Follow this huge Tri Nations \ Mandela Plate Challenge clash between the Wallabies and the Springboks live on Ou Grote with blow-by-blow commentary.
Commentary begins at the following times on Saturday 7th July 2007:
The Times:
United Kingdom: 11:00am
South Africa: 12.00am
Australia: 8.00pm
New Zealand: 10.00pm
The Details:
Venue: Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Weather: 8°C Clear
Touch judges: Steve Walsh (New Zealand), Kevin Deaker (New Zealand)
TMO: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
The Teams:
Australia – South Africa
01. Matt Dunning – CJ van der Linde
02. Adam Freier – Gary Botha
03. Guy Shepherdson – Jannie Du Plessis
04. Nathan Sharpe – Johan Ackermann
05. Daniel Vickerman – Johann Muller
06. George Smith – Wikus van Heerden
07. Rocky Elsom – Pedrie Wannenburg
08. Stephen Hoiles – Bob Skinstad
09. George Gregan – Ruan Pienaar
10. Stephen Larkham – Derick Hougaard
11. Adam Ashley-Cooper – JP Pietersen
12. Matt Giteau – Wynand Olivier
13. Stirling Mortlock – Waylon Murray
14. Mark Gerrard – Breyton Paulse
15. Julian Huxley – Bevin Fortuin
16. Sean Hardman – Bismarck du Plessis
17. Al Baxter – Eddie Andrews
18. Hugh McMeniman – Albert van den Berg
19. David Lyons – Jacques Cronje
20. Phil Waugh – Michael Claasens
21. Scott Staniforth – Peter Grant
22. Drew Mitchell – Jaco Pretorius
The Test:
Gregan and Larkham come out individually to huge applause from the home side. On to the anthems – South Africa first then Australia. Giteau slurs his way through the anthems, Tuqiri in the background waving from the bar. Looks to be crying into his beer. There were rumours that Ackermann was injured but he appears to be ok. Also some talk of some of the Boks having food poisoning after a seafood meal on the eve of the Test. Now down to the action…
00 – Larkham kicks off and Ozzies regather. Attack around the 10m line, turnover Boks, Paulse carries it up, back to Hougaard with the up and under, Gerrard knocks on. Bok scrum.
01 – Boks win the scrum, Pienaar snipes round the side, Hougaard kicks but it’s not out, Oz gather and make sure of touch. Bok lineout – Skinstad takes. Penalty Boks inside Oz territory.
03 – Hougaard hits the post and Oz run it back. Giteau forward pass, scrum Boks on 22m, swing the ball down the backline, Murray attacks, Skinstad pick and go, Pienaar snipes again and flips to Gary Botha who’s stopped just short of the tryline. Wikus picks up and crashes over the line. TRY BOKS! Hougaard converts.
05 – Breyton Paulse intercepts a Nathan Sharpe pass and runs 50m to score under the posts. TRY BOKS! Hougaard converts.
09 – Scrum Oz on half way, Bok scrum looking good, Oz swing to the backs, penalty Oz on half way line – Paulse way offside. Oz kick not out, Bok 22.
12 – Kicking backwards and forwards, lineout Boks just outside their own 22m. Ackermann takes, box kick from Pienaar, Wikus gathers, Boks swing, Sharpe way offside and the ball hits him. Bok penalty 22m out. Hougaard kicks it over.
16 – George Smith not releasing the ball in the tackle. Penalty Boks just inside the Oz half. Hougaard’s having a go…and misses to the left.
18 – SA continue to launch the bombs onto the Wallabies. Lineout Boks, Muller takes, Wikus drives, another bomb from Hougaard, Oz backline attacks, Wikus smashes Larkham, high tackle from P3 on Friar. Penalty Ozzies in kickable position…they kick for touch.
21 – Oz lineout 5m out, Vickerman takes, Gerrard bursts through Olivier’s attempted tackle after a switch with Larkham and scores under the posts. Mortlock converts.
23 – Kick onto Skinstad who takes, Smith turns over the ball on the deck, Larkham kicks directly into touch. Bok lineout, Pienaar box kick, Huxley gathers and finds touch inside SA territory.
