Tri Nations: Australia 20 – 15 NZ

Follow this huge Bledisloe Cup clash between trans-Tasman rivals the All Blacks and the Wallabies live on Ou Grote with blow-by-blow commentary.

Commentary begins at the following times on Saturday 30th June 2007:

The Times:
United Kingdom: 11:00am
South Africa: 12.00am
Australia: 8.00pm
New Zealand: 10.00pm

The Teams:
New Zealand – Australia

01  Tony Woodcock – Matt Dunning
02  Anton Oliver – Stephen Moore
03  Carl Hayman – Guy Shepherdson
04  Chris Jack – Nathan Sharpe
05  Troy Flavell – Daniel Vickerman
06  Jerry Collins – Rocky Elsom
07  Richie McCaw (C) – George Smith
08  Rodney So’oialo – Wycliff Palu
09  Byron Kelleher – George Gregan
10  Daniel Carter – Stephen Larkham
11  Joe Rokocoko – Lote Tuqiri
12  Aaron Mauger – Matt Giteau
13  Luke McAlister – Stirling Mortlock (C)
14  Rico Gear – Adam Ashley-Cooper
15  Mils Muliaina – Julian Huxley

16  Keven Mealamu – Adam Freier
17  Neemia Tialata – Al Baxter
18  Ross Filipo – Mark Chisholm
19  Chris Masoe – Stephen Hoiles
20  Piri Weepu – Phil Waugh
21  Sitiveni Sivivatu – Scott Staniforth
22  Nick Evans – Mark Gerrard

The Test:

Both sides lined up for the anthems. NZ first, Aus next then the haka. MCG is pumping. The new haka – if that doesn’t fire you up nothing will…Waltzing Matilda echoes through the ground…

00 – (00-00): Kickoff at the MCG. Oz kick off – directly into touch. Scrum on the half way – solid from NZ. Strong rucking, McCaw into touch – penalty NZ, Carter finds touch on Oz 22m.

03 – (00-07): NZ attack strongly, ruck on Oz line, Woodcock drives strongly – looks just short of the tryline. TMO decision….TRY New Zealand. Woodcock try. Carter converts. OZ 0 – 7 NZ.

06 – (00-07): Oz kick off, win NZ lineout, four phases, Dunning tackled into touch. Lineout not straight – scrum – freekick Oz – drive in midfield – advantage Oz (NZ offside). Oz penalty on half way.

08 – (00-07): Oz attacking lineout on NZ 22m – phase play by Oz – Larkham grubbers through – Rococoko gets there just before Mortlock. 5m scrum NZ. Free kick NZ, kick not out, Oz attack.

10 – (00-07): Oz penalty on NZ 10m line (McCaw penalised) – Mortlock just misses to the left.

11 – (03-07): Oz attacking through phases – advantage – NZ offside. Penalty. Mortlock slots it.

14 – (03-10): Now NZ attack strongly up the middle, pick and go from Jerry Collins, Oz go blatently offside at the ruck (Smith). Easy penalty for Carter on the Oz 22m. Oz 3-10 NZ.

17 – (06-10): Oz scrum on NZ 22m after Flavell knocks on from kickoff. Oz backline standing deep. A few scrum resets. Penalty to Oz – Hayman going down. Dunning’s trickery to the fore. Mortlock converts.

21 – (06-15): Full backline move from Oz off lineout, Tuqiri little kick forward, Gear runs it into touch. Lineout Oz, attacking strongly up the middle, Mortlock looking good, advantage Oz, scrum Oz just out of NZ 22m. Oz penalised this time, Collins takes it quickly, turnover Oz, McAlister intercepts and runs almost to the line,  forward pass to So’oialo, Oz scrum, free kick NZ, attack strongly, McAlister steps, to Gear who crashes over in the corner. TRY NZ! Carter misses the conversion from the touchline.

27 – (06-15): NZ attack from their own 22m, ends in forward pass to Gear. Scrum Oz – another reset. Free kick Oz 22m out, multi phase attack by Aussies, strong defence by NZ on their own line. Can they find a hole? 9th phase, Oz knock on.

30 – (06-15): NZ attack up the middle, turnover Oz, NZ 10m line, 3rd phase attack, NZ turn over by Jack, Muliaina breaks out and steps, Mauger, McCaw, shocker of a dropped pass from So’oialo with the tryline at his mercy.

