Australia stunned World Cup winners South Africa with a gutsy 16-9 win in a Test at the Subiaco Oval yesterday to blow the Tri-Nations wide open.
The Aussies were rank-outsiders for the series and in their first match were facing a Springboks side full of confidence after a historic 30-28 win over the All Blacks in Dunedin last weekend.
However, in front of 41,838 fans the home side scored the only two tries of the match either side of halftime, with Berrick Barnes sealing the win in the final minute, nailing a drop goal from 25m.
PHOTO: AP
The result also maintained new Wallabies coach Robbie Deans’ perfect record since taking over, with four wins from as many Tests.
Wallaby George Smith was thrilled with the result and praised his front row.
“A great effort defensively from the boys and their intensity was great,” he said. “I am very proud of the front row, we got some clean ball at the back and then the back-line worked well.”
South Africa captain Victor Matfield praised the Australian defensive effort.
“They put us under a lot of pressure,” Matfield said. “At the breakdown we didn’t get a lot of quick ball and without quick ball you can’t play.”
Despite the loss, Matfield said the Springboks, with one win from three matches, were looking forward to returning home and regrouping after a tough three-week tour.
The Wallabies were led by superb performances from creative winger Peter Hynes and man-of-the-match Rocky Elsom and.
In a strong defensive effort, they were able to match the powerful Springboks forwards and also capitalized on South African turnovers.
For most of the first half, it was a dour defensive battle with plenty of kicking, with only Francois Steyn’s penalty for the visitors in the seventh minute separating the sides.
But against the run of play, with South Africa seeming on top, the Wallabies grabbed the lead just before halftime.
The home side had not created many genuine threats against disciplined Springboks defense, but in the 35th minute Lote Tuqiri capitalized on a Hynes break to score the first try of the match in the corner.
Hynes, in just his fourth Test, broke through the South African defense, setting up a chain of passes through Nathan Sharpe, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper, ending with Tuqiri easily evading Jean de Villiers to dive over in the corner.
Although Giteau missed the conversion, the Wallabies gave the home crowd voice with a 5-3 lead at the break.
The Wallabies continued to rally when play resumed and were quickly rewarded when captain Stirling Mortlock bustled over in the corner.
A chain of passes saw Mortlock drive across the line despite the efforts of three Springboks defenders and, although referee Bryce Lawrence went upstairs for a video review, it merely confirmed the try and Australia held an unlikely 10-3 lead, despite Giteau again failing to convert.
Both tries came on J.P. Pietersen’s wing, the Wallabies clearly targeting what they believed was the weak point in the South Africa defense.
The lead was extended to 13-3 when Giteau found his range and converted in the 51st minute, but the ‘Boks immediately answered with a penalty through Butch James.
With Mortlock off after a knock to the head, the Springboks inched back and were unlucky not to score their first try in the 66th minute, when Bryan Habana lost the ball in a Ryan Cross tackle as he was grounding it for a try in the corner.
In the 69th minute, Steyn made it 13-9 when his penalty shaved the upright, but bounced through, before Barnes sealed the result for the home side.
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