Ireland battle past Samoa

Ronan O'Gara scored fifteen points, including a try, as Ireland battled their way to a 20-10 win over Samoa in Dublin on Saturday.

Ireland ended their six-match losing streak but will remain deeply concerned by their deteriorating form after struggling to dispatch the visitors.

It was not until his O'Gara's 66th-minute try that the Irish, who entered the match as much as 1/66 favourites, took control.

Number eight Jamie Heaslip crossed in the first half to help them into a 10-0 lead that was pegged back by a touch down from winger Alesana Tuilagi.

Facing their weakest opposition of the autumn and a team ranked outside the world's top ten, they toiled woefully in the third quarter.

Had Samoa made better use of their enormous superiority in possession and territory, Declan Kidney's side would surely have been facing a second defeat of the month.

The Irish scrum, anchored by props John Hayes and Tom Court, were overwhelmed in a department where they were supposed to have the ascendancy.

It was only when Cian Healy and Rory Best came on that the set-piece was sured up and it was this change in fortunes that preceded O'Gara's try.

But the result fails to mask the fact that less than a year from the World Cup Ireland have significant problems that must be urgently addressed by Kidney.

Samoa, containing nine players from the Aviva Premiership and French Top 14, looked more dangerous when they abandoned the structured gameplan that blunted their attacking instincts and will view this as a missed opportunity.

The Pacific Cup holders' Haka was greeted by only a 30,955 crowd at Aviva Stadium with pre-match fears of another low attendance proving correct.

And the likelihood of many of the crowd returning looks bleak after another poor spectacle at Lansdowne Road, which was swept with rain all afternoon.

O'Gara settled Irish nerves with a penalty moments into the game but it was due to sound defence from Tommy Bowe that their lead was not immediately overturned.

A fine tackle saw Bowe fell Tuilagi as the Leicester winger charged for the left corner, thwarting a strong attack from Samoa.

Brian O'Driscoll ran down several blind alleys before knocking on, victim of some typically robust tackling from the South Sea Islanders.

It was a competitive, finely-balanced opening quarter that was lit up when Ireland broke from their 22 through side-stepping full-back Luke Fitzgerald only to eventually run out of options in support.

Their tails up, the Irish renewed the assault through their pack and were rewarded when a series of pick and goes concluded with Heaslip driving over.  O'Gara converted.

Samoa's response was emphatic with a second penalty against prop Tom Court at a scrum enabling them to set up a superb field position.

A great pick up by fly-half Tasesa Lavea and rapid hands from Seilala Mapusua released Tuilagi, who came marauding off his wing to cross under the posts with Lavea converting.

Ireland's problems at the scrum continued, a five-metre attacking platform ending when referee Keith Brown decided Hayes was guilty of collapsing.

With five minutes of the half remaining Ireland worked their way back into the opposition 22 and, spying acres of space on the left, O'Gara expertly changed the points of attack but ruined his quick thinking with a stray pass to Paddy Wallace.

Samoa lacked urgency at times with their poor kicking foiling attempts to break from their 22.

The start of the second half saw some anxious moments for Ireland as Samoa probed close to their line.

The constant drizzle had made the ball slippery and this undermined the tourists on two occasions, the second seeing openside Manaia Salavea spill forward when 10 metres from the line.

But now it was Ireland who could not escape their 22 with their backpedalling scrum causing almighty problems.

O'Driscoll eventually cleared the ball but Samoa were soon back on the offensive, ignoring one clear overlap before reducing the deficit to 13-10 with Lavea's first penalty.

Any time Ireland attempted to build some momentum, they were met by a brick wall that more often than not sent them hurtling backwards.

Winger David Lemi was lucky to escape punishment for an elbow on Stephen Ferris after Samoa had been shoved backwards at a scrum.

For all their possession, Samoa were struggling to trouble the scoreboard, and this time when Ireland escaped their 22 they struck.

A quickly-taken free kick saw Stringer pass to O'Gara, who jinked his way over the line in the 66th minute before improving his own try.

The fight had all but drained out of Samoa, who sensed their moment had passed, but the South Sea Islanders' pride prevented Ireland from scoring again.

The scorers:

For Ireland:
Tries:  Heaslip, O'Gara
Cons:  O'Gara 2
Pens:  O'Gara 2

For Samoa:
Try:  Tuilagi
Con:  Williams
Pen:  Williams

Ireland:  15 Luke Fitzgerald, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (capt), 12 Paddy Wallace, 11 Andrew Trimble, 10 Ronan O'Gara, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Sean O'Brien, 6 Denis Leamy, 5 Devin Toner, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 John Hayes, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements:  16 Rory Best, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Donnacha Ryan, 19 Stephen Ferris, 20 Isaac Boss, 21 Jonathan Sexton, 22 Keith Earls.

Samoa:  15 Paul Williams, 14 David Lemi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Seilala Mapusua, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Tasesa Lavea, 9 Kahn Fotualii, 8 George Stowers, 7 Manaia Salavea, 6 Ofisa Trevarinus, 5 Kane Thompsen, 4 Filipo Lavea Levi, 3 Anthony Perenise, 2 Mahonri Schwalger (capt), 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements:  16 Tii Paulo, 17 Simon Lemalu, 18 Iosefa Tekori, 19 Afa Aiono, 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Gavin Williams, 22 Jamie Helleur.

Referee:  Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Assistant referees:  Jérôme Garces (France), Neil Paterson
Television match official:  Geoff Warren (England)

Canada open Euro tour with a win

Canada beat Belgium 43-12 at the Stade Roi Baudouin on a wet day in Brussels to open their four-match European tour.

Certainly the conditions were heavy, with a steady drizzle and muddy pitch conspiring to slow quick movements down and put the onus on the set piece and control in the forwards to open the match.

This was in evidence as the front row combined for three first-half tries as hooker and captain Pat Riordan touched down twice, while prop Tom Dolezel got his first test try.

Canada coach Kieran Crowley said after the match that despite the final scoreline, the match had its moments.

''They scored to finish of the first half and then opened the second half with a score, so that put us under some pressure,'' he said.

''But in the last fifteen minutes we pulled away.''

Indeed -- having a fresh Ander Monro come onto the field after Nathan Hirayama's shoulder popped out of place, managed to generate 12 second half points as he scored a try, penalty and two conversions.

The game was the debut start for 18-year-old Taylor Paris, who usurps Gareth Rees' Test debut record of age 19, by nearly a year.  The speedy wing did not make it onto the score sheet, but he did well for his first senior start.

Scrum-half Sean White also scored -- and fly-half Nathan Hirayama had three of four conversions for six points for the 26-5 half-time lead.  In the second half, wing Sean Duke and Monro scored a try each, with Monro converting his own score and also adding a penalty, in front of nearly 5,000 fans at Stade Roi Baudouin.

Hirayama will now be out for the remainder of the tour with the shoulder injury, while number eight Jeremy Kyne came off with a hamstring pull that will keep him off the pitch for around 10 days.

Canada moves to the warmer climes of Madrid for a first ever Test against Spain on Saturday.

Springboks rumble to victory in Dublin

South Africa survived a late comeback from Ireland to record their first victory on Irish soil in ten years, winning 23-21 at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

There have been a few comments regarding ''traditional'' Test match rugby of late and the purists wouldn't have been disappointed in Dublin.

A late conversion from Ronan O'Gara bounced off an upright to deny Ireland a draw that had seemed unlikely only a few minutes earlier after South Africa had controlled the game from the outset.

In soaking wet conditions, the set piece was always going to be primordial and the Springboks' dominance in both the scrums and line-outs laid the platform for victory.

With a few familiar faces missing from the Bok back-line, the visitors probably welcomed the rain as it allowed their experienced pack to rule the roost.

The hosts weren't doing themselves any favours though -- crooked throw-ins, early engagements and fumbled passes became all too frequent under the pressure from the tourists.