35 – (06-15): ABs attack relentlessly, on Oz 22m, 7th phase, McAlister chips to Gear on the wing, Carter flips inside to So’oialo, turnover Oz – awesome defense from Australia.

37 – (06-15): Carter directly into touch, Oz lineout, Kellerher penalised, penalty Oz in NZ half. Mortlock will have a crack and…shites it!

40 – (06-15): Half time in a high paced game – NZ dominating – Oz defending – Oz lucky to be only 9 points adrift. All Blacks are looking ominous.

40 – (06-15): ABs kick off, scrum Oz, shortarm which the Ozzies run, turnover NZ, penalty Oz – kicked out on half way – Oz lineout. Palu off injured replaced by Hoiles. Pick and drive from Oz, turnover from rip in tackle, NZ attack on Oz 10m, another turnover after Collins offloads to Hayman. Scrum Oz.

43 – (06-15): Strong linebreak from Mortlock takes play up to the NZ line, relentless phase attack from Wallabies, Sheperson stopped just short of the line, penalised for a double movement. ABs clear. NZ make big changes: Mealamu on for Oliver, Tialata for Woodcock, Fillipo for Flavell.

47 – (06-15): 6 phase attack by NZ up the middle, Collins penalised for holding on, Oz kick out for lineout, not in straight, scrum NZ.

48 – (06-15): Carter breaks, ruck, Kelleher knocks on. Scrum Oz, penalty again. Turnover NZ, Carter breaks again, poor pass to Mauger who knocks on 15m from Oz line. Luck for the Aussies. Kelleher off, Weepu on. Another shocking scrum. McCaw picks up and goes, eventually NZ knock on.

52 – (06-15): Oz lineout, ABs win it and send it wide, Gregan wraps up Jack, short ball to Collins, Mortlock misses intercept, Abs attack again, Collins with the handling error – Oz scrum.

55 – (06-15): ABs lineout on half way. Gregan off, Staniforth on. ABs drive again up to Oz 10m, lose it forward, Oz set it up and swing it, 4th phase on half way, Ashley-Cooper stopped on touchline, Huxley to Smith, to Tuqiri, ruck, Mauger way offsides – almost a professional foul. Oz penalty just outside NZ 22m.

58 – (06-15): Gang tackle on Tuqiri by Mealamu, Collins and Muliaina. Scrum ABs inside their own 22m. Another reset.

62 – (06-15): Hayman yellow-carded for playing the ball off his feet. ABs down to 14 men. Oz attack through phase play – strong break by Tuqiri, ball popped out to Ashley-Cooper who beats 3 tackles (McCaw, Jack, Gear) with huge leg strength to dive over in the corner. TRY Australia. Giteau converts from touchline. Aus 13 – 15 NZ. MCG on it’s feet.

72 – (20-15): Mortlock breaks brilliantly and offloads to Staniforth who crashes over for the try! Giteau converts.

75 – (20-15): 5 minutes left, ABs attack from the half way line. ABs fatigue setting in, Oz looking bouyant. Sivivatu on for Rococoko. Ab scrum, running it again, being cut down by the Aussies, still on half way. Oz knock on – scrum ABs.

77 – (20-15): Oz catching NZ behind the advantage line – NZ being pinned in their own half. Penalty NZ, kick for touch, AB lineout on half way, Wallabies win it, NZ pinged for skew throw in. Scrum Oz on the half way.

78 – (20-15): Al Baxter on for Donut Dunning. Oz come away with it, just keeping possession, soaking up the defenders around the ruck, on halfway, 79minutes, Oz grinding it out…Buzzer goes.

80 – (20-15): Penalty ABs on half way, take it quickly, Carter, Jack, McAlister, Weepu, McCaw, Mauger – strong phase attack from ABs – McAlister up the middle, tackled, ball ripped away, Oz turnover – Giteau kicks out and Oz WIN!

Man Of The Match: Stirling Mortlock, Australia

The Scorers:

Australia (20):
Tries: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Scott Staniforth
Conversions: Matt Giteau (2)
Penalties: Stirling Mortlock (2)

New Zealand (15):
Tries: Tony Woodcock, Rico Gear
Conversion: Dan Carter
Penalty: Dan Carter

Yellow card: Carl Hayman (New Zealand, 62)