The Qantas Wallabies have retained the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate after a come from behind win in Perth this evening.
In near perfect conditions the Qantas Wallabies ran in two second half tries to none to secure their first win in The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship.
After going into half time trailing by a converted try the Qantas Wallabies were first to hit the score board in the second half through the boot of inside centre, Berrick Barnes.
The Springboks had a chance to hit straight back, however a penalty attempt was not successful.
The Qantas Wallabies hit the front in 55th minute after some good build up play by debutant winger Dom Shipperley allowed captain, Will Genia, to throw a short ball to Scott Higginbotham who crossed after being on the field for less than two minutes.
Barnes added the extras and the Qantas Wallabies led by three points.
The Springboks tied the scores up in the 60th minute after the Australians were penalised for joining the ruck from the side.
Three minutes later the Qantas Wallabies were back in front after Barnes put through another penalty goal, however the lead was short lived when the Springboks hit back with another penalty goal just five minutes later.
After some solid build up play down the far wing prop, Ben Alexander found himself on the end of some good back line passes to cross to give the Qantas Wallabies a five point lead.
Barnes added the extras again from the sideline to extend the lead by seven, however captain Genia found himself assisted from the field after being injured in the build-up play.
Barnes was next to join Genia on the sideline after pulling up lame from the successful conversion attempt.
The ensuing 10 minutes was a hard fought affair with the Qantas Wallabies trying to balance attack with defence, however succeeded in keeping the Springboks scoreless to record their first win in The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship in front of a strong crowd of 34,377.
Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said:
“I’m very proud of what they’ve done, it was a significant win.
“Yeah we struggled to get out of our end and we contributed a large part to that but I’m proud of the way they came back from behind three times.
“We spent a bit longer tonight with the ball and ran some good lines on both sides of the breakdown, which is the key when playing the Springboks.
“They make your life very difficult because these blokes tackle with pride.
“Timani was great tonight the way he runs forward with the ball he was very good.
“We don’t know about Will Genia, he’ll have a scan tonight but at this stage we don’t know anything.”
Qantas Wallabies forward Nathan Sharpe said:
“Wearing the Gold jersey, it means everything, we’re playing for our country against one of the best sides in the world on our own turf, it doesn’t get any better than that.
“We came from behind, all South African teams like to play from the front, we chased them down and it was great to get that win.
“Yeah there was plenty of big shots on tonight which was pleasing.
“They did kick a lot but our defence was good.
“I think Sitaleki Timani is doing a great job, it’s a really clear role the way he needs to play and he is doing it well.”
Minute by Minute:
First Half – kick off 6:35pm WST by South Africa.
2nd: Drop goal attempt by Morne Steyn – unsuccessful.
3rd: Penalty to South Africa, not releasing the ball – kick at goal.
4th: Penalty goal attempt by Morne Steyn successful – Australia 0 – South Africa 3.
8th: Knock on by Australia – scrum South Africa.
10th: Free kick to South Africa, closing the gap.
15th: Penalty to Australia, not staying on your feet – kick to touch.
17th: Penalty to Australia, not rolling away – kick at goal.
18th: Penalty goal attempt by Berrick Barnes successful – Australia 3 – South Africa 3.
20th: Try South Africa, Bryan Habana – Australia 3 – South Africa 8.
21st: Conversion attempt by Morne Steyn successful – Australia 3 – South Africa 10.
24th: Penalty to South Africa, entering from the side – kick at goal.
26th: Penalty goal attempt by Morne Steyn successful – Australia 3 – South Africa 13.
27th: Scrum South Africa, ruck/maul unplayable.
28th: Penalty Australia, collapsing the scrum – kick at goal.
29th: Penalty goal attempt by Berrick Barnes successful – Australia 6 – South Africa 13.
31st: Substitution by Australia Benn Robinson replaced by James Slipper.
34th: Penalty to Australia, deliberate obstruction – kick to touch.
34th: Yellow Card to Tendai Mtawarira for obstruction.