Ireland did enough however to remain in contact and a purple patch in the final quarter brought them within inches of grabbing a share of the spoils as the Boks switched off.

With expansive play not advisable, South Africa's ball retention in the tight stuff was key to the outcome and few can deny the right team came out on top.

The hosts could hardly get their hands on the ball in the first quarter and South Africa's 10-0 lead after seventeen minutes was a fair reflection of the early proceedings.

An Irish fumble under pressure at a line-out allowed Juan Smith to latch onto the loose ball and gallop 50m for the game's first try to add to Morné Steyn's early penalty.

Jonathan Sexton got Ireland on the board from the tee just before the half-hour mark but the men in green had hardly threatened the South African try-line.

The respective fly-halves exchanged penalties with Sexton adding his second just before the break to send the teams to the changing rooms at 13-6 to the South Africans.

A change of shirts for Ireland at half-time didn't change the complexion of the match and Steyn was allowed to extend the lead with half-an-hour left on the clock.

Sexton replied a few minutes later to keep the home side in touch going into the final quarter.

A number of eyebrows were raised when Springboks coach Peter de Villiers replaced Steyn with 20-year-old Patrick Lambie.  The young Shark missed a sitter with his first attempt at goal and will be a relieved man that O'Gara couldn't find the target at the death.

The killer blow seemed to have been dealt with fifteen minutes to play when Gio Aplon cut inside off his wing to take a switch pass from Zane Kirchner and cruise home untouched.

Ireland hadn't played their last card however.

Replacement pivot O'Gara's cross-field kick found Tommy Bowe out wide and the winger raced home to set up a grandstand finish.

Ireland finally sparked into life and their best spell of the game saw Rob Kearney at the end of a long pass (that was almost intercepted by Aplon) to score in the corner.

One can't blame O'Gara from missing a difficult conversion and his wry smile told the tail of a disappointing evening for Ireland.

Man of the match:  Hats off the South African pack.  Victor Matfield was supreme in the line-outs, but we'll go for Juan Smith -- not just for his try, but for carrying the ball like a gladiator and tackling like a machine.

Moment of the match:  Ireland were hanging on until Aplon's try gave the visitors a fourteen-point lead.  In the final reckoning it proved decisive but also sparked a revival from the hosts that produced the most exciting period of the match.

Villain of the match:  What a shame this thrilling Test was to see so many empty seats in such a magnificent stadium.  Whoever came up with IRFU's ticketing strategy got it horribly wrong!

The scorers:

For Ireland:
Tries:  Bowe, Kearney
Con:  O'Gara
Pens:  Sexton 3

For South Africa:
Tries:  Smith, Aplon
Cons:  Steyn, Lambie
Pens:  Steyn 3

Ireland:  15 Rob Kearney, 14 Tommy Bowe, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Gordon D'Arcy, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Jonathan Sexton, 9 Eoin Reddan, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 David Wallace, 6 Stephen Ferris, 5 Mick O'Driscoll, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Tony Buckley, 2 Rory Best, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements:  16 Sean Cronin, 17 Tom Court, 18 Donncha Ryan, 19 Denis Leamy, 20 Peter Stringer, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Keith Earls.

South Africa:  15 Gio Aplon, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Zane Kirchner, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Keegan Daniel, 20 François Hougaard, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Patrick Lambie.

Venue:  Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Referee:  Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees:  Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Keith Brown (New Zealand)
TMO:  Hugh Watkins (Wales)

All Blacks back on horse at Twickers

New Zealand managed to survive a spirited second-half fightback from England as they recorded a 26-16 victory at Twickenham on Saturday.

It really was a game of two halves in London, the visitors enjoying a great deal of ball in the first 40 before England upped their game in the second.

But tries from Hosea Gear and Kieran Read along with Dan Carter's sixteen points saw them edge their hosts, who will be encouraged by their effort.

England were adventurous and can head into next week's clash against Australia with greater belief, with New Zealand having been on the rack.

As expected, the All Blacks did come out swinging following events in Hong Kong and quickly set about putting England under some sustained pressure.  Gear, Ma'a Nonu and Read were leading the fight, with the Hurricanes wing starring in the first period.  He would later be rewarded.

But despite their early dominance, New Zealand would in fact be forced to wait until the seventeenth minute for the breakthrough.  And as they were in the English capital, it was the old bus scenario as two quick-fire scores soon arrived.  First it was Gear who managed to squeeze his way over wide out after TMO backing and then a driving finish from Read came in between conversions from the calm Carter.

England were clearly rattled and did muster some sort of pressure on the visitors' line.  But it was hardly penetrable as a lack of incision seemed worrying for the home fans.  One area that did bear fruit however, was the scrum as Dan Cole went well against Tony Woodcock.

Mike Ford had this week said that the Tri-Nations did not live up to proper Test rugby and he was eating his words early on.  Cole, Andrew Sheridan and Steve Thompson were getting the better of their front-row opponents but it was in back-play that the Kiwis had the edge.

Carter missed a tenth-minute penalty before debutant Sonny Bill Williams showed his running strength to slip through the English midfield and feed Gear.  Carter did not miss the touchline conversion though to make it 7-0.

Read then capitalised on some weak fringe defence and burrowed his way over, with the extra two points making things look ominous for England.

But fly-half Flood was starting to put his side in the right areas and his three points on 25 minutes was a boost.  However, it was soon cancelled out when Lewis Moody infringed to allow Carter to add three more points for New Zealand.

After taking a hammering for the best part of 35 minutes, England finished the half promisingly although ultimately they had nothing to show for it.

The hosts' dominance of New Zealand's scrum grew in the second-half and Flood slotted a second penalty but Carter again responded immediately after Thompson had been penalised for hands in the ruck.  Dylan Hartley came on and made an immediate impact, scoring his first Test try to bring England back into the game just before the hour.

England had momentum but kept shooting themselves in the foot, allowing Carter to strike two penalties either side of one from Flood that kept the All Blacks two scores clear.

Martin Johnson's charges then spent the last fifteen minutes camped in New Zealand territory and Jerome Kaino was sin-binned as the pressure began to tell.

Easter charged forward and England spread play wide left to Hape, who dived for the line but spilled the ball under pressure from Isaia Toeava as the All Blacks held on for the win.

Man of the match:  Call him old fashioned or one dimensional, but Nick Easter put in the hard graft for England and just beats Dan Carter to the gong.

Moment of the match:  Italian television match official Giulio De Santis awarding New Zealand their first try after one angle showed Hosea Gear having a foot in touch.

Villain of the match:  A few grapples and one forearm from Dylan Hartley but all in all no one stood out for the award.  Mike Ford was up there until England's second-half performance.

The scorers:

For England:
Try:  Hartley
Con:  Flood
Pen:  Flood 3

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Gear, Read
Con:  Carter 2
Pen:  Carter 4

England:  15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Shontayne Hape, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Lewis Moody (capt), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Tom Palmer, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements:  16 Dylan Harltey, 17 David Wilson, 18 David Attwood, 19 Hendrie Fourie, 20 Danny Care, 21 Charlie Hodgson, 22 Delon Armitage.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Sonny Bill Williams, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (capt), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Hika Elliot, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Liam Messam, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.

Referee:  Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees:  Stuart Dickinson (Australia), David Changleng (Scotland)
Television match official:  Giulio De Santis (Italy)

Wallabies take the spoils in Cardiff

It wasn't anything to shout home about, but Australia got the job done at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff after beating Wales 25-16 on Saturday.

The Wallabies were a far cry from the team that humbled the mighty All Blacks a week ago, but made the most of their opportunities to record back-to-back wins on the road.

Australia outscored their hosts three tries to one -- David Pocock, Kurtley Beale and Ben Alexander all touching down for the Wallabies who produced some dazzling running rugby at times in Cardiff.

However, their scrummaging left plenty to be desired as they were repeatedly overpowered and outmanoeuvred by the Welsh pack.