29 – Penalty Oz, Boks collapsing maul, Oz lineout 5m out, driving forward…forwards sucking in defenders, still there for Oz, good ruck clearing out, Oz swing down the backs, Boks turn over through Paulse, Pietersen loses the ball and Oz run it back dangerously, Giteau to Gerrard who’s bundled into touch 5m out, Bok lineout.
35 – Wallabies attacking through phases 10m out, Gregan dummies, tackled and knocks forward close to the line. Bok scrum. Hougaard kicks out on the bok 22m. Oz lineout. Not in straight. Bok scrum – Pietersen kicks out on 10m line, Oz swing the ball, Muller offsides. Penalty Oz – Mortlock converts.
37 – Hougaard restarts, Smith takes, Larkham to Giteau. Huxley kicks out 5m inside Bok territory.
39 – Oz attack through phases all the way up to Bok 22m, 9 phase movement ends in a scrum for the Wallabies, hooter goes for half time.
HALF TIME
40 – Boks kick off and Wallabies gather, driving it back, Gregan box kick, P3 takes, Oz steal it back, Mortlock kicks in behind the Boks but Fortuin shepherds it out, Oz lineout.
42 – Full line movement to the right hand side then back to the left stretching the Boks and Stephen Hoiles smashes through to score. TRY AUSTRALIA. Mortlock converts.
44 – Boks driving and making metres up to Oz 22m, knock on Boks. Scrum Oz on their 22m, huge scrum by Boks, pressure ball for Oz, Giteau clears to 10m under pressure.
46 – Drop goal attempt from Hougaard misses to the left.
47 – Paulse gathers from the 22 kickoff, but holds onto the ball. Penalty Oz.
49 – Sneaky kick from Gregan into the corner which comes off Paulse. Oz lineout 10m out from Bok line. P3 off Cronje on. Oz attacking 5m out, Huxley well tackled, ball comes out, Sharpe has a go, stolen by Wikus, Pienaar kicks out on 30m from Bok line.
51 – Skinstad plays ball off his feet, penalty Oz 22m out. Mortlock lines it up…and scores.
53 – Gary Botha yellow-carded for playing the ball on the ground. Boks down to 14 men. Wallaby lineout 10m inside Bok half, they swing the ball, attacking down the blind side, Gregan, Mortlock, Gerrard grubbers, Giteau gathers and crashes over for the try. TRY AUSSIES. Morlock misses the conversion from the touchline.
57 – Oz lineout on Bok 22m line, run the ball down the line, Larkham forward pass to Gerrard.
58 – Boks attack strongly, pick and go, but Oz turns over the ball, Mortlock grubbers into touch on Bok 10m line.
60 – Elsom off, McMenimen on. Bismarck du Plessis comes on for the Boks. Oz turn over Bok lineout on halfway line, through the phase attacks, Oz forward pass, Bok scrum and cleared between Bok 10m and 22m. Skinstad off injured, Botha back on.
63 – Paulse takes a good mark and clears to the halfway line.
64 – Oz attacking on half way, Wikus steals, George Smith penalised for swinging arm tackle and punching CJ van der Linde. Possible citing incident.
66 – Bok forwards on the drive up to Oz 22m, ref playing advantage, penalty Boks on Oz 22m for Oz coming in from the side. Hougaard lines it up…and misses it to the left.
70 – Bok lineout on Oz 22m, vd Berg takes and Boks driving, Bismarck runs into Jannie and it’s Oz ball. Huxley clears. Bok lineout 30m out. vd Berg takes, Hougaard to Botha, driving the ball up, Bismarck playing the ball on the ground. Another turnover to Oz.
74 – Claassens on, Eddie Andrews on. It’s all over for the Boks now. Forward pass from Murray, Oz scrum on half way.
79 – Boks win the ball and run it upfield. Up to Oz 22m, Bismarck tackled and knocks forward. Full time hooter. Australia win.
The Man of the Match: Stephen Hoiles
The Scorers:
Australia:
Tries: Gerrard, Hoiles, Giteau
Conversions: Mortlock (2)
Penalties: Mortlock (2)
South Africa:
Tries: Van Heerden, Paulse
Conversions: Hougaard (2)
Penalty: Hougaard
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