Australia go down in Auckland
New Zealand clinched the 2006 Tri-Nations title courtesy of a tense 34-27 victory over Australia at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday.
The visitors put up a sterling challenge and had the better of their illustrious opponents during the early exchanges. But the All Blacks upped the gears in the second half to notch up their 21st consecutive home win and seventh Tri-Nations title, four of those coming in the last five years.
The results mean that the South African leg of the tournament has been reduced to little more than a victory parade for the all-conquering ABs; the Springboks and Wallabies now must ready themselves to play for that most unpalatable of substances -- pride.
"It's all yours, New Zealand."
Danie Craven said that at Eden Park in 1956. It's true again at Eden Park fifty years later as the All Blacks stood to receive the Blesidloe Cup and the Tri-Nations Cup.
Even with two matches still to play, the All Blacks are the champions of all that is available to them so far in 2006. But it was not easy.
The Wallabies had the champions on the ropes in the first half but then, like true champions, they tightened a little and came back in the second half, winning it 23-7. The All Blacks have the quality of champions and in warding off the Wallabies they had to fight against a physical onslaught.
Physical it was, and enthralling it certainly was as both sides sought to play with the ball in hand. For one thing there was little kicking, in fact just 23 line-outs in the match.
There were many turn-overs, mainly in the first half and mainly in favour of the Wallabies -- 12-6 was the half-time statistic -- as the All Blacks played a risky game which threatened to sink them.
The All Black line-out held up well and the Wallaby scrum, creaky at times, stood up but it was in the area of the tackle that the fierce contest raged with Richie McCaw an obvious target for the Wallabies, especially for Phil Waugh and Rocky Elsom who were not always scrupulous in their methods.
Elsom was particularly prodigal, giving away four penalties and nine points. But Waugh was the one sin-binned late in the game -- for quite calculatedly grabbing Ali Williams when he did not have the ball and was supporting the ball-carrier in a movement which could have led to a try. Lote Tuqiri weighed in with a tackle on McCaw that looked remarkably like a spear tackle. He was not sanctioned, except by the crowd at whom he sneered.
Those were the bad bits of a match that had so much going for it.
The first shot fired in the first half was by Stephen Larkham as he charged straight ahead and made ground from the first line-out after New Zealand had sought to run from his kick-off. Carl Hayman was penalised at the tackle and Stirling Mortlock, who had another giant of a game, goaled the penalty. The Wallabies led 3-0 after two minutes.
Then it was New Zealand's turn to attack. They went right, left and right again till Elsom and Dan Vickerman were penalised for being off-side and Elsom, who had infringed earlier in the movement, earned his first talking-to. Carter goaled. 3-3 after five minutes.
In this half Carter's play was more hesitant than his majestic usual and he missed two kicks he would have been expected to goal.
The All Blacks threatened to go right when McCaw turned a pass inside to Joe Rokocoko but a forward pass destroyed a possible try.
When McCaw looked likely to win a turn-over off Greg Holmes Waugh battered into his face and set the All Black captain's nose bleeding, which troubled him for the rest of the match. But it was McCaw who later gave away a penalty at a tackle that enabled Mortlock to make the score 6-3 after 15 minutes.
New Zealand's line-out was working well though -- evidently reaping the rewards of Robin Brooke's coaching -- and they threatened with their first long maul from the line-out, a tactic which would eventually produce their first try.
When Nathan Sharpe held on, Carter goaled. 6-6 after 20 minutes.
After the Wallabies, with the light wind, had done what the All Blacks did, namely run the ball from their own 22, disaster struck the All Blacks. They had been doing a lot of risky passing but mostly it was at close quarters. Jerry Collins tried doing it far out and long and with his left hand. He floated it high and wide. Tall Lote Tuqiri plucked the ball out of the twilight sky and raced just over 50 metres to score the first of his two tries in the match. Mortlock converted, 13-6 after 26 minutes.
At this stage Carl Hayman left the field injured and was replaced by Greg Somerville. It may come as a surprise to some that the All Black scrum improved with the change and put increasing pressure on the Wallabies, forcing a turn-over through a wheel.
After Carter had missed an easy penalty at Goal when Vickerman was off-side, Elsom was penalised at a tackle and Carter put the ball into touch. The All Blacks, remarkably confident and efficient at lien-outs compared to their previous two Tri-Nations matches, threw deep and mauled some 20 metres to, and then over, the Wallaby line where the television match official confirmed that Jason Eaton's long reach had scored a try. It was the young lock's first Test try. Carter missed the comfortable conversion. 13-11.
The selection of Isaia Toeava had been much debated and it was not a great success as the young man's hands proved fallible. In the second half he was replaced by Leon MacDonald with Mils Muliaina moving to outside centre.
Toeava's second knock-on on the All Black left sent the Wallabies counter-attacking down their left. This led to a line-out in All Black territory. New Zealand tried to run the ball out of their own 22 but Muliaina was turned over and suddenly Mortlock was hammering at their line on his right.