Wales, though, could not turn that forward dominance into points and had just a converted Richie Rees try and three Stephen Jones penlaties to show for their efforts as Australia ran out worthy winners.

Wales got off to the perfect start and were in front as early as the second minute, after forcing a turnover from the kick-off which then led to three points for Stephen Jones courtesy of hooker Saia Fainga'a strolling offsides.

Australia responded in the best possible way with the simplest of tries to David Pocock, who took advantage of a lack of Welsh defenders to dive over from close range beside the posts.

It was a rather comical error from the hosts, who had used the majority of their resources to fish out what they thought was turnover ball from a ruck, before Will Genia popped up with ball in hand to put Pocock over for the score.

James O'Connor added the extras from bang in front and the Wallabies stole the lead with seven minutes gone on the clock.  Stephen Jones had a chance to close the gap, but pulled his second penalty attempt wide.

The Welsh pivot's third, however, sailed through the uprights which cut Australia's lead to a single point with nine minutes of the first half remaining.

O'Connor then failed to raise the flags with his first penalty shot of the match, before lock Nathan Sharpe was denied a try by some extraordinary defence by Wales on their line.

A hack upfield from centre Tom Shanklin relieved the pressure and gave Wales some much-needed territory inside Australia's scoring zone.

The hosts had a chance to end the half in the same manner they started, but Stephen Jones was unsuccessful once again -- a miss that cost Wales a certain lead at the break.  Instead, the Wallabies headed into the half-time sheds 7-6 up and well aware they had a game on their hands.

However, Wales' tight grip on their southern hemisphere rivals was loosened slightly in the second half following a second try to the Wallabies.

A Quade Cooper grubber came flying back into Kurtely Beales' hands like a boomerang after rebounding off a Welsh player's knee, which allowed the Wallaby full-back to run around prop Gethin Jenkins and put O'Connor away down the touchline.

With one man to beat, O'Connor swung the ball inside to the supporting Beale who finished off with an easy run-in that stretched Australia's lead to eight points following O'Connor's conversion.

Down but not out, Wales kept themselves in with a shout after Stephen Jones found his target to take the scores to 14-9.  Though it seemed whenever the home side threatened any resemblance of a comeback, Australia replied by scoring a try as Ben Alexander crossed the whitewash next -- the prop's first for his country.

Beale almost scored a brilliant individual second try as he beat Mike Phillips to a high ball before sending a cheeky kick around James Hook, but the marauding full-back could not quite collect and touch down under pressure from the retreating Hook.

Minutes later, Tom Shanklin tackled Pocock without the ball when a try was on and was sent to the sin bin.  O'Connor kicked the ensuing penalty to make it 22-9 in favour of the Wallabies.

Wales, though, remained competitive even with 14 men thanks to their pack, which won two scrum penalities five metres out from Australia's tryline.  When the teams scrummed for the third time in as many minutes, the ball popped out the back and replacement scrum-half Richie Rees scored a try that gave the hosts hope.

However, that was shortlived as a 72-minute penalty from O'Connor secured the result for the Wallabies, who lost the scrum battle but won the war.

Man of the match:  Without a doubt, Kurtley Beale who was the inspiration behind Australia's win.

Moment of the match:  There weren't many, but Beale's try certainly was a crucial score to open the second half, and kept Australia in the driving seat.

Villain of the match:  Poor Tom Shanklin, he comitted himself to the tackle ... but was perhaps a wee bit too enthusiastic.  Guilty as charged.

The scorers:

For Wales:
Tries:  R Rees
Cons:  Biggar
Pens:  S Jones 3

For Australia:
Tries:  Pocock, Beale, Alexander
Cons:  O'Connor 2
Pens:  O'Connor 2

Wales:  15 James Hook, 14 Will Harries, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Andrew Bishop, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Jonathan Thomas, 7 Sam Warburton, 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Alun-Wyn Jones, 4 Brad Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees (c), 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements:  16 Huw Bennett, 17 Paul James, 18 Deiniol Jones, 19 Martyn Williams, 20 Richie Rees, 21 Dan Biggar, 22 Chris Czekaj.

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 1o Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Lachie Turner.

Referee:  Wayne Barnes (England)

Last-gasp Wallabies prevail in HK

Australia finally ended their 10-game losing streak to New Zealand by beating their trans-Tasman rivals 26-24 in a thrilling Test spectacle in Hong Kong on Saturday.

It took an injury-time conversion by Wallaby wing James O'Connor to win the match for his team after leveling the scores with a last-gasp try in the corner.

O'Connor held his nerve to end Australia's miserable run against New Zealand as the man of the moment converted to seal a dramatic Bledisloe Cup victory at Hong Kong Stadium.

Another All Blacks victory seemed a sure thing after the Kiwis had thwarted a previous Wallaby attack just seconds earlier.  However replacement fly-half Stephen Donald failed to find touch with his clearance kick.  But trailing 24-19 with the final hooter having sounded, Australia managed to keep the ball alive through several phases of play before O'Connor crashed over the line.

As expected, the game was played at a frenetic pace from start to finish with both sides giving the dispersed crowd excellent value for their money.  What a shame a high-quality Test match such as this, couldn't be witnessed by a sold-out stadium.

Australia made much the better start and Kurtley Beale had two chances to give them an early lead following New Zealand infringements but the full-back was off target with penalties from almost identical positions on the right hand side.

The Wallabies continued to pressure the New Zealand line and after a couple of half-breaks came to nothing with passes not sticking, they finally took the lead in the eighth minute when the ball was moved out to Quade Cooper on the left and the fly-half's angled run took him over in the corner, although Matt Giteau missed the conversion.

Mils Muliania was on hand to tidy up Will Genia's dangerous grubber kick in the in-goal area before New Zealand began to gain a foothold in the contest and Dan Carter wasted two opportunities to reduce the arrears, his first penalty hitting the left upright and the second drifting wide.

Australia extended their advantage to 12-0 in the 22nd minute when following a lineout, Adam Ashley-Cooper broke a tackle in midfield to burst clear and score under the posts with Giteau adding the extras.

That stirred the All Blacks into life and they came close to their opening try when Kieran Reid flung the ball out to Keven Mealamu on the left wing after the number eight's strong run was halted five metres out by desperate Australian defence but Mealamu was held up over the line.

They finally got on the scoreboard on the half-hour mark.  Jimmy Cowan picked up from the base of a ruck after Jerome Kaino had gained good ground and the scrum-half darted over with Carter adding the conversion.

New Zealand took the lead three minutes later as the ball was moved out to Read on the right and his short pass afforded Corey Jane the space for the winger to barge over the line from inside the 22 with Carter again adding the two points.

Giteau then struck another penalty off target but Carter made no such mistake, slotting over from 45 metres to give his side a 17-12 half-time lead.

Australia began the second period with plenty of attacking intent and skipper Rocky Elsom was just unable to get the ball down after forcing his way over.

Giteau missed another penalty before New Zealand extended their lead to 12 points in the 53rd minute.

Richie McCaw's fantastic break down the right was the catalyst, the skipper shrugging off a couple of defenders to gain valuable yards before he was eventually hauled down.  The ball was recycled out to Ma'a Nonu and the centre was able to use his strength to touch down, Carter succeeding with the subsequent conversion.

Australia hit back just after the hour mark as Beale's incisive run ended with the full-back off-loading to Drew Mitchell and he powered in at the corner.  O'Connor reduced the deficit to five points with a fine conversion from the left touchline.

O'Connor then could not haul in Berrick Barnes' pass with New Zealand stretched following the substitute's break before Carter missed another penalty with four minutes to go.

Australia continued to press for the try they needed and having kept the ball alive following the final hooter, O'Connor managed to force his way over the line from close in before kicking the winning conversion.

