30-07-2005, 05:13 PM
By Andrew Hollely
The Springboks had to dig deep before they recorded yet another Tri-Nations victory over the touring Wallabies, 22-16, at a packed Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
Australia led 13-6 at halftime.
The result was in the balance right until the last minute, when man-of-the-match Andre Pretorius slotted a drop goal to put the seal on a win that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
Pretorius marshalled his backline superbly
The Boks were dominant, but were dragged down by the dogged Australian defence. The signs were ominous at the break, as the Wallabies successfully sucked the Boks into their slow style of rugby, but John Smit and his men refused to lie down. A committed and gritty second stanza saw the Boks wear down the visitors and gain four valuable points in their bid to retain the Tri-Nations trophy.
Pretorius marshalled his backline superbly, but it was fullback Percy Montgomery who again provided the calmness at the back. His 14 points from three penalties, a drop-goal and a conversion took him past the 500-point mark for the Springboks in Tests.
The home team hit the visitors hard in the opening exchanges, with more ferocious tackling as they did the previous weekend at Ellis Park. Prominent were Victor Matfield and Jaque Fourie as the Boks dominated all facets in a blistering first 15 minutes. They could not, however, translate that authority into points.
The Australians too looked impressive on defence, but they had to, as Matfield and Bakkies Botha - who both had outstanding games - secured a plethora of possession at the lineouts, but the Boks could just not make that control count on the scoreboard.
The Boks had just a single Montgomery penalty, in the second minute, to show for their efforts.
Matt Giteau made them pay
With the forwards holding sway in the tight phases, Pretorius was able to use his boot intelligently to pin the Wallabies in their own half for much of the first quarter.
Australia did well to hang in there and also used some well placed tactical kicks to reverse the tide midway through the half.
Wings Lote Tuquiri and Wendell Sailor threatened each time they got the ball and forced the Bok defence into some errors, but it was the Boks who were guilty of kicking it down their throats.
And centre Matt Giteau made them pay, slotting two close-range three pointers within five minutes of each other for the lead after 26 minutes.
But just as the visitors seemed to be asserting their supremacy, the Boks strung a few phases together, allowing Montgomery to level matters with a snap drop goal two minutes later.
As the Boks poured forward in the latter stages of the first 40 minutes, it seemed inevitable they would get the game's first try before the interval.
Instead, Australia turned the ball over and countered, eventually creeping into the Bok 22, and after good work from captain George Gregan, flank George Smith dived over in the last minute of the half.
Giteau added the extras for a seven-point cushion at the break.
The Boks continued to look flat and devoid of ideas after the restart as the game meandered along a sluggish malaise.
Changes were needed and coach Jake White brought on Schalk Burger in the 50th minute to add some much needed urgency, especially at the breakdown, where Smith and Phil Waugh were causing problems.
It almost immediately, if indirectly, had the desired effect as the Boks swept upfield with renewed vigour. A silky move involving Pretorius, Bryan Habana and then Montgomery, put Breyton Paulse away down the right and he crossed for a superb try. Montgomery added the extras and again the scores were level at 13-all.
As the hour mark ticked over, the two goal kickers traded further blows to head into the final stretch still inseparable at 16-16.
White made further changes, bringing on hooker Gary Botha, moving John Smit to prop, while also replacing a limping Matfield, with Albert van den Berg.
While the Wallabies started to suffer from fatigue, the Boks gained momentum.
Another penalty to the home team, with six minutes left, saw Montgomery regain the lead for the first time since the 21st minute.
It also signalled the veteran's 501st point in Test rugby - the first man in the history of the Springboks to achieve the feat.
At the end though it was fittingly that Pretorius put the seal on a hard-fought victory, but the Wallabies did emerge with a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the Boks.
Scorers:
Springboks:
Tries: Paulse
Conversions: Montgomery 1
Penalties: Montgomery (3)
Drop goals: Montgomery, Pretorius.
Wallabies:
Tries: Smith
Conversions: Giteau (1)
Penalties: Giteau (3)
Teams:
Springboks:
15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Andre Pretorius, 9 Fourie du Preez; 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Joe van Niekerk, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Gary Botha, 17 Lawrence Sephaka, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Wayne Julies, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Australia:
15 Chris Latham, 14 Wendell Sailor, 13 Morgan Turinui, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan (captain); 8 John Roe, 7 George Smith, 6 Phil Waugh, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Daniel Vickerman, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Jeremy Paul, 1 Bill Young.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Mark Chisolm, 19 Rocky Elsom, 20 Chris Whitaker, 21 Stirling Mortlock, Drew Mitchell.
