Last-gasp Wallabies pip Boks
If you are a Wallaby supporter who must have uttered a gleeful 'Whew' and known inside your heart that this win was a gift from some supernatural force. If you were a Springbok supporter, you were furious in your disappointment and wonder what preternatural evil had produced this.
First point, it was not a good game at all in soggy Perth. Secondly, there were three illogical tackle decisions. But mostly there was that last, sloppy, feeble penalty when Morné Steyn with 100 metres of touchline to aim for failed to kick the ball out. In fact Israel Folau was able to field the ball comfortably five metres from the touchline and start a Wallaby attack that ended in the try that produced the victory.
The Wallabies scores two tries - one within two minutes and the second with two minutes to go. That said, they were close on occasions but could not get past the adamantine defence of 14 Springboks but when they came from depth they scored with ease as Rob Horne swept inside Steyn for the try that Bernard Foley turned into victory.
Whatever else they may possibly be, the Springboks are not a finished product and neither are the Wallabies, yet they are ranked second and third in the world. It does not say much for the standard of the beloved game at international level.
The Springboks scrummed better than they did against the Pumas but then it was against the Wallabies that the All Blacks destroyed a fortnight ago.
The Springboks kicked poorly in two Tests against the Pumas and they proved that practice improves you by kicking even worse against the Wallabies whose kicking was also woeful.
The Wallabies became better and better at the tackle, the Springboks did not. The Wallabies were no good at the line-outs, losing three out of eight throw-ins but the Springboks' line-outs were excellent, as one would expect when Victor Matfield is around.
The Wallabies tried to play quickly; the Springboks did not, but then it's hard to do so off such a slow scrumhalf.
The Wallabies were clever at restart kicks; the Springboks were as predicable as ever.
It was the kick that started the match that set up the first try of the match. As he did for his first four kick-offs Foley kicked short and High. Tall Israel Folau jumped up and caught the ball, and the Wallabies were attacking with energy. Matt Toomua grubbered towards the Springbok line on their right and Ruan Pienaar saved well but under pressure belted the ball into touch to concede a five-metre line-out on the Wallaby left. They went right and, on advantage came back left where Folau took a brilliantly timed pass from Toomua to burst over and score. 5-0 in under two minutes.
The Springboks, who were playing with the miserable wind, attacked and Tevita Kuridrani, who had an excellent game otherwise, was penalised at a tackle, and Steyn goaled. 5-3 after 5 minutes.
A penalty gave the Springboks a line-out on their right. They went left and then came back right through quick phases. Willie le Roux brilliantly tapped the ball on to Jan Serfontein as a tackler arrived. Cornal Hendricks had an overlap and cut inside Nick Phipps who was racing across in cover defence. 8-5 to the Springboks after 13 minutes.
From the kick-off the Springboks bungled. Pienaar was caught from behind as he took his crossfield steps, Steyn kicked a horrible clearing kick and Kuridrani countered. Bryan Habana was penalised. 8-8 after 16 minutes.
The Springboks kicked off and attacked. Scott Fardy was penalised for being offside. 11-8 after 18 minutes
The Springboks had a little burst of creativity when from a line-out on their left they got the ball to Habana who burst past Michael Hooper and was tackled from behind by Fardy. Rob Simmons went in the side. 14-8 after 24 minutes.
Then came a penalty against Duane Vermeulen that was mystifying. James Slipper ran infield with the ball and Vermeulen tackled him hard. The referee penalised the Springbok No.8 for a high tackle. The referee explained that he had started correctly but the tackle had slipped up. It must have been some illusion for replays show that Vermeulen had tackled Slipper, using his arms, at the chest and that his arms had not slipped up.
Foley goaled the kick. Such a decision is disconcerting, if that is the standard the referee is going to set. It seemed that hard but illegal was unsatisfactory. 14-11 after 27 minutes. Springboks believe that tackling hard is a fair weapon.
The second half had only just started when Le Roux was penalised for coming in at the side when the Springboks were bungling and tackled. 14-14 after 40 minutes.
Three minutes later a great Springbok scrum destroyed the Wallabies and they conceded one of three scrum penalties. 17-14 after 43 minutes. That became 20-14 when they were again penalised at a scrum five minutes after that.
When Simmons was penalised for a high tackle on Jean de Villiers - significant in the light of a later action - the Springboks opted for a five-metre line-out with a variation off the back but Tendai Mtawarira knocked on.
At this stage both sides went in for substitutions.
The Wallabies overthrew a line-out and Pienaar got the ball. He was tackled and James Horwill was penalised. 23-14 with 18 minutes to play.
Two minutes later Bryan Habana was not only penalised but also yellowcarded for a high tackle. De Villiers reminded the referee who immediately decided on a yellow card before consulting the TMO, that there had been no yellow card when he had been hightackled in the Wallaby 22. Undeterred the referee sent Habana to the sin bin to think about his 100th Test.
With the Springboks down to 14 men the Wallabies attacked relentlessly but the Springboks' defence was brave and kept them out. Pienaar kicked downfield and Folau countered and the Wallabies were back bashing. The Springboks were penalised for being off side and Foley made it 23-17 with 12 minutes to play.
Then came a period of intense Wallaby attack. Kuridrani broke, and Hooper and then James Hanson were close. The Springboks were penalised and Phipps tapped to set the Wallabies bashing again. But Bismarck du Plessis won a turnover and the Wallabies were penalised.
That is when Steyn kicked the penalty to Folau who started countering from their right. They came left where Kurtley Beale gave a short inside pass to Folau who got a pass away to his left. Horne was free on the outside and swept inside Steyn to score. 23-22 with the conversion to come. Foley's kick was true and the Wallabies led 24-23 with two minutes to play.
Rugby is a game of consequences. Seemingly small, run-of-the-mill actions can have great consequences.
Man of the Match: Israel Folau with his running and his catching of the airborne ball. It's folly to kick on him.
Moment of the Match: There are moments - the two first-half tries, the penalty against Duane Vermeulen, the yllowcarding of Bryan Habana but the one that counted was the try that Rob Horne scored.
Villain of the Match: Surely you not going to make Duane Vermeulen and Bryan Habana villains. And missing touch was not villainy but miscalculation. There were mistakes but no villainy in the game.