Man of the match:  James O'Connor's heroics can't be ignored, but flanker David Pocock was the Wallabies' best player.  However our vote goes to the losing All Black team's loose trio of Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read -- all three were devastating on attack, rock solid in defence and provided a constant and invaluable source of possession from breakdown turnovers

Moment of the match:  Do we even need to say it?  In case you missed it -- James O'Connor's unerring conversion to win the Test match for Australia.

Villain of the match:  Stephen Donald isn't going to get many Christmas cards after first missing a penalty kick in the 75th minute which would have given the All Blacks a comfortable eight-point advantage.  Then he missed touch with a clearing kick moments from the end which led to a turnover and O'Connor's winning try.

The scorers:

For Australia:
Tries:  Cooper, Ashley-Cooper, Mitchell, O'Connor
Cons:  Giteau, O'Connor 2

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Cowan, Jane, Nonu
Cons:  Carter 3
Pens:  Carter

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Saia Faingaa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Lachie Turner.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Hika Elliot, 17 John Afoa, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.

Referee:  Alain Rolland (Ireland)

All Blacks end Tri-Nations unbeaten

Another Wallaby second-half meltdown handed New Zealand their tenth straight win over Australia on Saturday as they won 23-22 in Sydney.

After being on top for the best part of 65 minutes, Australia saw their 22-9 lead disappear in the final fifteen minutes as Richie McCaw's men turned on the class when it mattered most.

The result also means New Zealand extend their winning run in all Tests to fourteen.

What a game!  This is now rugby should be played.

As expected, both teams arrived with an attacking mindset and were keen to keep the ball alive and in hand.  Yet some sterling defensive work saw the protagonists all-square on two tries each at the final whistle.

Australia's 14-6 half-time lead was a fair reflection of a high-paced first 40 minutes.  Each side had been denied a try by mere inches and one mistake by Victor Vito was enough to allow the hosts to cross the whitewash first.

But the Wallabies were consistently half a second ahead of their visitors at point of contact, forcing the All Blacks to leak a couple of penalties.  David Pocock was once again the main instigator of the damage at the breakdown.

The truth be told, Australia could easily have been further ahead as Matt Giteau had left eight points behind (and another two in the second half) with an inconsistent performance from the kicking tee.

It was all going to plan for the men in gold, who looked to have the result wrapped up as they entered the final straight.

Was it fatigue from the long trip back from South Africa?  Burnout after three Tests in as many weeks?  Lack of conditioning?  Whatever it was, the hosts simply weren't the same side in the final quarter as the All Blacks' old tactic of turning up the heat at the death worked once again.

The Wallabies first try came from rare attack from the base of the scrum as Ben McCalman broke off, sent Vito the wrong way and found James O'Connor in aches of space on the blindside.  The fresh-faced wing's speed did the rest to give the Aussies an 8-6 lead on the quarter-hour mark.

Australia took a commanding 19-6 lead when a long pass out wide from Will Genia found Adam Ashley-Cooper, who powered his way over soon after the restart.

Piri Weepu's third penalty with half-an-hour left gave their All Blacks their first points in over 40 minutes to reduce the gap to ten.

Giteau's fourth miss prompted him to hand over the kicking duties to Kurtley Beale, who extended the hosts' lead at 22-9 going into the final quarter.

But it was all New Zealand in the run-in.  Robbie Deans lost all colour in his face as his side were unable to get their hands on the ball.

The All Black pack was suddenly a step ahead in the loose and their domination at scrum time finally paid dividends when McCaw broke down the blindside to cross the try-line unhindered.

Unlike Giteau, Weepu was able to add the extra points, giving the visitors sniff of victory.

When Kieran Read muscled his way over with six minutes left on the clock, it all took on a familiar air as the All Blacks' composure was contrasted by the dejected look on the Wallabies' faces.

Weepu's second conversion put his team ahead for good with six minutes left to play.  The rest is history.

Man of the match:  For 60 minutes we had David Pocock's name pencilled in.  Israel Dagg and Kieran Read deserve a mention, but on the day he became the All Blacks' most capped skipper, Richie McCaw gets our nod.  Not just for his try and tireless work, but for the fact that when he is at the helm, no matter what the scoreline, you can never count the Kiwis out.

Moment of the match:  It was almost in the bag until, the in the 67th minute, the Wallaby scrum went backwards (again).  It gave McCaw that half-second head start he needed to evade Rocky Elsom and break clear to score.

Villain of the match:  Nothing nasty worth reporting.  We witnessed an 80-minute advertisement for the game.

The scorers

For Australia:
Tries:  O'Connor, Ashley-Cooper
Pens:  Giteau 3, Beale

For New Zealand:
Tries:  McCaw, Read
Cons:  Weepu 2
Pens:  Weepu3

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lachie Turner, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Huia Edmonds, 17 James Slipper, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 21 Anthony Fainga'a.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Israel Dagg, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Victor Vito, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Jerome Kaino, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Colin Slade, 22 Rene Ranger.

Venue:  ANZ Stadium, Sydney
Weather:  15°C.  Clear.  Almost windless
Referee:  Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees:  Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Christie du Preez (South Africa)
Television match officials:Matt Goddard (Australia)

Beale wins it for Wallabies

Australia full-back Kurtley Beale kicked a 50m penalty in injury time to beat South Africa 41-39 in a dramatic Tri-Nations battle in Bloemfontein.

The last-gasp victory allowed the Wallabies to break a 47-year losing streak on the Highveld that goes all the way back to 1963, and will now finish the tournament in second place -- avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon.

Not even 38,000 booing South Africans could deter Beale in the dying seconds of the match, as the man of the moment showed some deep steel by nailing the match-winning penalty from a difficult angle on the halfway line.

The raised flags behind the posts consigned the Springboks to their fifth defeat of a forgettable 2010 campaign, completing their spiralling journey to rock bottom.  Since the start of this year's tournament, they've surrendered the Tri-Nations title, the Freedom Cup, and now the Mandela Plate.

Australia haven't won in Bloemfontein since 1933 but came perilously close to ending second best for the second time in two weeks after dominating the opening quarter, but then -- like a bad case of deja vu -- let the Springboks battle all the way back to lead in the second half.

The world champions looked down and out shortly before half-time when they trailed 31-6, but a moment of inspiration from vice-captain Victor Matfield reinvigorated the hosts after he set up Jaque Fourie to score.

Further tries from Gurthro Steenkamp and Jean de Villiers added to a match haul of 24 points for Morne Steyn, helped edge the Boks in front with 90 seconds left to play.  But unbelievably, the hosts conceded a penalty in the final minute, and Australia captain Rocky Elsom asked Beale to have a crack for the unlikely win.

Australia were gifted an early three points when Bryan Habana was punished for not releasing and Matt Giteau easily slotted over the opening points.

Steyn responded for the hosts after Beale's illegal attempt to steal the ball, but the Waratahs star made amends almost instantly.  Jean de Villiers failed to hold his position, which allowed James O'Connor to send his team-mate away for the opening try after eight minutes.

Giteau added the extras, before another Springbok error, this time surprisingly at the line-out, led to another seven-pointer for Australia.  John Smit's put-in was too long enabling the Wallabies to steal the ball and spread it quickly through the hands to Adam Ashley-Cooper, whose pass sent O'Connor over.

The conversion by Giteau followed, and after Steyn put over another penalty, Stephen Moore crossed for his third Test try, set up by Drew Mitchell's break through the middle.

Australia added a bonus point-try after 24 minutes, but again had Habana to thank after the winger missed his tackle on O'Connor, who sliced through the centre and off-loaded to Elsom to score.

Giteau extended the lead to 31-6 and the score looked to be remaining that way heading into the half-time break, until the moment of genius from Matfield.

The veteran lock, who won his 100th cap last week, chipped the ball over the last defender and impressively regathered before laying the ball on for Fourie to score.

Steyn converted to leave Peter de Villiers' side trailing by 18 at the break.

Steenkamp cut that gap by five six minutes after the restart when he powered his way over and the conversion along with a penalty from Steyn further boosted the visibly rejuvenated hosts.

The upward swing in momentum gathered even more pace after 54 minutes when Jean de Villiers' angled run cut right through the Australia defence and saw the Stormers centre cross under the post.

It was a move that came from an initial Beale error and then a strong South Africa scrum.

The comeback was complete on the hour mark when a mammoth 50 metre penalty from Steyn put the home side ahead for the first time.  And Australia's woes deepened 10 minutes later when replacement hooker Saia Faingaa was sent to the sin-bin after a spear tackle on Flip van der Merwe.

Steyn extended the lead to five points, but there was another twist when Mitchell crossed under the posts with eight minutes to play and O'Connor handed the lead back to the tourists with a clean conversion.

But an error from Beale four minutes from time presented Steyn with his ninth opportunity at goal and he maintained his 100 per cent record by putting his side back ahead.

However, Beale had the final say to condemn South Africa to bottom place in the standings after a disappointing defence of their 2009 title.

Man of the match:  Could it be anyone else besides that Un-Beale-lievable last-gasp penalty kick for Australia?

Moment of the match:  Victor Matfield's individual brilliance in setting up South Africa's first try was simply spectacular, but it goes without saying that this match will be remembered for that kick from Beale.

Villain of the match:  Saia Faingaa's moment of madness that ended with Flip van der Merwe on his head in the 69th minute.  Steyn kicked the ensuing penalty and the Wallabies faced the impossible task of closing the gap with only 14 men.

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Tries:  Fourie, Steenkamp, De Villiers
Pens:  M Steyn 6
Cons:  M Steyn 3

For Australia:
Tries:  Beale, O'Connor, Moore, Elsom, Mitchell
Cons:  Giteau 5, O'Connor
Pen:  Giteau, Beale

South Africa:  15 Francois Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ricky Januarie , 21 Juan de Jongh, 22 Gio Aplon.

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Anthony Fainga'a.

Referee:  Wayne Barnes (England)

Springboks win Loftus epic

South Africa salvaged some pride in Pretoria thanks to a thrilling 44-31 Tri-Nations win over Australia, a Test that will go down as one of the classics.

Nine scintillating tries were scored at Loftus Versfeld in a fast and furious encounter -- five of them coming from the Springboks -- but the one that counted the most belonged to JP Pietersen who sealed the deal in the last minute of play.

The result brought South Africa's four-game losing streak to an end in emphatic fashion, and moves the Springboks one point above the Wallabies on the tournament standings.

The bonus-point win also allowed vice-captain Victor Matfield to enjoy a triumphant 100th Test on his home ground -- the first of the three Bok centurions to have this satisfaction.

With New Zealand having already clinched the Tri-Nations title last week, the best both sides could aim for was second place in the remaining games.  But while the competition may be over as a contest, the hunger to win is still very much alive as witnessed in the Republic tonight.

South Africa were 14-0 behind after five minutes and trailed 28-24 at the break, but came back well in the second half.  However, as memorable as the breathless battle was, the defensive performances from both sides was one of the most inept in Tri-Nations history.

The Springboks were certainly the worse of the two for much of the contest, conceding four tries in the first half alone -- three of them thanks to defensive incompetence of the very highest order.  A year ago these same players were defensive giants, granitic in nature.  Now they're being dwarfed by a younger, fitter outfit.

The Wallabies should have been ahead inside the opening two minutes when good work from their backs set up Drew Mitchell, who looked to have scored on the left corner, only to be denied by the television official.

But it mattered little as Will Genia then picked up at the base of a ruck and sold a dummy to Flip van der Merwe and ran through Matfield before crossing.

After Matt Giteau converted, the lead was extended after some exceptional manoeuvring by Kurtley Beale in his own half, which saw the full-back ghost his way past at least five Springbok defenders.  He then found Rocky Elsom and picked out James O'Connor for his fifth Test try.

Another Giteau conversion followed, but the hosts finally managed to get on the board after nine minutes when Francois Hougaard's switched pass let flank Juan Smith run in under the posts.

Morne Steyn added the extras, although, Bryan Habana did his side little favour by gifting the advantage back to the tourists -- the Stormers winger made a mess of trying to take a high ball from the kick-off, allowing O'Connor in for his second.

Giteau made it three out of three to take the score to 21-7.

A remarkable fifth try of the game came in the 14th minute when captain John Smit cleverly chose to set up a line-out rather than take the points and he was rewarded when Matfield's powerful shift allowed prop Gurthro Steenkamp to barge his way over -- with Morne Steyn converting.

A 60m penalty from the Springbok number ten then cut the deficit even further and when Beale tried to do the same thing and missed, there was a sense from the home crowd that their luck was about to change.

However, it was again not to be -- Wallabies lock Dean Mumm landing the bonus-point try for his side after 26 minutes.  Mitchell's kick in-field from the left put Habana under pressure for the second time and the ensuing tap-and-go penalty led to the Waratahs lock powering his way over.

But the tries didn't stop there.  Nine minutes before the break Hougaard latched onto a pop pass, slipped through a gap and then found Pierre Spies who went over under the posts.

Morne Steyn reduced the deficit to four with his conversion to complete a rare 52-point half in international rugby.

The Bulls fly-half and Giteau exchanged penalties after the restart, before Habana's third blunder arised when he overran a pop pass from Morne Steyn that fortuitously bounced for Francois Steyn -- returning to the side for the first time since June -- to dot down and give the Boks the lead for the first time after 50 minutes.

Morne Steyn completed a tough conversion putting Peter de Villiers' team three points ahead (34-31).

The hosts were then put under pressure when they failed to score with a lost ball on the Wallabies' line, and the visitors ran the length of the field -- sparked by more Beale brilliance -- only to be denied by poor handling after a ruck or two on the Springboks line.

The visitors sustained the pressure and this time it took Hougaard to bring off a try-saving tackle on Adam Ashley Cooper metres from South Africa's tryline.

Francois Steyn, noted for his booming right boot, then landed a penalty from his own half to stretch the lead to six with 11 minutes to play.  And Pietersen added a late score, converted by Butch James, as the world champions closed out the win.

Man of the match:  South Africa largely have scrum-half Francois Hougaard to thank for the win.  He set up three of the Boks' five tries and made a try-saving -- even match-saving -- tackle when the home side were on the rack in the last quarter.

Moment of the match:  Nine tries!  Take your pick.  But with both sides' defence exhibiting the resistant qualities of a weathered, old barn door and the intensity of touch rugby players at the tackle point -- Hougaard's tackle on Ashley-Cooper takes the cake.

Villain of the match:  No cards, but one feels that Australia were their own worst enemies in the second half at Loftus.  The Wallabies' high error count prevented them from winning at altitude in South Africa for the first time since 1963!

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Tries:  Smith, Steenkamp, Spies, F Steyn, Pietersen
Cons:  M Steyn 4, James
Pens:  M Steyn 2, F Steyn

For Australia:
Tries:  Genia, O'Connor 2, Mumm
Cons:  Giteau 4

South Africa:  15 Francois Steyn, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Janie du Plessis, 2 John Smit, 1 Gurtho Steenkamp.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Butch James, 22 Juan de Jongh.

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (captain), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Saia Faainga, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Stephen Moore, 17 James Slipper, 18 Ben McCalman, 19 Scott Higginbotham, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Anthony Faainga.

Referee:  Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Late show seals title for All Blacks

Two tries in the final three minutes saw New Zealand secure the 2010 Tri-Nations title in dramatic fashion with a 29-22 win in Johannesburg.

22-17 up going in the game's dying embers, the Springboks had the wind knocked out of them when their visitors came good thanks to scores from captain Richie McCaw and Israel Dagg.

It was cruel way for John Smit to leave the field in his 100th appearance for his country, especially as he was the man who missed a key tackle that let centre Ma'a Nonu slip through the net.

