Wallabies overpower Springboks

[Burgs]

Wallabies overpower Springboks

July 07, 2007 - 9:00pm
Story by: Sportal

The Qantas Wallabies have overcome a spirited Springboks side to record a hard-fought 25-17 victory in their Tri Nations clash at Sydney's Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.

South Africa raced to an 14-0 lead with two tries in the first seven minutes before the Wallabies pulled a try back to make it 17-10 at half-time.

Australia were able to control the match in the second half to run in wt more tries and send veterans George Gregan and Stephen Larkham off as winners in their final Test match on home soil.

The Springboks opened the scoring in the sixth minute when flanker Wikus Van Heerden took a deft pass from scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar off the back of a ruck close to the Wallabies line and crashed over. Flyhalf Derick Hougaard added the extras for a 7-0 lead.

Just moments after the kick-off winger Breyton Paulse picked a Nathan Sharpe cut-out pass to Stirling Mortlock and raced 50 metres to score untouched and celebrated with a cartwheel and backflip. Hougaard slotted the conversion to make it 14-0 after just seven minutes.

The Springboks continued to hold a territorial advantaged and a missed long-range drop goal by scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar was countered by a successful penalty to Hougaard after Sharpe was caught in an offside position almost directly in front of Wallabies posts 30 metres out.

Hougaard missed one from 45 metres out just three minutes later after George Smith was caught not releasing the ball.

A penalty that forced hooker Adam Freier to the bloodbin saw the Wallabies finally good in an attacking position in the 21st minute and made the most of it with a slick backline move seeing winger Mark Gerrard scoot over for a try.

Gregan took clean lineout ball and drifted across the face of the defence before linking up with Larkham, who popped a ball back on the inside to put Gerrard on an angled run to the tryline. Stirling Mortlock slotted the conversion to make it 17-7.

With the try and some added possession the Wallabies backline started to look threaten creating a number of half breaks but were unable to capitalise on the pressure until Mortlock kicked a penalty following a ruck infringement five minutes before half-time.

The Wallabies levelled the scores just after the break when man-of-the-match Stephen Hoiles run into a yawning gap off a deft Larkham pass. Mortlock converted to make it 17-17.

Mortlock kicked the home side into the lead with a penalty in the 51st minute after another ruck infringement and when Gary Botha earned the referee's whistle three minutes later he was sinbinned.

Just a few moments later the Wallabies scored their third try after they worked play to the wing and inside the Boks 22. Gerrard chipped back inside where Giteau sprinted onto the hlafvolley and dived over for a five-pointer. Mortlock missed the conversion to leave the score at 25-17.

Both sides wrung the changes in the final 20 minutes as the game developed into an arm-wrestle and apart from a missed Hougaard penalty the only scoring chance.

Wallabies 25
Tries: Gerrard, Hoiles, Giteau
Conversions: Mortlock 2
Penalties: Mortlock 2

Springboks 17
Tries: Van Heerden, Paulse
Convsersions: Houghaard 2
Penalties: Hougaard

Crowd 51,174 @ Telstra Stadium, Sydney (Pretty pathetic for the home of Australian Rugby )

Win was for you, George and Stevie

John Connolly
Sunday, July 8, 2007

IT was all about George Gregan and Stephen Larkham last night. OK,it was not a terrific win - but we will take it, knowing that for George and Stevie, it was the farewell they deserved in their last Test match in Australia.

We knew we would be up for a challenge last night, not just from a physical Springboks side but the load of emotion over George and Stevie. Saying that, it was critical we came away with the win.

It was a worry that, for the second time this year in Sydney, we found ourselves down 17-0 in the first half - the last time being against Wales, another supposedly B-grade outfit.

In rugby, you want to learn from your mistakes - and that is twice now that we have found ourselves chasing points at Telstra Stadium.

We can't afford any more lapses like that against the All Blacks in Auckland in two weeks, and then later at the World Cup. There's no way we will be able to get out of giving away two easy tries like the ones we did last night.

At least we got our heads back on after the first 20 minutes and I thought we controlled the middle 50. But it was disappointing that we dropped off towards the end.