35th: Knock on Australia
35th: Substitution by South Africa Duane Vermeulen replaced by Pat Cilliers.
36th: Penalty to South Africa, collapsing the scrum – kick to touch.
39th: Penalty to Australia, hands in the ruck – kick to touch.
Half Time: Australia 6 – South Africa 13.
Second half
44th: Drop goal attempt by Morne Steyn unsuccessful.
47th: Penalty to Australia, offside – kick at goal.
48th: Penalty goal attempt by Berrick Barnes successful – Australia 9 – South Africa 13.
48th: Penalty to South Africa, obstruction – kick at goal.
49th: Penalty goal attempt by Morne Steyn unsuccessful.
50th: Knock on by Australia – scrum South Africa.
52nd: Substitution by South Africa Bryan Habana replaced by Lwazi Mvovo.
53rd: Knock on by Australia – scrum Australia
53rd: Substitution by Australia Radike Samo replaced by Scott Higginbotham
53rd: Substitution by South Africa Jannie du Plessis replaced by Pat Cilliers.
54th: Penalty to Australia, collapsing the scrum – kick to touch.
55th: Try Australia by Scott Higginbotham – Australia 14 – South Africa 13.
56th: Substitution by South Africa Marcell Coetzee replaced by Francois Louw.
56th: Conversion attempt by Berrick Barnes successful – Australia 16 – South Africa 13.
59th: Penalty to South Africa, joining the ruck for the side – kick at goal.
60th: Penalty goal attempt by Frans Steyn successful – Australia 16 – South Africa 16.
60th: Substitution by South Africa Eben Etzebeth replaced by Flip van der Merwe
62nd: Penalty to Australia, not rolling away – kick at goal
63rd: Penalty goal attempt by Berrick Barnes successful – Australia 19 – South Africa 16.
64th: Penalty to Australia, not staying on your feet – kick to touch.
65th: Substitution by Australia Sitaleki Timani replaced by Liam Gill.
66th: Penalty to South Africa, not releasing the ball – kick to touch.
67th: Penalty to South Africa, joining the maul from the side – kick at goal.
68th: Penalty goal attempt by Morne Steyn successful – Australia 19 – South Africa 19.
69th: Try to Australia, Ben Alexander – Australia 24 – South Africa 19.
70th: Conversion attempt by Berrick Barnes successful – Australia 26 – South Africa 19.
70th: Substitution by Australia Will Genia replaced by Nick Phipps.
70th: Substitution by Australia Kurtley Beale replaced by Anthony Fainga’a
70th: Substitution by South Africa Morne Steyn replaced by Pat Lambie
70th: Substitution by South Africa Zane Kirchner replaced by Johan Goosen.
70th: Substitution by Australia Berrick Barnes replaced by Mike Harris.
71st: Substitution by Australia Berrick Barnes replaced by Mike Harris.
74th: Penalty to South Africa not rolling away – kick to touch.
74th: Substitution by Australia Tatafu Polota-Nau replaced by Saia Fainga’a.
74th: Substitution by Australia Ben Alexander replaced by Benn Robinson.
75th: Knock on by South Africa – scrum to Australia.
75th: Substitution by South Africa Adriaan Strauss replaced by Tiaan Liebenberg.
76th: Knock on by Australia – scrum South Africa.
79th: Penalty to South Africa pulling down – kick to touch.
80th: Knock on by South Africa – scrum Australia.
Full Time: Australia 26 – South Africa 19.
Crowd: 34,377
The Qantas Wallabies will be searching for their first win in The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship, while the Springboks will look to record their second win of the tournament in their first match against a traditional SANZAR rival.
Australia has ensured a tough start to their campaign, not only playing the World Champion All Blacks back-to-back, but suffering a catalogue of injuries, that has seen them lose two captains (James Horwill and David Pocock), while key players like James O’Connor, Wycliff Palu and Pat McCabe are still missing from action.