The atmosphere at the formerly-known Soccer City was electric for a number of reasons.  Firstly, it was Smit's century and he jogged out to a mass of noise at the 94,000 capacity venue -- a ground that had a huge amount of Elvis' in attendance due to a world-record being attempted.  Don't ask.

Soon after, the Haka was drowned out by that same crowd singing ''Ole, ole, ole, oleee'' and that seemed to spur on the hosts.  Hits were fierce from the wounded Springboks as they drove the champions-in-waiting back in the tackle, which was something they were simply not doing during the opening fixtures of the tournament.

And boy did their intensity upset New Zealand's rhythm which had been so impressive up until now in 2010.  They were simply knocked off their perch early on by a side hurting and in desperate need of a result, with Schalk Burger and a returning Juan Smith starring.

Captain Smit unfortunately did not have it all his own way though on Saturday, as his opening lineout was not straight and then he was penalised by Welsh referee Nigel Owens for delaying a throw soon after.  Dan Carter adding three points was the net result.

South Africa were on the board on eleven minutes though when Kieran Read was caught going off his feet but this was all while the Springboks were turning up the defensive heat in Johannesburg.  Those tackles and the general intensity brought another penalty just three minutes later when Ben Franks -- in for his brother at tighthead this week -- failed to roll away.  Morne Steyn made no mistake from the tee and that was part of his 100 per cent record.

His rival was not so assured.  Carter struck the post with almost a quarter of the game passed and if he was on-target before the break, New Zealand would have gone in ahead.  As it was they were down 16-14 after two tries, one for Burger and then Tony Woodcock.

Burger's score was down to brute force as the All Blacks found themselves on the back foot.  From close range the flank put his head down and burrowed his way over before lock Tom Donnelly found himself needing to just draw and give to his prop on 37 minutes.

The interval was always going to bring up the question whether South Africa could maintain their fire that was keeping New Zealand contained.  The answer was they couldn't as the visitors enjoyed the lion's share of and territory, with the hosts breathing heavily in stages.

Steyn did extend the lead to eight points after the hour mark however, with Carter keeping New Zealand in touching distance when he knocked over a penalty of his own.

But seven minutes from time the visiting playmaker missed a shot from straight in front the uprights and that seemed to end all hope.  The was far from dead.

Three minutes from time, McCaw collected the ball on the overlap and dived over in the right corner, despite the best efforts of three defenders and the TMO ruling.

And then came the moment that veteran hooker Smit would have had nightmares about on his special day as his missed tackle on Nonu led to Dagg going over to seal a memorable victory, which secured the title and kept their unbeaten run intact.

Man of the match:  Many of the forwards put their hand up for this accolade but it has to go to a player on the losing side.  Schalk Burger was immense in the tackle and combined well with Juan Smith and Pierre Spies at times.  Hats off also to Richie McCaw and Ma'a Nonu.

Moment of the match:  South African TMO Shaun Veldsman's decision to allow Richie McCaw's levelling try in the corner.  It was a call that no one would want to make as the captain's foot dangled dangerously close the whitewash.

Villain of the match:  A good game full of intensity with no yellow cards.  No villain today.

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Try:  Burger
Con:  Steyn
Pen:  Steyn 5

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Woodcock, McCaw, Dagg
Con:  Carter
Pen:  Carter

South Africa:  15 Gio Aplon, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 5 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Butch James, 22 Wynand Olivier.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Josevata Rokocoko, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Israel Dagg.

Referee:  Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees:  Alain Rolland (Ireland), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official:  Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Bledisloe staying in All Blacks country

New Zealand beat an improved Australia outfit 20-10 in Christchurch on Saturday to retain the Bledisloe Cup, but will have to wait a little longer to win back their Tri-Nations crown.

The All Blacks needed five points from this clash at AMI Stadium to bring the Tri-Nations tournament to a premature end, however they could only manage two tries thanks to some strong defence by the Wallabies who kept their hosts at bay.

Richie McCaw and his troops now require just a lone bonus point from their remaining two away matches against Australia and South Africa to make it a fait accompli following the world's top-ranked team's thirteenth consecutive Test win.

The 10-point triumph also was a record-equalling ninth successive victory over Australia, who have now gone eight years without the Bledisloe Cup.  The Wallabies delivered a vastly-improved showing on the previous week's debacle in Melbourne, but the All Blacks still had too much power and precision to deny their trans-Tasman rivals a much-needed victory.

The Wallabies continue to miss Quade Cooper, a player capable of breaking the line from the fly-half position.  While Matt Giteau disappointed, his cause wasn't helped by an inconsistent showing by this forwards, as a large amount of possession often didn't translate into ground gained.  It was a credit to the home defence and their work on the deck, but the Wallabies pack could have done better.

The All Blacks didn't have everything their own way at the tackle, often conceding penalties in their attempt to stifle the Australians.  But when they did turn possession over, a well-placed kick or incisive counter-attack earned them great territory.

The game was not without its frustrations for the Wallabies, desperate to come back from their 49-28 hiding last week, as the All Blacks rode their luck with ruck infringements -- twice they escaped with warnings but no yellow cards.

Although the Wallabies controlled possession for the first five minutes it was the All Blacks who scored first in a move which started when lock Tom Donnelly snapped up a turnover ball to charge 20 metres downfield.

When he was brought down on the 22m line by Kurtley Beale, the All Blacks quickly recycled and Mils Muliaina was sent over in the corner.

Dan Carter converted from the sideline and then went from hero to zero soon after the restart when he lost the ball in a tackle which resulted in David Pocock and Nathan Sharpe sending Beale on a 65m run to the line who outpaced Carter to score in a handy position for Giteau to convert.

Scores weren't levelled for long, though, with a defensive blunder from makeshift winger James O'Connor allowing All Blacks centre Conrad Smith an easy try in the thirteenth minute.

Instead of staying on his wing, O'Connor was caught in two minds as classy inside centre Ma'a Nonu exposed the youngster's inexperience with a lovely long pass to his partner in crime for a score in the corner.

Carter again nailed the sideline conversion to give New Zealand a 14-7 lead, before Giteau narrowed the gap to four points with a 20th-minute penalty goal after the All Blacks were caught offside.

The All Blacks went to the break enjoying a 17-10 advantage following a Carter penalty in the 33rd minute after Wallabies scrum-half Will Genia was pinged for not releasing.

There was definite change of mood by the All Blacks after half-time as the Wallabies mounted wave after wave of attacks.  New Zealand put the brakes on their free-for-all running and turned more to their fly-half to kick them out of trouble as they withstood 30 minutes of pressure.

A Carter penalty produced the only points of the second half but the All Blacks were always in control as they wound down the clock.  They may have to wait a few weeks to lift the trophy, but there's no doubt the title will be returning to New Zealand.

The Wallabies need to score bonus-point wins in their remaining three games and hope the All Blacks lose their remaining fixtures without consolation ... highly unlikely.

Man of the match:  Playing at home in Christchurch, Dan Carter showcased his extensive attacking arsenal:  the darting runs, the chip-and-regathers, the probing punts, and the gap-manufacturing passes.  To cap it all, he goaled every kick.

Moment of the match:  Of all the tries scored, Mils Muliaina's effort wins our vote.  In a word:  brilliant.

Villain of the match:  Tony Woodcock's clearance of Saia Faingaa from behind at the ruck was illegal and uncalled for.  Playing in his 67th match for New Zealand, the All Blacks' most capped prop can count his lucky stars he didn't do his celebrating in the bin.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Muliaina, Smith
Cons:  Carter 2
Pens:  Carter 2

For Australia:
Try:  Beale
Con:  Giteau
Pen:  Giteau

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Jo Rokocoko, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Benson Stanley

Australia:  15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (capt), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Saia Faingaa, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Stephen Moore, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Matt Hodgson, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Cameron Shepherd.

