How can the opening of a test match be so emotional?
The first 15 minutes before the match - I was sobbing like a newborn!
The crowd singing Happy Birthday to Nelson Mandela - all the hip hip hoorays! Mrs Mandela giving the little mascot a huge big hug!
Then the anthem.... nothing like Ellis Park to lift the roof off!
It's now 6 minutes in - we're 3-0 up (looks like we might get a try soon as well) and I'm all cried out, clutching at a few tickets.
What is it about the Boks particulary that makes me sob and make me want to go home so badly. :hartlik:
what a cracking start... fantastic game!!
20-3 to SA after 24 minutes!!
this sounds good Cali thanks
you always a sucker for the anthem
been too quiet so had to go scourge for it
over it goes, but surely Australia could have been more punished than that? 33-8 SA.
56 Another reset. Ball in, scrum totters, and again goes down. Surely there must be an infringement, nobody wants to see this. Finally the ball is out, but it is soggy, Bill Young is penalised though, what will SA do now...A KICK?!?!??! Monty lines it up...
55 the scrum is reset, once twice, three times. Referee Walsh must do something soon.
54 South Africa running again, this is brilliant play! Paulse inside to De Villiers, to Van Niekerk, Matfield, wonderful pass to Smith, surely a try, why didn't he reach out?! Sailor is over the top and slows it down...scrum SA, 5m from the line. A try must come now.
52 Burger re-enters the fray after another SA raid was stopped by a forward pass. Australia have the scrum, but they will be reluctant to clear to touch at the moment, SA have stolen 6 of the last 7 Aussie lineouts. Spun wide by Larkham, but it is also a long way forward.
50 Austrlia run the penalty, but Paulse turns the ball over, and again the Boks have a chance to spread it...Van Niekerek has it, but Habana cuts inside just as VN fires a long outside pass. Australia are crumbling here.
49 Another lineout steal! And De Villiers is away! Paulse, inside to Monty, to Fourie Du Preez, nearly to the line...over! Yes? We have gone upstairs...he dropped it! Scrum 5 Aussies, and then they get a penalty for deliberate wheeling.
its a brillant game so far! Let just hope they can keep it up
seems like SA are attempting to lose this one
:haha:
33 - 20
79 Australia claim a lineout and get a drive going. Up to the SA line...closer...Paul off the back, and he is over for a try. TRY AUSTRALIA! 33-20!
78 A high kick by Mitchell, is caught by Monty, who spreads it looking for the counter, but unfortunately he gives it to Andrews, who throws an intercept to Sailor. Sailor is away...brilliant chase back by Habana, who has burned sailor up and caught him over 40m!!
76 Whitaker is on for Gregan, but the game has petered out as a contest now. Larkham gets the ball, and burns Steenkamp, then grubbers ahead, but Habana covers well and SA have a 22 drop out.
74 Throw in not straight by Smit, and then a penalty given away by SA. Paul tries to take it on, but it is devoid of any real energy, and there is a scrum.
73 SA have turned over the Australian restart ball, and they have an overlap, but it is all forwards! Botha, Van Niekerk, Smith, a long one-handed pass for Habana but it drifts forward. Australia can clear again, how many opportunities have SA thrown away this half?
71 Mortlock nips the conversion, 33-15!
70 Australia get the ball from the lineout this time though, Tuqiri is into the midfield. Nearly another intercept from Pretorius, but Australia retain it. Young spills it, Haban chips and is laid out flat. Surely a penalty? We are carrying on SA still running through the phases, but it is stolen, and Sailor sets Larkham away for a certain try. Habana is up again, but the crowd are seething at the non-action of referee walsh for the perceived late tackle on Habana. TRY AUSTRALIA 33-13, and this is under the posts as well...
68 An insdie pass, Smit is away. To Botha...Botha holds on for support, but the ball is knocked out of his hands and Burger spills the clear-up. Australia run the ball from the scrum, but then clear it to touch.
67 Mortlock crashes into a wall of gren shirts, and then Van Niekerk pounds Gregan backwards, SA get a penalty. Monty clears to touch.
66 Now Australia get a penalty with Julies holding in a tackle. SA gone quiet for now.
65 Australia finally take a lineout! Ball spread, but Smith is crunched by Steenkamp. He was offside though, and Australia running the ball again, but Mitchell runs into Waugh and SA get the scrum.
64 SA spread it again. Monty in the line again, momentum building, but Pretorius breaks it by trying to drop a goal. It goes wide, and the work is wasted. Why do that when 25 points ahead?
62 Montty is into the line, and makes more ground, but du Preez knocks it on. Australia have a scrum. They try to run it up, but no way through, and Larkham is forced to kick to touch.
61 Pretorius kicks another superb one to the corner, how much better is the kicking than last week? Mitchell collects and clears, but SA have the ascendancy in the lineouts, and could run this back again.
59 Pretorius clears the restart, Latham picks it up, but is stopped, gets it out to Giteau, who dances his way through but is tackled by Matfield. Pretorius then hammers Paul and SA get a scrum. Mitchell is on for Latham.
57 ...over it goes, but surely Australia could have been more punished than that? 33-8 SA.
80 Mortlock hooks the conversion though, and that is the end of a game which finished a little disjointedly but enthralled for the first 70 minutes. South Africa show their other personality at home again, and claim a thorough victory, and the Mandela shield on Madiba's birthday. It is all set up for Pretoria next week as well, with the Aussies likely to be gunning for revenge. See you there!
didn't get to watch it ... but reading the text over the last 10 mins :mmm:
