beale ultimately sealed an historic win for Australia.

Australian rugby has picked up some genuine momentum in this World Cup year after the Queensland Reds' Super Rugby triumph and will take a lot of encouragement from a win in conditions traditionally ill-favoured to the Wallabies' game.

A decisive change in tactics saw New Zealand claw its way back into the match, coming from 20-3 down at half-time to level the scores through tries from Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu.

Yet instead of caving in, the Wallabies hit back immediately from kick-off with Beale's breakaway try, adding to Will Genia and Radike Samo's first-half touchdowns to deliver victory, despite a missed conversion and penalty from Quade Cooper which could have put the game beyond doubt.

The Wallabies looked to have overcome the soggy Brisbane conditions to put in an excellent first-half showing, dominating at the breakdown to grab a 17-point lead at the break.

But New Zealand changed its tactics by playing the rucking game, slowing the match down dramatically to grind the Australian defence down and allowing Smith to score a try constructed over 20 phases.

Nonu then justified his place in the centres over Sonny Bill Williams with an incisive five-pointer, weaving his way past a flatfooted Wallabies backline to level the scores at 20-20.

But the Kiwi celebrations had barely started when Genia threw his second decisive dummy of the match to break the All Blacks' line and send the play Beale's way, who cantered over for a sensational breakaway try to wrest the game back into Australia's grasp.

Genia had earlier opened the Wallabies' account with an awesome fake from the ruck on the New Zealand try-line in the first half to burst over for a 10-0 lead.

The Wallabies started the match on a mission to impose themselves and forced an early penalty after putting pressure on the Kiwis' try-line, which Cooper converted.

Genia tricked his way to the opening try, before Samo gave a glimpse of things to come when he ran roughshod over Carter to break the line on the half-way line, only to run out of passing options as the New Zealand defence scrambled.

The visitors immediately countered and had Australia's try-line at their mercy on the overlap, but the defence recovered brilliantly thanks to desperate tackles from Anthony Faingaa and Rocky Elsom.

The Wallabies paid for an offside call which allowed Carter to slot home the first points for New Zealand on 23 minutes, before Cooper returned the favour with his second penalty goal.

Samo then gave his side its 17-point lead when he broke through the centre again and had enough momentum to hold off two New Zealand backs to score a fantastic try.

Ultimately, New Zealand's comeback still shows its imminent favouritism for the 2011 Rugby World Cup on home turf, but the Wallabies grabbed their late opportunity to showcase a blossoming big-game mentality.

Australia: 25 (W Genia, R Samo, K Beale tries; Q Cooper 2 cons, 2 pens)

New Zealand: 20 (C Smith, M Nonu tries; D Carter 2 cons, 2 pens)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-2...ations/2858726

[travelling_gerry]

I'm glad the Refs are going to protect the players necks in the ruck at the RWC.

Poor Poey got hammered tonight.

[tic]

Ref went well tonight apart from AB offside.

[PerthGirl]

Yay!! everytime I come to China the Wallabies beat the AB's Might have to arrange a quick trip if they meet in the RWC final!

[JediKnight]

Ref went well tonight apart from AB offside.

TMO call when Mils ripped the ball from AAC was a shocker! Should've been a 22 restart. Even the commentators picked that one!!!
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[travelling_gerry]

[zimeric]

TMO call when Mils ripped the ball from AAC was a shocker! Should've been a 22 restart. Even the commentators picked that one!!!
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not so sure. muliaina was stand in play when he first grabbed the ball and by the time he was on the ground he was behind the try line... taken back - 5m scrum = correct call

[Burgs]

My understanding on the AAC call was it was inconclusive to the TMO who did what when, so it went back to the scrum. ECKY!!!

First the negatives, set piece was shit.
We have some major issues at the back of the scrum in the #8 clearing the ball and allowing the Black #9 to be in position to immediately tackle/disrupt.

Lineout woeful, however, Vickerman won't be dropped so some serious work needed this coming fortnight. Simmons is a waste of space so Sharpe should safely be on the bench for the 1st XV, so possibly starting first match.

Genia's box kicks are becoming predictable and he doesn't seem to be able to read when it isn't going to work, even if disrupted illegally as was the case tonight. Needs to be able to switch to plan B rather than risk the charge down.

Cooper needs to learn that you won't stop a player by hugging his head. Regardless of him reading where to be, he is just actually quite crap at committing his body to the collision. Now, not accusing him of anything, but he gives the impression of being scared and oppositions will fully exploit that on attack. For so much "brilliance" his defensive skills are gayer than mardi gras. Again, he isn't going anywhere, so please McCabe, Faingaa A. and Ashley-Cooper, grab Nathan Grey and take the brilliant one aside this week (so he has time to ice the bruises) and give him some dedicated tuition!!! Bill could very easily disappear down that central corridor in six weeks time.

After the break??? A little siesta…WTF!!! I just can’t fathom how teams, not just the Wallabies, allow this to happen. The mind is an intriguing thing, the minds of a combined 15 men baffling. It just amazes me how often halftime is better for the trailing team, not those with the ascendency.

We left at least two more tries worth of opportunity out on the paddock in the first half. I don’t subscribe to the counting of missed tries etc, but the endeavour shown deserved more and we should have capitalised on an All Black team at its worst in several seasons.

Kicking for goals really isn’t that difficult. I used to do it FFS! Surely we have someone else in the team that doesn’t have to play matador and still miss? It’s not as if O’Connor’s popgun shots are much/any better.

And finally, despite playing a shocking first forty, a record Aus v NZ halftime lead, we only beat them by 5.

So, the good stuff.

Apart from all of the above, and the room for improvement it demonstrates, we still beat the bench mark in world Rugby! Well done fellas, ten years off the shoulders!