Referee:  Jonathan Kaplan (SA)

Seven up for rampant All Blacks

New Zealand put one hand on both the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe silverware on Saturday as they crushed Australia 49-28 in a classic at Etihad Stadium.

It was simply an outstanding contest between two attack-minded sides.  Five tries in the first-half and not a single scrum reset until the 75th minute as rugby was played how it always should be.

The fine result now puts the All Blacks on fifteen tournament points in 2010, with nearest rivals Australia and the pointless Springboks swiftly looking a distant second and third in the south.

But what about this New Zealand outfit?  Call it over the top to be talking like this so soon but they have the confident and assured air of a world champion team in the making.  Calmness, ruthlessness and attacking brilliance were on show as players like Richie McCaw and Daniel Carter stood up to the plate.  They were not alone.

Yes the Wallabies were reduced to fourteen just after the break when Drew Mitchell was shown his second yellow, but in truth the game was up.

The contest itself began at quite a pace and in the end continued in that fashion.  First it was Matt Giteau -- in for the banned Quade Cooper -- who ran from his own 22 in a breathtaking play that led to New Zealand coming offside and the Brumby slotting over the opening three.

However, it only took Carter just three minutes to level matters with a penalty of his own before déjà vu, calamity, whatever you want to call it, hit the Melbourne surface.

Only a minute after DC had knocked over those points, he became the villain when his attempted clearance was too slow in leaving his boot and Mitchell capitalised for the opening try wide out, proving once again he should always remain in this Wallaby squad.

That was the first part of a rather comical sketch though as Carter promptly became a hero by charging down Berrick Barnes' almost identical clearance to score.  The visiting number ten did knock over the extra two points -- unlike Giteau -- to make it 10-8 to the blacks.

Then came a moment of brilliance from wing Cory Jane following turnover ball inside away territory.  The impressive Brad Thorn was a key ingredient in the score by drawing two gold tacklers for the overlapping Keven Mealamu to hand on to Ma'a Nonu, who offloaded to centre partner Conrad Smith before Jane's chip -- despite being held by Rocky Elsom -- dropped perfectly for the supporting Mils Muliaina to grab his first of two scores.

Giteau did pull the scores back to 15-11 and when prop Owen Franks was yellow-carded for a no-arm tackle on Richard Brown, one sensed it could a route back for the Wallabies.

Unfortunately for Australia that proved not to be the case as New Zealand's fourteen men produced another seven points, with turnover ball again the catalyst.  McCaw it was who finished this time, superbly I might add down the left wing after one of those moves off of Graham Henry's midweek training paper.  It worked a treat mind on 27 minutes.

Penalties were traded by Giteau and Carter to move the scoreline up to 22-14 in favour of the All Blacks, but then came the bonus-point try before the interval.  The Cantabrian's penalty-push deep into the corner led to a slick lineout set-move that involved the mobile Thorn and Franks before a switch to the blindside saw Jane finish well in the corner.

The turnaround was a chance for Robbie Deans to rally his troops who were 32-14 down.  However, the comeback that the coach was looking for was not forthcoming as Mitchell's second yellow -- for slapping down the ball in touch -- put the game beyond doubt.

Adam Ashley-Cooper did pull the scores back to 39-21 after his opposite number Muliaina had gone over to complete his rather simple brace, but then Joe Rokocoko, Rocky Elsom and Corey Flynn rounded off New Zealand's eighth-straight win over the Wallabies.

Man-of-the-match:  So many stood out but we have gone for Richie McCaw, who provided yet again for the All Blacks.  Mentions too for Brad Thorn, Cory Jane and Mils Muliaina.

Moment-of-the-match:  No question about this one as Cory Jane's chip over the top for Mils Muliaina was breathtaking.  Despite being semi-tackled by Rocky Elsom, the 'Canes man found his full-back for an excellent score that hurt the Wallabies deeply.

Villain-of-the-match:  Maybe slightly harsh but the official who pinged Drew Mitchell for an alleged no-arm tackle.  We still haven't seen when and where it happened as Australia were attacking at the time.  Explain, anyone?

The scorers:

For Australia:
Tries:  Mitchell, Ashley-Cooper, Elsom
Con:  Giteau 2
Pen:  Giteau 3

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Carter, Muliaina 2, McCaw, Jane, Rokocoko, Flynn
Con:  Carter 4
Pen:  Carter 2

Australia:  15 Adam Ashley Cooper, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Saia Faingaa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Matt Hodgson, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Anthony Faingaa, 22 Kurtley Beale.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Israel Dagg.

Referee:  Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees:  Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official:  George Ayoub (Australia)

Tonga undone by penalty try

Japan scored a last-gasp penalty try to record a 26-23 victory over Tonga in the final round of Pacific Nations Cup in Apia on Sunday.

Having lost 24-23 to Samoa in the opening round and 41-38 to Fiji last week, the defeat was heartbreak for Tonga as they could only record their third losing bonus-point of the tournament.

Japan did not gain the try-scoring bonus point they required to stand any chance of winning the PNC title for the first time, however, meaning the winner would come from the final match of the tournament between Fiji and Samoa, with the latter sealing the deal.

Despite not being in contention for the title themselves at the beginning of the match, Tonga scored the first points after just three minutes.

Wing William Helu, playing in just his second match for Tonga, pounced on a loose ball after Japan's Alisi Tupuailai had knocked on, before showing a great turn of pace to dummy his way to the try line.

Kurt Morath added the conversion and a further penalty seven minutes later to give Tonga a 10-0 lead at Apia Park and Japan suffered a further setback when the influential Ryan Nicholas had to be stretchered off.

Fly-half James Arlidge scored two penalties for the Asian Five Nations champions before half time, however, to cut the deficit to four points and give John Kirwan's side some momentum for the second half.

As they had in the first half, however, Tonga scored within the opening three minutes of the restart with Morath making the scores 13-6 with his second penalty of the match, but Arlidge immediately hit back with his third.

Japan's prop Kensuke Hatakeyama, playing in his 14th test, scored their first try of the match in the 51st minute after several phases of play in the Tongan 22, which Arlidge converted to give Japan the lead for the first time.

Alipate Fatafehi scored a fine individual try in the 67th minute for Tonga to regain the lead after chasing his own kick to score under the posts and give Morath an easy conversion.

Arlidge and Morath exchanged further penalties in the last 10 minutes and at 23-16 it looked as though Tonga would record their first PNC 2010 victory but after losing captain Aleki Lutui to the sin-bin Japan's scrum took advantage and were finally awarded a penalty try which Arlidge converted to secure the win.

Japan captain Takashi Kikutani said: ''I had trust in my players and despite when we were down during the game, I kept on challenging the boys to give their best.  We are happy about the win but we need to improve in a few areas as we prepare for other matches we play this year and next.''

The scorers:

For Japan:
Tries:  Hatakeyama, Penalty Try
Cons:  Arlidge 2
Pens:  Arlidge 4

For Tonga:
Tries:  Helu, Fatafehi
Cons:  Morath 2
Pens:  Morath 3

The teams:

Japan:  15 Kaoru Matsushita, 14 Kosuke Endo, 13 Alisi Tupuailei, 12 Ryan Nicholas, 11 Hirotoki Onozawa, 10 James Arlidge, 9 Fumiaki Tanaka, 8 Ryu Holani, 7 Touetsu Taufa, 6 Takashi Kikutani (c), 5 Toshizumi Kitagawa, 4 Hitoshi Ono, 3 Kensuke Hatakeyama, 2 Shota Horie, 1 Hisateru Hirashima.
Replacements:  16 Hiroki Yuhara, 17 Naoki Kawamata, 18 Luke Thompson, 19 Michael Leitch, 20 Koji Wada, 21 Shaun Webb, 22 Ryo Kanazawa.