On the positive side, I was happy with our scrum against such an experienced pack; also our lineout against one that had five jumpers.

It had been said all week that this Springboks side was second-rate. But people forgot their squad included 12 players from the Bulls and Sharks, the winners and runners-up in this year's Super 14.

So, now to the next hurdle for us: the Bledisloe Cup decider against New Zealand. That we now lead the Tri Nations isn't putting more pressure on us. There is enough of that whenever you play the All Blacks.

And we will again face some challenges on the manpower front. From last night, Adam Freier has come away with a groin injury, while Wycliff Palu - who did not play last night due to his shoulder injury - will not be available. Add the suspension of Lote Tuqiri and we could again be facing a test of our depth.

The good news is that Stephen Moore will be available after missing last night due to his sternum injury from the first All Blacks clash.

[Burgs]

I take it whoever gave the zero is one of our hairyback friends

[frontrow]

I thought overall we played pretty bloody crappy, sure it was good to grind out a win, but they were without a man for almost twenty minutes and we still couldn't get a bonus point....The whole match was pretty ugly and i am glad i recorded it and went to bed instead of staying up....If we play like that again in NZ we are gonna get screwed, and then some...

[almac]

being 17 nil down, against the B team is not at all impressive, and if that was the best we have to offer for the world cup, we should maybe stay home and save ourselves a lot of embarassment.

[Evie]

Despite going 17 nil down so early (should have been 10 nil if linesmen knew the difference between forwards and backwards...) I was quite happy with how they recovered from that, Wallabies have been guilty of completely dropping their heads with a scoreline like that before.
And how about Coops (who has just signed with the Brumbies til 2011)? For someone many many people were writing as being way out of his depth he played really well, who needs 'Lots of Tequila'? He's only 23 and he has already come on in leaps and bounds this year and he will continue to improve.

[Goldmember]

I take it whoever gave the zero is one of our hairyback friends

Match was won in the second half by Larkham and the Ref Still, it gave the guys a big fright at half time and made them have to work for it

[The InnFORCEr]

Although we struggled at the start, which seems to be a very annoying trait of this team, the boys did very well to keep them score less in the second half (two weeks in a row, that is impressive). I would much rather us winning in that style that hitting an early lead a concedding points in the second half, anyone can do that but to hold a team out (or two) shows great character from the Wallabies.

Sure, the All Blacks will probably cain us if we let that happen in NZ so we know what we have got to do to improve on the past performances.

Can't wait to get into the Kiwi press today and see what they have to say about it!

[.X.]

Watching the game live - I thought it was a very scrappy affair.

There is no way that the Wallabies can beat the All Blacks if they play to that standard.

A 5 from me

we have a long way to go

[travelling_gerry]

I knew we had the game in the bag when at the 48 min mark (or there abouts) the Springboks had a shot at a field goal.....sort of summed their game up really.....

[Burgs]

The next two weeks will tell a huge amount about the state of World Rugby I reckon.
We are all crediting the ABs with being these all conquering heroes however they are yet to perform too.
If they take the supposedly B Grader Boks apart and then give us a seeing to then yes, it is NZ first and daylight second.
But perhaps we are all expecting too much of everyone?
Perhaps World Rugby really isn't that good?
Let's face it, name a team that is actually meeting the expectations given to them?
Maybe what we are seeing is the reality of it.

[frontrow]

Interesting way of looking at it Burgs, Maybe a lot of teams are not really performing at thier peak in a ploy to ambush unsuspecting World cup opponents, though i find that hard to believe...If quality rugby is missing from the big picture, then someone had better address the issue sooner rather than later( perhaps stellenbosch laws will help)...

[gotheforce]

I thought they were scrappy in the first half, but much better in the second half.

Sharpe had a really average game, considering how he stood out in the other matches. And it was a little risky of him to make that pass which resulted in the intercept.

Anyone else noticed it was Drew Mitchell that made the try-saving tackle after the siren? If he didn't make that tackle, i reckon the boks would have put another one in. Still think Drew should be given a spot ahead of Lote or AAC.