Rugby World Cup 2011 Quarter Final Match Report: Australia 11 - South Africa 9
Reigning world Champions South Africa took on Tri-Nations title holders Australia in this winner takes all clash for a semi-final place.
With the Northern Hemishphere having all the fun yesterday, Sunday was the chance of the South, with all four of the soon to be Four Nations in action to begin the process of deciding which will be taking on the best side from the North on October 23rd for the Webb Ellis Cup. With the likes of Digby Iaone and Kurtly Beale providing a boost for Australia and John Smit and Bryan Habana been passed fit for South Africa, both sides were pretty strong, despite Frans Steyn missing for the latter and thus removing a little of their creative threat. With the late afternoon sun causing those watching in the Wellington Stadium all sorts of bother, both teams started in a Wales/Ireland fashion (thankfully) with plenty of speed and aggression. A few high balls into the sun from both sides were dealt with, Australia particularly looking quite calm when returning the ball from within their own 22. David Pocock set the tone early on smashing into opposite number Danie Rossouw in what was to be an intriguing one-on-one battle within a brutal war, at least until the South Africa man had to leave the field after only twenty minutes with a twisted knee. With Quade Cooper roundly booed for anything and everything by the New Zealand crowd (hes not their favourite person, to put it simply) the fly half looked spritely as he probed the defence looking for a way through for his electric backline. Despite the quality of the Aussie backs it was the captain and second row James Horwill who opened the scoring, a bit hit on Burger liberating the ball with Paul McCabe getting forward before giving the ball to his skipper to stretch over. Winger JP Pietersen put pressure on kicker OConner, but the referee ruled he had started his run too early. However the distraction was enough of this was enough with the conversion pushed across the posts. Horwill was involved again after winning a penalty on the back on a great break by Kurtly Beale, giving Oconner the chance to redeem himself, a chance he took, the penalty extending the score to 8-0. South Africa challenged the Australian defence with Schalk Burger seemingly getting over the line, but not before the Australian took the ball back and ran from behind their own try line before James Oconner kicked play further upfield. With half an hour gone the South Africans wee applying loads of pressure but were yet to reduce the deficit before winning a penalty bang on half way. With the powerhouse boot of Frans Steyn missing, his namesake Morne lined up the kick which faded right. With the set piece not troubling the Springboks it was from these they regularly looked dangerous but kept conceding too many turnovers. A two-on-one by Habana was wasted as the pressure kept mounting. From a lineout Stephen Moore threw long and confusion from his team mates meant Fourie du Preez was gifted the ball at the back of the lineout before yet again there was a handling error, a theme that was becoming to all too regular. A huge hit from Samo on Habana had all wincing, but a mistake in the next tackle meant with one minute to go Steyn had another chance to get his teams first points with a penalty, a chance he thankfully took. Steyn failed with the ambitious near 60 metre kick to end of the half as the players scampered to the corner of the stadium and their respective changing rooms. South Africa had dominated the possession and territory but Australia had been more clinical and looked more likely to convert their chances. With 83% territory in the first half, South Africa picked up where they left off with a 15 phase attack which again came to an end through an error, the Wallabies keeping to the script of breaking quickly and making inroads up field. Patrick Lambie looked to have levelled things up with a try but the referee correctly called the pass from Jean de Villiers excellent break, forward. With the game now settling into a rhythm of South African pressure and Australian counter attacking threat, the changes from the bench started, with 2007 winners Habana and Smit making way for Bismarck du Plessis and Francois Hougaard. With blood pouring from his nose, McCabe was replaced by Berrick Barnes to help try and create something more for the men in gold. But the ball continued to stay in Springbok hands with Steyn kicking another easy penalty to reduce the gap to only two points. A charged down 22 drop out by Cooper gifted the ball back to the green shirts with South Africas patience paying off as Steyn slipped into the pocket to hit the drop goal to send South Africa into the lead. Australia seemed incapable of holding onto the ball for any extended period, the South Africans showing tremendous control to build the phases but it was their own doing more often than not that brought any moves to an end. The pressure from South Africa was mounting and the half backs for Australia were struggling to create anything, Will Genia lucky to see a charged down clearance knocked on. Again and again they came forward, a missed Lambie drop goal the next effort to extend their lead. With Victor Matfield rendering the lineouts useless, there was no obvious structure to Australias attempt to retake the lead, the feeling being it would be South African error that would be their undoing. As if to prove the point, Heinrich Brussow gave a way a penalty for pulling down at the lineout, a chance OConner took to take the lead back with the kick with seven minutes remaining. Try as they might they just could not find a way through, the Wallabies now working hard to keep their opponents in their own half. With a minute to go South Africa started to go through the phases and the tension rose with every tackle. But inevitably the South Africans knocked on to gift the Aussies the chance to win the game, Genia kicking the ball out to end the game and send his team into the semi-finals and knocking the reigning world champions out in the process. The action here became almost predictable, the statistics summing up what kind of game it was. 76% territory to South Africa and 53 tackles to Australias 147. South Africa dominated Australia by a huge margin and it was a wonder Australia were still in the game at the closing stages, thanks only to the errors of the South Africans that there were less clear cut chances to defend against. The referee made a couple of calls that were questionable, and this game was always going to be based on small margins. But the game wasnt decided by the officials, it was the hard work, the physical aspect that we dont really associate with Australia. This wasnt a South Africa team of the same quality as the team that won the cup last time around, the early substitution of Habana and Smit demonstrating the diminished influence of the heroes of 2007. They had the opportunities but did not take them and were punished for it. Despite playing most of the rugby they lacked the clinical edge when getting to the Australian line and you felt it wasnt to be. With Australias next game New Zealand they cannot afford to gift the All Blacks so much time with the ball in hand and will have to work hard to play the game the way we know they can; with speed and flair. The battle between McCaw and Pocock will be hugely influential, the latter having an awesome game today with 26 tackles and 4 excellent turnovers and was possibly Australias best player. If they play like this though it will be New Zealands to lose but is guaranteed to be an intriguing matchup.