The Springboks had to dig deep before they recorded yet another Tri-Nations victory over the touring Wallabies, 22-16, at a packed Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
Australia led 13-6 at halftime.
The result was in the balance right until the last minute, when man-of-the-match Andre Pretorius slotted a drop goal to put the seal on a win that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
Pretorius marshalled his backline superbly
The Boks were dominant, but were dragged down by the dogged Australian defence. The signs were ominous at the break, as the Wallabies successfully sucked the Boks into their slow style of rugby, but John Smit and his men refused to lie down. A committed and gritty second stanza saw the Boks wear down the visitors and gain four valuable points in their bid to retain the Tri-Nations trophy.
Pretorius marshalled his backline superbly, but it was fullback Percy Montgomery who again provided the calmness at the back. His 14 points from three penalties, a drop-goal and a conversion took him past the 500-point mark for the Springboks in Tests.
The home team hit the visitors hard in the opening exchanges, with more ferocious tackling as they did the previous weekend at Ellis Park. Prominent were Victor Matfield and Jaque Fourie as the Boks dominated all facets in a blistering first 15 minutes. They could not, however, translate that authority into points.
The Australians too looked impressive on defence, but they had to, as Matfield and Bakkies Botha - who both had outstanding games - secured a plethora of possession at the lineouts, but the Boks could just not make that control count on the scoreboard.
The Boks had just a single Montgomery penalty, in the second minute, to show for their efforts.
Matt Giteau made them pay
With the forwards holding sway in the tight phases, Pretorius was able to use his boot intelligently to pin the Wallabies in their own half for much of the first quarter.
Australia did well to hang in there and also used some well placed tactical kicks to reverse the tide midway through the half.
Wings Lote Tuquiri and Wendell Sailor threatened each time they got the ball and forced the Bok defence into some errors, but it was the Boks who were guilty of kicking it down their throats.
And centre Matt Giteau made them pay, slotting two close-range three pointers within five minutes of each other for the lead after 26 minutes.
But just as the visitors seemed to be asserting their supremacy, the Boks strung a few phases together, allowing Montgomery to level matters with a snap drop goal two minutes later.
As the Boks poured forward in the latter stages of the first 40 minutes, it seemed inevitable they would get the game's first try before the interval.
Instead, Australia turned the ball over and countered, eventually creeping into the Bok 22, and after good work from captain George Gregan, flank George Smith dived over in the last minute of the half.
Giteau added the extras for a seven-point cushion at the break.
The Boks continued to look flat and devoid of ideas after the restart as the game meandered along a sluggish malaise.
Changes were needed and coach Jake White brought on Schalk Burger in the 50th minute to add some much needed urgency, especially at the breakdown, where Smith and Phil Waugh were causing problems.
It almost immediately, if indirectly, had the desired effect as the Boks swept upfield with renewed vigour. A silky move involving Pretorius, Bryan Habana and then Montgomery, put Breyton Paulse away down the right and he crossed for a superb try. Montgomery added the extras and again the scores were level at 13-all.
As the hour mark ticked over, the two goal kickers traded further blows to head into the final stretch still inseparable at 16-16.
White made further changes, bringing on hooker Gary Botha, moving John Smit to prop, while also replacing a limping Matfield, with Albert van den Berg.
While the Wallabies started to suffer from fatigue, the Boks gained momentum.
Another penalty to the home team, with six minutes left, saw Montgomery regain the lead for the first time since the 21st minute.
It also signalled the veteran's 501st point in Test rugby - the first man in the history of the Springboks to achieve the feat.
At the end though it was fittingly that Pretorius put the seal on a hard-fought victory, but the Wallabies did emerge with a bonus point for finishing within seven points of the Boks.
Scorers:
Springboks:
Tries: Paulse
Conversions: Montgomery 1
Penalties: Montgomery (3)
Drop goals: Montgomery, Pretorius.
Wallabies:
Tries: Smith
Conversions: Giteau (1)
Penalties: Giteau (3)
Teams:
Springboks:
15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Andre Pretorius, 9 Fourie du Preez; 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Joe van Niekerk, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Gary Botha, 17 Lawrence Sephaka, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Wayne Julies, 22 Jaco van der Westhuyzen.
Australia:
15 Chris Latham, 14 Wendell Sailor, 13 Morgan Turinui, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan (captain); 8 John Roe, 7 George Smith, 6 Phil Waugh, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Daniel Vickerman, 3 Matt Dunning, 2 Jeremy Paul, 1 Bill Young.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Mark Chisolm, 19 Rocky Elsom, 20 Chris Whitaker, 21 Stirling Mortlock, Drew Mitchell.
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