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A Ryan Cross double and an almost perfect kicking game from Western Force fly-half Matt Giteau helped the Wallabies to a record 40-10 win over France in Brisbane last night.
The Force duo was unstoppable during the match, scoring 30 of the Wallabies points between them.
Man of the match Giteau showed great vision with his tactical kicking and converted all eight of his place kicks to bring up his 300th test point in front of a 40,214 Brisbane crowd. A pin-point cross-field kick from Giteau to winger Peter Hynes in the 7th minutes of the match opened the try scoring for the Wallabies when Hynes made the catch and scampered over the line.
Giteau’s running game was equally impressive and he showed flair any French player would be envious of when he threw a spectacular no-look pass to setup James Horwill just before halftime. The movement brought the Wallabies lead to 26-3 at the break.
The performance of Force teammate Ryan Cross, who came off the Wallabies bench to replace an injured Berrick Barnes in the 52nd minute, will have posed coach Robbie Deans with a welcome selection headache.
Cross scored his first Wallabies’ try with one of his first touches of the match after he received a flat pass from Giteau and crashed over French winger Alexis Palisson to score. Great workrate from Cross allowed him to bring up Australia’s 40th point when he scored a second try out wide in the final quarter of the match.
The only French try was scored by Francois Trinh-Duc in the match’s final minute while Force player and Wallabies’ fullback Cameron Shepherd was being prepared to be stretchered off. The French took advantage of the injury, suspected to be a broken leg, by kicking into the space left by Shepherd behind the Wallabies line and chasing down the loose ball.
In the televised post match interview Deans said the effort the Wallabies had shown was pleasing. “Each game there’s little bits of progress and little bits of frustration, we will just keep chipping away. The defence has been great and that’s something we are going to need going forward.”
The upcoming Tri Nations matches, which Deans described as “the real McCoy”, would provide a much greater challenge than the French but he was confident the team would make the step up.
Australia’s next match will be their Tri Nations opener against the Springboks at Subiaco Oval, Perth, on July 19. South Africa lost 19-8 to the All Blacks last night in a typically physical encounter between the old rivals.
Australia 40: (Ryan Cross 2, Peter Hynes, James Horwill tries; Matt Giteau 4 penalties, 4 conversions),
France 10: (Francois Trinh-Duc try; Trinh-Duc penalty, Dimitri Yachvili conversion).
Referee: Paul Honiss (NZ).
By James Heffield, Betfair journalist
Last edited by JamesH; 06-07-08 at 08:54.
Sevens commentators thought Cross pinched that last try scoring pass off Hynes.
What an impact Cross made when he came on. Brilliant
Gits was in a game of his own, all hail Gits.![]()
Go The Force!
Gits admitted as much in his column in the Times today, wasn't meant for Cross, but all's well that ends well right?
It was supposed to be for Hynes but Crossy got it and it was a try so everyone's happy i suppose![]()
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
did gits have a column in the time 2day????
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
crossy saw the oppertunity and went for it! i think its great... that guy just wants to win!!![]()
besides, a try is a try. does it really matter who scored it??
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
nope
not really
but it does matter when a force player does!
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
i dont see a gits column![]()
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
for some reason I always seem to have different stuff in my paper to everyone else. it's on page 60 in mine.
nope
theres a massive pic of horwill
and a little pic of lote and thats it
with writing
im upset now![]()
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
lara next to the pic of Horwill on the right is Giteau's column
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
to the right is the tiquri article!
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White
Good game well played all the boys Baxter i believed was the pick of the forwards and that was hard for me to say
always hard to say baxter did well but he was pretty good when not in the scrum...
all hail Giteau and Cross!
coz Stone Cold says so