The Wallabies will be confident against the Springboks considering their strong recent record against them, with their 11-9 quarter-final win at last year’s World Cup being their fourth consecutive triumph.
The Springboks meanwhile return to Perth, their home away from home in Australia, winning three of six matches in Western Australia, but based on the reaction of the team after their 16-16 draw with Argentina, there could be a patriotic response from the team.
Meyer felt they let down the Republic.
“Very disappointed, we were not good enough. Youngsters need to step-up (and) we need to adapt. We will have to make hard decisions before we play Australia away from home."
The Wallabies have made three changes and one positional switch from the team that lost 22-0 to the All Blacks in Round Two, and it seems that they will turn to experience – and the need for speed.
Evergreen number eight in 36-year-old Radike Samo returns to the side, while Stephen Moore is set to become the Wallabies most capped hooker, moving past Jeremy Paul’s record of 72 games in the number two jersey for Australia.
But it is the inclusion of speed demon Dominic Shipperley for his test debut that points towards the possibility that the Wallabies will release the shackles – especially with Quade Cooper playing his second straight test match.
The Springboks will welcome a new debutant in Duane Vermeulen, one of five changes (two positional) for the team, with the Western Province flanker to run out at the back of the scrum.
Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen could also earn his first South African cap, and the Free State faithful will be happy to see a player who was regarded as arguably the form ten during Super Rugby before injury cut short his campaign.
Adrian Strauss, if he comes through a final fitness test, will be included at hooker, while Ruan Piennar earns his first 2012 test start at scrumhalf.
Francois Hougaard moving from scrumhalf to left wing and Willem Alberts shifting from No 8 to flank are the positional changes.
MATCH DETAILS:
8 September 2012
Wallabies v Springboks
Patersons Stadium, Perth
Kick off (1835 local, 1035 GMT, 2235 NZT, 2035 NSW/ACT, 1235 SAT, 0735 ARG)
Referee: N Owens (WRU)
AR: W Barnes (RFU)
AR: G Jackson (NZRU)
TMO: M Goddard (ARU)
HEAD TO HEAD:
Played 74: Australia 32, South Africa 41, Drawn 1
Last match: Australia 11 – 9 South Africa @ Westpac Stadium, Wellington (RWC, 9 October, 2011)
Australia record at Paterson’s Stadium/Subiaco Oval: Played 11, Won 7, Lost 3, Drawn 1
Australia record at home: Played 249, Won 152, Lost 90, Drawn 7
South Africa record at Paterson’s Stadium/Subiaco Oval: Played 6, Won 3, Lost 2, Drawn 1
South African record away from home: Played 190, Won 108, Lost 74, Drawn 8
Point’s aggregate: Australia 1303, South Africa 1385 (18-19)
Tries aggregate: Australia 135, South Africa 165 (2-2)
RECENT MATCHES:
25 August, 2012: Australia 0 – 22 New Zealand (2nd round of The Rugby Championship)
18 August, 2012: Australia 19 – 27 New Zealand (1st round of The Rugby Championship)
23 June, 2012: Australia 20 – 19 Wales (4rd test June tour)
16 June, 2012: Australia 25 – 23 Wales (3rd test June tour)
9 June, 2012: Australia 27 – 19 Wales (2nd test June tour)
5 June, 2012: Australia 6 – 9 Scotland (1st test June tour)
25 August, 2012: South Africa 16 – 16 Argentina (2nd round of The Rugby Championship)
18 August, 2012: South Africa 27 – 6 Argentina (1st round of The Rugby Championship)
23 June, 2012: South Africa 14 – 14 England (3rd test June tour)
16 June, 2012: South Africa 36 – 27 England (2nd test June tour)
9 June, 2012: South Africa 22 – 17 England (1st test June tour)
9 October, 2012: South Africa 9 – 11 Australia (RWC QF)
TEAMS:
Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (c), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga'a
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Francois Hougaard 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Johan Goosen, 21 Pat Lambie, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.