Samo, too slow for Super Rugby but quick enough for a fifty metre dash to the line! He was actually man of the match for mine, and not just for the attack. He did some fantastic stuff in defense in the first twenty (with associated road kill) and ran his heart out all night.

Apart from the kicking and base of scrum issues above, otherwise Genia was masterful making a massive turnaround from the first match. After Samo then yes, MOM.

Horwill. Great. (Though thought it a shame he didn’t call Rocky up to take the trophy together as it was a series win. That said he may have asked and Rocky said no, so no judgment on that one)

Elsom. Vastly improved. I think losing the Captaincy will lengthen and improve what is left of his Test career and most probably enhance his standing when we look back on his playing days in a few years. Rocky at his best is when he is being an absolute hard nut bastard, with a touch of phsyco glint in the eye, which went missing the day he took the reins.

Better use of the bench, tick for Dingo Deans tonight in all aspects.

McCabe. I know there are a few who still bash him on here. He may be predictable in what he does but it is rare that he doesn’t make at least a couple of metres advantage in attack and, to me, his main asset that gets overlooked is his defensive work. In set play Nonu had nothing tonight, it was only from broken play that Nonu was able to be damaging. McCabe did fantastically well containing a world class line breaker and it was encouraging to get the sense that our centres were offensively defending and weren’t in awe of Nonu, as has appeared to be the case in the last few years.

Which brings me to Anthony F. Great match for a starting debut and has made it very hard for O’Connor to expect selection in a fortnight. We have many great attacking players at our disposal, but not many of them (most are improving rapidly) can tackle at Test standard, so, in my view, the current #12-#13 combination is vital.

Backrow open play is a little like the uninitiated trying to understand the mystic arts of the Frontrow. My viewing experience is, unless you have been there, it is very difficult to constructively analyze a good #7’s match. It is only when you instinctively watch the three Backrowers that you see how they are going. He might not have had the visual impact of some of his previous outings, but rest assured Pocock played a big part in this result. The work he did in the breakdown was outstanding and his presence continues to allow us to somewhat forgive the tackling skills of certain players with higher numbers on their backs…

The rest. For once in a fair while, I don’t think you could say anyone had a bad match. Simmons ordinary, but a replacement at hand in Sharpe. Faingaa S. makes me nervous whenever he runs on, but TPN on the war path back. Didn’t see much of Kepu and Alexander, but as with Pocock, that probably means they were doing their job. And still not sure about the 5/2 bench, but so far so good.

Assuming fitness (and sticking with a 5/2 bench), on form I think you would have to go with the following as our current 1st XV:

1. Kepu
2. Moore
3. Alexander
4. Vickerman
5. Horwill
6. McCalman
7. Pocock
8. Samo

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. McCabe
13. Faingaa A.
14. Ashley-Cooper
15. Beale

16. Polota-Nau
17. Slipper/Ma’afu (Neither really been sighted)
18. Sharpe
19. Elsom
20. Higginbotham
21. Burgess
22. O’Connor

[shasta]

Now, not accusing him of anything, but he gives the impression of being scared and oppositions will fully exploit that on attack.

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt if the players he threw those howlers to were in a position to make something of the situation. But far too often they're not. They just end up taking the hit for him. We were just lucky a few of them didn't go to the opposition tonight. He has to stay, but geez he can get you heart skipping a few beats.

Agree with your take on Genia. His deftness in taking the line on is paying dividends regularly. Wepu had claimed spending hours doing video analysis of his game and thought he had the measure of him. Fat chance. He never got near him.

[welshrugbyfan]

Watched the game with a kiwi, he was pretty dark on the "Australian" line up.

Stephen Moore
Quade Cooper
James O'Connor
Digby Ioane
Will Genia
Radike Samo
David Pocock
Daniel Vickerman

I did point out although not last night they do put the occasional Fijian in the AB's.

Sore loser maybe?

[Alex]

would have liked to have seen Anthony Faiinga given the ball a little more in attack. No doubt his defence was outstanding, but I dont think I heard his name mentioned in attack.

Also AAC played out of his skin on the wing, and I think he should stay there, with JOC on the bench, being able to cover a lot of positions.

Looking forward to tatafu coming back. someone mentioned earlier that its always a bit of a worry when saia faiinga comes on...i tend to agree, although he held his own last night

[jono]

Watched the game with a kiwi, he was pretty dark on the "Australian" line up.

Stephen Moore
Quade Cooper
James O'Connor
Digby Ioane
Will Genia
Radike Samo
David Pocock
Daniel Vickerman

I did point out although not last night they do put the occasional Fijian in the AB's.

Sore loser maybe?

"they're not Fijian; they're all blacks"
said the (kiwi) bloke i watched it with this morning

now we know how it's justified...

[Darren]

Watched the game with a kiwi, he was pretty dark on the "Australian" line up.

Stephen Moore
Quade Cooper
James O'Connor
Digby Ioane
Will Genia
Radike Samo
David Pocock
Daniel Vickerman

I did point out although not last night they do put the occasional Fijian in the AB's.

Sore loser maybe?

maybe Take it up with the iRB....

[TOCC]

Watched the game with a kiwi, he was pretty dark on the "Australian" line up.

Stephen Moore
Quade Cooper
James O'Connor
Digby Ioane
Will Genia
Radike Samo
David Pocock
Daniel Vickerman

I did point out although not last night they do put the occasional Fijian in the AB's.

Sore loser maybe?

25% of all Australians were born overseas... we cant help that everyone wants to move to Australia

[Rex Messup]

More South African women should be allowed into the country on breeding visas (they are fit and hot)

Their men can stay home though