Wallabies open their Tri Nations account with comprehensive 39-20 victory over South

[travelling_gerry]

By Darren Walton AAP July 23, 2011 10:00PM

Australia's Rugby World Cup campaign is back on track after a sizzling 39-20 win over South Africa in Saturday night's Tri Nations clash in Sydney.


With their big guns back and firing after missing last Sunday's dismal loss to Samoa, the Wallabies atoned in style with five tries to two and a 19-point contribution from impressive winger James O'Connor.

O'Connor crossed for a try and landed five goals from six attempts as the Wallabies put the second-string Springboks to the sword.

At times, Quade Cooper toyed with the defence as he sparked attacking wave after attacking wave.

But the brilliant five-eighth had no shortage of co-stars.



Cooper's Super Rugby-winning teammates Digby Ioane and Will Genia, along with O'Connor, fullback Kurtley Beale and centres Adam Ashley-Cooper and Pat McCabe also excelled as the Australia backline shifted into top gear.


The forwards also dominated the Boks, with skipper Rocky Elsom leading in only his third game of the year and frontrowers Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander celebrating rare five-pointers.

Losing captain John Smit admitted "it could have got even uglier" for the Springboks had the Wallabies ruthlessly executed several other try-scoring opportunities.


"Rugby's never very much a perfect game," Cooper said. "So, very happy with the efforts of the boys and the way everyone just kept backing up.

"We could have scored a few more tries, but there were also a few ones that we did make.

"That try that James O'Connor did, that could have been a knock-on. But the skill that James showed there to scoop that ball up and score was just great skill."

What did you make of the Wallabies' performance? Have your say by leaving a comment at the bottom.

With Australia in control at 39-13 up after 57 minutes, workaholic flanker David Pocock received a taste of the captaincy when coach Robbie Deans rewarded Elsom with an early shower.

When Beale limped off in the 70th minute with an apparent left leg injury, Deans had the luxury of throwing reserve back-rower Scott Higginbotham onto the wing.

"It didn't look too bad, but you never like to presume because it can be a bit tricky," Deans said.

"He wanted to run it out but we've seen that before. We've seen Rocky play a whole game (with an ankle injury) and then was out for two months after.

"Hopefully it won't be too bad."

The torrential rain that lashed Sydney during the week cleared to leave the ANZ Stadium surface - and a hearty 52,788-strong crowd - pleasantly dry and Australia's fleet-footed stars took full advantage.

The Wallabies never looked back after making a spectacular start with two breathtaking tries in the opening 10 minutes.

Alexander scored the first, completing an 80-metre movement ignited by a dummy and beautiful right-foot step from Cooper.

Cooped sped 20 metres before finding Beale on his inside and, after O'Connor was briefly brought down on the Springboks' quarter, the Wallabies swiftly spread the ball to the left and Elsom did superbly to draw in two defenders and put Alexander over.

No sooner had O'Connor converted were the Wallabies away again, with halfback Genia darting down the short side from the base of a ruck and sending Ioane on a 55m sprint down the left wing to the line.

It was little wonder Springboks coach Peter De Villiers, who opted to leave 21 of his frontline players in South Africa for the first two games of the tournament, had his head in his hands with his under-strength outfit trailing 12-0.

Five-eighth Morne Steyn cut the lead to nine points with penalty goals either side of O'Connor's in the 37th minute to give South Africa some hope heading to the interval.

But any prospect of a fightback were snuffed out with three quickfire tries to O'Connor, Moore and Ashley-Cooper in the quarter of an hour after half time.

South Africa added some respectability to the scoreboard with late tries to replacement Chiliboy Ralepelle and captain John Smit, but Australia had already retained the Mandela Challenge Plate well before that.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...-1226100498008

[James]

The Positives
You can't not love our long-range try scoring ability. Both of our first two tries started within in own 22. That must have been pretty crushing mentally for the Boks.

James O'Connor reaffirmed his choice as the Wallabies number 1 kicker with a 6 from 7 effort (2 penalties, 4 conversions) including a few tough ones from the sideline.

The Wallabies showed more composure in attack than they have in a long time. O'Connor's try and the Wallabies first try would likely have gone begging in previous years. There were a lot of points that were squandered by the Wallabies that but they scored enough to build a comfortable lead.

While the Springboks tight-five were not as adept as those in the 'A' team it was good to see the Wallabies take the advantage in both the line-out and the scrum.

The Negatives
The biggest negative that I saw was the inability of our bench to make much of an impact. The Springboks won the final 20 minutes 7-0 having been on the ropes from about the 10th minute onwards. Saia Fainga'a shouldn't be played off the bench- he just isn't an impact player. Likewise Nick Phipps didn't bring any energy to the backs and didn't seem confident. Perhaps he was still a bit shell-shocked from last weekend.

Our close-quarter try scoring still hasn't improved in Robbie Deans' tenure. When was the last time our forwards scored a try from burrowing over from 5m out? The last one I can remember was David Pocock against a dispirited Welsh side in 2009. Last night saw the ball thrown wide to Cooper who sent it over for O'Connor's try instead of the forwards trying to grind it over. Maybe we'd find it easier with the likes of Wycliff Palu back.