The Wallabies went left on a frantic attack and Elsom managed to stumble past McAlister. Down he turned over and stretched for the line. The referee consulted the television match official. It was a tough decision. Did he lose the ball forward before grounding it? Did the ball spit forward after he had grounded it. eventually the TMO advised that a try had been scored -- a debatable but understandable decision. Mortlock converted and the wallabies led 20-11 at half-time.
The All Blacks were different in the second half. The risky passes were gone, the forwards more physically active, meeting muscle and bone with muscle and bone. Gradually they ate away at the Australian lead.
Two penalties for off-side took the score to 20-17 after 50 minutes but then the Wallabies attacked for the first time in the half, as Tuqiri grabbed the ball at a knock-back from the kick-off. They won an attacking scrum and Wycliff Palu had a good moment when he charged. But he followed this with a bad moment when he knocked on and New Zealand was relieved.
Substitutions were happening now -- Piri Weepu for Byron Kelleher who had suffered erratic ball in the first half, Ali Williams for Eaton, and a few others. Waugh and Mortlock were replaced for bleeding.
Rokocoko had a great moment when he caught a kick and started at counter-attack from well inside his own half. Weepu went for the line in a battering attack but lost the ball forward over it.
The All Blacks created space for Doug Howlett who came back inside. Weepu went blind and gave the ball away with an attempted grubber. The Wallabies cleared but there was lock Williams waiting back for the ball. He countered with power down the right and from there the ball went far left where Muliaina straightened brilliantly to give lock Chris Jack and easy run-in for a try -started by lock, finished by lock, both in "funny" positions. Cater converted. 24-20. The All Blacks were ahead for the first time with 17 minutes to play.
They went even further ahead four minutes later with a present of a try. Larkham, who had grown quieter as the match progressed, got good ball from a scrum and moved to his right. Suddenly Carter was up on him, and Larkham spilled the ball in the tackle into the eager arms of McAlister who was just inside his half of the field. The burly inside centre pumped his powerful thighs down the field for a try which delighted him. Carter converted. 31-20.
Mat Rogers replaced Larkham who was playing his 90th match for Australia.
At this stage it looked as if the All Blacks were cruising to a big victory. After all they had scored 20 points to nil in the half, but the Wallabies were proud and determined.
With eight minutes to go they scored a wonderful try as far out Matt Giteau got the ball going right and then slid a long grubber in behind the All Blacks to his left. there was not an All Black soul in the big empty box and Tuqiri raced after the ball. It sprang benignly for him and he stretched out and scored as Howlett clung to him from behind. Mortlock converted. 31-27 with eight minutes to play.
At this stage the Wallabies were rejuvenated and victory was not unlikely. Mark Chisholm, on for Elsom, had a great charge but then Chris Masoe, on for Rodney So'oialo, won a turn-over off Clyde Rathbone and the All Blacks made attack out of defence. Waugh was cynical in grabbing Williams. The referee and the touch judged conferred and bloodied Waugh left for the sinner's chair. Carter kicked the penalty.
There was just time for the kick-off, which Chris Jack won and bashed the last nail in the Wallaby coffin with a great left-footed kick down the touch-line.
Man of the match: There were some great performances. Veterans Chris Latham and Stirling Mortlock were magnificent for Australia as was industrious Lote Tuqiri apart from that bad moment with Richie McCaw and his puerile reaction to it. For the All Blacks Mils Muliaina was full of constructive endeavour and, of course, Richie McCaw was a telling factor. If opponents have to go to so much trouble to contain one man, he is doing a great job. Keven Mealamu was as lively as ever, and Joe Rokocoko was superb on and off his wing. But our Man of the Match is inside centre Luke McAlister who was so effective in all departments of the game.
Moment of the Match: There was something special about all the tries but the most special of them all for the vision and skill was Lote Tuqiri's second try, the one off Matt Giteau's perfect grubber.
Villain of the Match: It will be interesting to see what happens to Lote Tuqiri and Phil Waugh if the citing commissioner decides on activity. But for the time being Phil Waugh is the official villain for his well-deserved yellow card.
The scorers:
For New Zealand:
Tries: Eaton, Jack, McAlister
Cons: Carter 2
Pens: Carter 4
For Australia:
Tries: Tuqiri 2, Elsom
Cons: Mortlock 3
Pens: Mortlock 2
Yellow card(s): Waugh (Australia) -- holding back the attacking player (77).
The teams:
New Zealand: 15 Malili Muliaina, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Greg Somerville, 18 Ali Williams, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Sam Tuitupou, 22 Leon MacDonald.
Australia: 15 Chris Latham, 14 Clyde Rathbone, 13 Stirling Mortlock (vice-captain), 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan (captain), 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman (vice-captain), 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 Jeremy Paul, 1 Greg Holmes.
Replacements: 16 Tai McIsaac, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 George Smith, 20 Brett Sheehan, 21 Mark Gerrard, 22 Mat Rogers.
Referee: Chris White (England)
Touch judges: Mark Lawrence, Craig Joubert (both South Africa)
Television match official: Willie Roos (South Africa)
Assessor: Bob Francis (New Zealand)
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