Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Saturday Dec 14, 2024
Monday, 18 August 2014 01:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Reuters: Australia prevented New Zealand from claiming a world record 18th consecutive win by holding the world champions to a 12-12 draw in a try-less Rugby Championship opener on Saturday that left both sides disappointed. In a gritty encounter played out in a Sydney rainstorm, Australia were handed a glimpse of an upset when South African referee Jaco Peyper showed yellow cards to All Blacks Wyatt Crockett and Beauden Barrett either side of the break. They tied the match up with flyhalf Kurtley Beale’s fourth penalty 10 minutes from time after Barrett was sin-binned but were unable to make the most of their superior numbers and secure a first victory over the All Blacks for three years. All Blacks flyhalf Aaron Cruden scored all of his side’s points with four penalty kicks of his own as New Zealand came up short of a win for the first time in the three years of the Rugby Championship. The draw means New Zealand continue to share the record of 17 consecutive victories by a top tier nation with the 1965-69 All Blacks and South Africa side of 1997-98. “How does it feel not to get the record? The same as we feel about not getting the win - it sucks,” said New Zealand coach Steve Hansen. “We made mistakes and didn’t play the way we wanted to but we did defend for long periods of time and showed a lot of heart and a lot of courage. When you’re playing one of the best sides in the world with only 14 men for 20 minutes, it’s hard work.”
Early try proves key as S.Africa edges Argentina
Reuters: A first minute try from Ruan Pienaar proved decisive as South Africa beat Argentina 13-6 in Saturday’s rain-affected Rugby Championship test at Loftus Versfeld to record a winning start to the annual four-nation competition.
Pienaar’s early score suggested a possible repeat of last year’s runaway 73-13 home win for the Springboks over the South Americans but a heavy downpour turned this year’s opening match for both countries into an unattractive contest.
 Handling errors and testy exchanges dominated the rest of the game as the converted try proved the difference with Handre Pollard and his replacement Morne Steyn both contributing a penalty while Nicolas Sanchez slotted over two of his own for the Pumas.
A darting break from Pienaar from the first scrum saw him flip the ball right to winger Cornal Hendricks who played a pass back inside for the scrumhalf to race away and score. South Africa’s 20-year-old flyhalf Pollard, winning his second cap, converted to set pulses racing
“It was a great start to the game but not a great start to the competition,” said South Africa captain Jean de Villiers.
Sanchez kicked a seventh minute penalty for Argentina’s first points, but the seven-point gap was restored 10 minutes later by Pollard as South Africa went into the break 10-3 up.
Scrappy affair
By halftime the match had denigrated into a scrappy affair as both teams failed to take command of a slippery ball and were unable to show any continuity on a soaking wet pitch, with lashing rain and occasional hail falling from the skies
De Villiers said it was the worst conditions he had ever played in. “And I spent a season at Munster,” he added.
A kicking game ensued in the second half with Sanchez slotting a second penalty to make it 10-6 early on before Steyn, who came on for Pollard, kicked over the game’s final score in the 50th minute.
The final half-hour increasingly became a battle of attrition as South Africa went in search of more points.
They were more than matched by Argentina in the scrums and driving play, however, but the visitors paid a heavy price for making too many errors at key moments.
In a furious last five minutes they had three clear chances to possibly draw the game.
A set move from a lineout saw captain Agustin Creevy burst away only to be stopped just short of the South African tryline and only some solid defence held off several more drives before Argentina lost possession.
Soon after, Steyn’s clearing kick was charged down to present Argentina with another chance but Bryan Habana got back in time to touch down a loose ball for a 22-metre dropout.
With the full time hooter already sounded, Argentina’s backline had one final chance but centre Marcelo Bosch knocked on to end their chances of forcing a dramatic comeback.
The Pumas did have the consolation of a bonus point and will be buoyed by their forward performance as they take on the Springboks again next Saturday at home in Salta. |
pretty keen to do so.”
Australia will get that chance next week in Auckland with a third test against the All Blacks later in the year outside the championship also counting towards the tussle for the Bledisloe Cup, which New Zealand have held since 2003.
Poor spectacle
The teeming rain was always going to make for a poor spectacle and the first half was certainly not one for the fan of free-flowing attacking rugby.
Cruden and Beale exchanged penalties in the first 11 minutes but the All Blacks had the edge in territory and countered the home side’s blitz defence with clever short kicks into the backfield.
Another two Cruden penalties put New Zealand 9-3 up after 21 minutes as Australia struggled to get their much vaunted backline firing amid a string of unforced errors in the greasy conditions.
The home side spurned a couple of kickable penalties towards the end of the half but did get some return just before the break when prop Crockett was sin-binned for a cynical foul after the Wallabies took a quick tap.
Hooper finally gave Beale another penalty attempt after the halftime hooter but the flyhalf hit the upright with his effort and the subsequent Wallabies attack fizzled out when Wycliff Palu was bundled into touch.
Beale narrowed the deficit with his second penalty four minutes after the break but that was the only score the Wallabies managed before the All Blacks were back to a full complement.
Scrumhalf Nic White sent the Wallabies deep into the All Blacks half with a neat kick in the 53rd minute, and Beale levelled up the scores after All Blacks winger Julian Savea had done well to keep the ball in play on his own line.
Cruden gave the visitors a 12-9 lead against the run of play just before the hour mark but Australia nearly hit back through Pat McCabe, only a brilliant double tackle from Savea and centre Ryan Crotty preventing the winger from crossing the line.
Australia had the momentum, though, and with the All Blacks under severe pressure replacement flyhalf Barrett was shown a yellow card for slowing the ball down in the 69th minute - a decision Hansen said he would like to have another look at.
Beale again squared the scores from the kicking tee but the Wallabies were just unable to give the 68,627 crowd the victory they craved.