You can't score everything, but you definitely get the sense that the Wallabies should have scored more than 50 points last night. Wild passes from contact not only usually end up in turn-overs or loss of momentum as the Wallabies scramble to clean them up, but also run the risk of counter-attack. Against a better side those wasted opportunities might have been the only opportunities we would have got.

[travelling_gerry]

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/video.asp...5-e1c4a602b436


Check out the Berreck Barnes sequence and see Nathan Charles work.

[shasta]

I actually ended up pretty disappointed with the effort. The inability to play with some patience and effort after getting to such a big lead was worrying. The AB's would have strangled the life out of the second string Boks side and probably put 60-70 on them. It was reminiscent of the teams inability to close out matches where they lead into the second half. That has plagued them for a few years now.

I also thought it was a game where the Captain needed to take control, talk to the decision makers and keep the team on track and focused.

A lot of improving needed yet before they measure up to NZ, the real ZA, and others.

[James]

I think we still would have beaten the 'real' SA last night.

[TOCC]

The game obviously got a bit loose when there were mass substitutes at 60min

[brokendown gunfighter]

I actually ended up pretty disappointed with the effort. The inability to play with some patience and effort after getting to such a big lead was worrying. The AB's would have strangled the life out of the second string Boks side and probably put 60-70 on them. It was reminiscent of the teams inability to close out matches where they lead into the second half. That has plagued them for a few years now.

I also thought it was a game where the Captain needed to take control, talk to the decision makers and keep the team on track and focused.

A lot of improving needed yet before they measure up to NZ, the real ZA, and others.

the Allblacks weren't much better against Fiji,they should have put 50 points on them in the second half,winning every scrum at will,but failed to do so

[mudskipper]

Wallabies left a lot of points out thee due to poor final 50/50 passes... An inform team would have punished them for this loose play. Simmons and Horwill have locked away the second row for the Wallabies RWC starters, an excellent effort. The bench players then they came on around 65 minutes slowed the match down which is a real concern.

Scrum looked good, finally some players showed their best game, Elsom, Alexander and AAC. Alexander first try scorer and first man in support for the second try was outstanding… Phipps looked better this week, well done.

Boks to be fair were rusty and will get better, plenty of talent in the squad, I don't see them as a second choice squad.


Wallabies should have score over 50 point.

[Rex Messup]

The potential of the backline is exciting.

Genia and Cooper were outstanding. JOC and Beale were top class.

Deans hasn't got the becnh right

Phipps.........might as well pick my old mum

Elsom is luggage. Genia was doing all the talking and Elsom was nodding. Elsom stood in the backs and had no impact. He set up a try after he tried to butcher it by running sideways and hogging it (whils standing in the outside backs)

I hate forwards that spend the game in the backline

Ben Robinson and TPN prognosis please? I heard Robinson has done an ACL? Out for season? TPN?

I thought kepu had a good game at looshead. Would love to see Robinson, TPN, Kepu start with Moore and Alexander/Slipper on the bench. Kepu plays both sides well now and he's as wide as he is high.

I don't think Simmons is a starting test lock yet. He seems a bit skinny. Lineout work was solid. Scrum performed well. He doesn't have a lot of impact in defence or carries. One for the future though.

When genia went off, the momentum shfted. His speed of delivery and sniping running is the best from a wallaby 9 I have ever seen. It beats the shite out of the Gregan wait, wait, step back and dipsy dooooo before his 10/12 got smashed

Cooper is the best 10 we've ever had........already. Lets pray the mungoes don't steal him.

[BDAVEY]

I think Sharpie will back in the strating line up next time experinace was lacking there in spots Simmons great potential but we must look to October. Rest of the team will be the starting at the RWC.......Robinson ahead of Matt Hogsie I feel... Cowan cant see him forcing his way to the ran on either. QC and Genia best combo in the world at the mo....brillant

[shasta]

Ben Robinson tore an ACL at training and reports say he's out of RWC. On the upside, Alexander had one of his best scrummaging games for some time and was OK around the park. I thought Kepu was one of the leading lights. his work in general play was top notch and scrummed well too. The pack shaded the Boks at the scrum, toweled them in the line out and that is a good sign.

[TOCC]

Robinson has boycotted surgery to make a play for the RWC, should be back in the next few weeks..

TPN will be back towards the end of the tri-nations and will take over the bench hooker position.


Alexander did pretty well at scrum time, still some question marks IMO.. Yes he can score tries, but that's not his priority.
Kepu did very well at scrum and has locked away that position, he is a brick wall in defence, puts on some solid hits..

I was pretty dissapointed with Sharpe's efforts when he came on, wouldn't be surprised to see Vickerman elevated ahead of him onto the bench next week TBH.

[James]

I hope Sharpe comes back because we weren't exactly up against a top line-out and he is probably the Wallabies' most reliable forward at getting over the gain line and he is still our best line-out forward. But I am starting to think he won't.

[shasta]

Robinson has boycotted surgery to make a play for the RWC, should be back in the next few weeks..

That would be great. Must be a pretty minor tear. From his point of view I suppose the risk is well worth a shot at RWC.

[zimeric]

when sharpie came on we won three lineouts against the throw... in a row!.. you cannot leave a guy like that on the bench for 60 mins