Wallabies put more doubt in Kiwi minds
Australia's Wallabies won their first Tri-Nations title in 10 years, when they beat the All Blacks 25-20 in a nailbiting affair in Brisbane on Saturday.
Equally important, however, was that the Wallabies put even more doubt into the All Blacks' minds with the World Cup just a fortnight away - as the Kiwis will host the global showpiece on the back of two successive defeats.
All Australians will rejoice!
They suggested doing it in the great singing of the anthem. They did it through the flashes of brilliance and the tension of close-quarter stuff and then they did it with smiles as wide as the whole of Australia when their smiling captain lifted the Tri-Nations Cup for the first time since 2001 after a magnificent game.
No wonder the great stadium was sold out on the first day. Getting a ticket to this sort of game was a bargain. It was a game that had it all.
The winning team in Brisbane deserved to win, but hats off, too, to the All Blacks who came back from 3-20 down at half-time to get to 20-all with great courage and determination only to be beaten by a brilliant, brilliant, exquisite try.
The tables were turned from Auckland where New Zealand led by 17 points at half-time; this time the Wallabies led by 17 points at half-time.
In Auckland the All Blacks shocked with their cohesive, determined effort in the first half; this time the Wallabies did in like manner. In Auckland, Dan Carter was the star and outplayed Quade Cooper who sank into anonymity; this time the roles were reversed. Cooper was magnificent; Carter was not.
If you thought the game was fast and furious, all-action stuff, you were right. There were only 50 stoppages in the match. The next fewest in this year's Tri-Nations was 62.
After the kapa o pango haka with its popping eyes, puffed cheeks, lolling tongues and arm-slapping, Carter kicked off and the Wallabies won a turnover at the very first tackle. That win was an omen: the Wallabies were not going to stand back. They were not upset because of internal squabbles and were not put off by New Zealand greatness or threats.
Prop Ben Alexander charged down a sluggish clearing kick by Dan Carter and the Wallabies were on the warpath. They bashed and got close till Kieran Read, soon to be replaced by Victor Vito because of an injury, was penalised at a tackle and Cooper goaled. 3-0 after 4 minutes. The All Blacks looked rattled.
Cooper broke and gave to Adam Ashley-Cooper who burst for the line with Piri Weepu and Mils Muliaina grabbing at him, Weepu got the ball and on the TMO's advice the Wallabies had a five-metre scrum. Radike Samo picked up and the Wallabies bashed. They went wide and bashed again, and then Will Genia darted between Owen Franks and Keven Mealamu and plunged over the line for a try, which Cooper converted. 10-0 after 15 minutes.
It was an omen when, from a line-out, big Samo burst through the middle. The first time it fizzled out; the second time it was breathtakingly brilliant.
After this break, New Zealand got more and more into the game. They had an overlap of three but Anthony Faingaa stopped Muliaina in his tracks before he could pass to the right. Carter grubbered and Cooper cleared really well.
James Horwill was off-side and Carter goaled. 10-3 after 23 minutes.
Beale did some dancing on counterattack. Adam Thomson, who will not want the DVD of this match, knocked on and Ashley-Cooper footed ahead. Zac Guildford saved but when Ma'a Nonu tackled Pat McCabe without the ball, Cooper made it 13-3 after 32 minutes.
Then it came a great moment in rugby history. David Pocock beat Richie McCaw to a ball in the air and the ball came back quickly to the Wallabies. Dan Vickerman, who had a robust game, gave a quick pass to Samo and the tall, 35-year-old Samo shoved Thomson out of the way and ran, head up, knees lifted high, looking like a thoroughbred, speeding 65 metres to score near the posts as Muliaina and Cory Jane tried to stop him. It was an astonishing try. Samo simply took possession of the game. That made it 20-3, which was the half-time score.
The second half was all change as the All Blacks came out with determination and purpose, using pick-'n-drive to great effect. They got close and Rocky Elsom infringed. 20-6 after 36 minutes.
They repeated the dose, going through 27 'phases' before Carter flipped a little pass to Conrad Smith who skated over. 20-13 after 52 minutes.
Back the All Blacks came with same again. They destroyed a Wallaby scrum and bashed some more till Nonu cut inside Sekope Kepu and then swerved past Cooper to score. 20-20 after 59 minutes.
The momentum of the game had changed. It was all with the All Blacks. Perhaps, just perhaps, they believed victory was about to happen. perhaps it was the Wallabies who believed that defeat could not happen. Perhaps it was just Genia's genius that changed it all.
Carter kicked but not into touch and the Wallabies got the precious ball. Genia got it back and broke past Mealamu who nearly held onto his shirttails but the sturdy scrumhalf got away. He gave to Digby Ioane who beat Jane and then gave to Beale on his left and there was nobody near enough to stop the fullback. Cooper missed the conversion and then later a penalty, but it was not serious as 25-20 stayed the score for the next 18 minutes.
In those 18 minutes there were lots of substitutions but in truth the All Blacks did not look like winning, suffering the rare disappointment of defeats in successive weeks.
It was a famous victory, made visible when Horwill held the Tri-Nations Cup aloft in Brisbane's excited night air.
Australians could rejoice for being young and free - and having the Tri-Nations Cup.
Man of the Match: Will Genia. There were many other great performances but the calm, creative precision of the Wallaby scrumhalf's performance was special and match-winning.
Moment of the Match: Radike Samo's try just pips Kurtley Beale's try for the sheer shock of it.
Villain of the Match: Nobody but Quade Cooper's gratuitous knee to Richie McCaw's head was off character with the rest of the game and stupid enough to border on villainy.
The scorers:
For Australia:
Tries: Genia, Samo, Beale
Cons: Cooper 2
Pens: Cooper 2
For New Zealand:
Tries: Smith, Nonu
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 2
The teams:
Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Anthony Fainga'a, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Radike Samo, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 James Horwill, 4 Dan Vickerman, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 Salesi Ma'afu, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Ben McCalman, 20 Scott Higginbotham, 21 Luke Burgess, 22 Rob Horne.
New Zealand: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Samuel Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 John Afoa, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Colin Slade, 22 Isaia Toeava.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)
By Paul Dobson