Tonga:  15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 William Helu, 13 Alipate Fatafehi, 12 Andrew Mailei, 11 Alaska Taufa, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Mahe Fangupo, 8 Sione Kalamafoni (c), 7 Haani Halaeua, 6 Kelepi Halafihi, 5 Steve Mafi, 4 Alepini Olosoni, 3 Makoni Finau, 2 Sione Vaiomounga, 1 Toma Toke.
Replacements:  16 Aleki Lutui, 17 Po'alo'i Taula, 18 Aloisio Mailangi, 19 Paula Kata, 20 Samisoni Fisilau, 21 Manu Ahota'e'iloa, 22 Saia Fekitoa.

Referee:  Steve Walsh New Zealand
Assistant Referees:  Tui Komiti, Kelekolio Petelo (both Samoa)

Wallabies rampant in Brisbane

The Tri-Nations trophy is set to change hands in 2010 after the Springboks conceded their third straight defeat, going down 30-13 to Australia at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

With a team packed with Brisbane-based players from the Reds, the national side used similar tactics to the Super 14 franchise to fracture the South African defence by moving the ball around at pace.

The sides scored two tries a piece, but the Wallabies domination of the breakdown forced the men in green and gold to bleed penalties.

As the scoreline suggests, the Wallabies were in charge from the start and two yellow cards didn't help the South African cause.  Once again there will be cries from the Republic in protest to some inconsistent refereeing but few will dispute that Australia were the superior team on the day.

The defending champions will now head from their three-match tour without a single tournament point, making a title defence near-impossible.

Its was déjà vu all over again for the Boks as they were down to fourteen men in the opening minutes for the third time in as many weeks.  Jaque Fourie was the guilty party this week -- for tip tackle -- but unlike in New Zealand the visitors were able to weather the storm and didn't concede points before the centre's return.

But even with a full quota on the field, the Springboks struggled to contain their free-running hosts.  A few too many missed tackles had Australia rushing forward and the pressure resulted in a 12-3 lead after 30 minutes with Matt Giteau faultless from the kicking tee.

As expected, David Pocock made a real nuisance of himself at the rucks and on a couple of occasions chucked a spanner in the opposition works when they looked set to strike back.

A fudged Springbok line-out on the stroke on half time allowed the Wallabies to open a healthy gap as Drew Mitchell juggled his way over the line, sending the teams to the changing rooms with the hosts up 17-3.

Australia pressed home their advantage after the break as Giteau and James O'Connor added a penalty each to stretch the lead to 23-3.

The second of those penalties saw BJ Both sent to the bin for killing the Wallabies' ball in an attacking position.  Quade Cooper was also given his marching orders for a lifting tackle and the visitors used their extra man to build some momentum.

A quick-tap penalty from Ruan Pienaar opened the way for Fourie to muscle his way over from short range but the horse had already bolted.

South Africa sparked hopes of a late comeback when Gurthro Steenkamp charged over after a line-out inside the last ten minutes.

But he hosts would have the last laugh however as Will Genia dived over after being set up by a rolling maul in the dying minutes, capping a super performance by the Wallabies and sending the world champions home to think again.

Man of the match:  Tough one to call with both Rocky Elsom and David Pocock putting in huge performances.  We'll give it to the latter for his tireless work at the breakdown.

Moment of the match:  Australia had been drifting further and further ahead but Drew Mitchell's try essentially ended the game as a contest.  It summed up the day:  The Springboks failed to do the basics right and were caught out by the pace of the Aussie attack.

Villain of the match:  Fourie and Cooper were both guilty of lifting the man in the tackle, but neither incident looked nasty enough to merit the ''villain'' tag.

The scorers

For Australia:
Tries:  Mitchell, Genia
Con:  O'Connor
Pens:  Giteau 5, O'Connor

For South Africa:
Tries:  Fourie, Steenkamp
Pen:  Steyn

Yellow cards:  Fourie (SA -- 3rd min -- dangerous tackle);  Botha (SA -- 46th min -- cynical offside);  Cooper (Aus -- 54th min -- dangerous tackle)

Australia:  15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 James O'Connor, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Richard Brown, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Saia Fainga'a, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Stephen Moore, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Ben McCalman, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Kurtley Beale.

South Africa:  15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Oliver, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Ryan Kankowski, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Dewald Potgieter, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Butch James, 22 Juan de Jongh.

Venue:  Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Referee:  George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees:  Keith Brown (New Zealand), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
Television match official:  Matt Goddard (Australia)
Assessor:  Steve Hilditch

Flawless All Blacks do it again

New Zealand repeated their heroics of last week's Tri-Nations opener with another polished performance to beat South Africa 31-17 at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.

It was a bad case of deja vu for the Boks as once again the All Blacks took advantage of a yellow card shown early on -- this time to banned Bakkies Botha's replacement Danie Rossouw -- that resulted in ten points in ten minutes.

From then on in it was always going to be a mountain to climb for the visitors.  And while they showed a lot of character to claw their way back and narrow the lead to 13-7 at half-time, the home side were just far too clinical after the break to claim successive bonus point wins over the world champions and ensure their two home fixtures yielded the maximum ten points.

Truth be told, the hosts should have buried South Africa considering the defending champions' inconsistent defensive efforts, their inability to adapt to Alain Rolland's relaxed and sometimes negligent style of officiating, and their failure to impose themselves on attack.

Indeed, Irish eyes weren't smiling on the Springboks on a wintry night in the New Zealand capital and at times, it certainly looked like John Smit's men were up against sixteen men.

The yellow card for foul play aside, there were key instances in the game that either went unnoticed or unpunished that will leave fans of the oval ball fuming back in the Republic.

South Africa now limp across the Tasman to Australia pointless and seemingly bereft of ideas after another mauling by a highly-motivated All Blacks side whose superior inventiveness, precision and individual class was a joy to watch.

The Springbok attack was unimaginative, and were often smashed back by the hungrier All Blacks who read the South Africans' unimaginative play like a book.  Needless to say, a lot of work needs to be done before next weekend's clash with the Wallabies -- their discipline and attitude no doubt topping the list.

And the Boks can certainly count themselves lucky that Dan Carter had a bad day with the boot, after the All Blacks pivot missed five shots at goal to lend the scoreline an unreflective look.

Rossouw, making his 50th Test appearance in place of the suspended Botha, was earlier the villain of the peace after a skirmish with Richie McCaw saw him sent to the sin bin just four minutes in.  Looking back on the replay, a fired up Rossouw dished out a tap kick to the thigh of McCaw that, in all seriousness, wouldn't have hurt his grandmother.

And the hosts capitalised clinically, racing into a 10-0 lead with their opponents a man down.

Ma'a Nonu opened the scoring, powering over a ruck of bodies on seven minutes and just managing to ground the ball.  Carter, who had missed an earlier penalty, was again off target with the conversion.

Smit gave his troops a stern talking to before the restart, however his words had little effect as just five minutes later the home side struck again.

A fine break from Piri Weepu sliced open the Springboks' static defence and full-back Mills Muliaina -- who showed impressive pace -- raced away down the right wing to score clinically in the corner.  Carter continued his 100 per cent failure record, however his latest effort was the toughest yet under a swirling wind at the Westpac Stadium.

Rossouw returned to the field minutes later, however the wave of attacks from the men in black refused to relent and Carter landed his first effort in four attempts on the half hour.

Despite spending the majority of the first half on the back foot, South Africa grabbed a lifeline three minutes before the break when Rossouw crashed over and Morne Steyn added the extras.

Any hopes of a comeback were soon put to bed though as Rene Ranger marked his first Test start with a try six minutes after the break.  The try followed an incident where Ranger was let off for a shoulder charge on Zane Kirchner in plain sight of the referee and his assistant Alan Lewis.  If he's cited, it will affirm the fact that the Wellington officials made a costly gaffe in failing to show him yellow.

Carter, who missed the subsequent conversion, was then taken off kicking duties as Weepu tried his luck.  The move paid dividends on 51 minutes when the robust scrum-half expertly slotted over a 40-metre effort to put the All Blacks 21-10 to the good.

A bonus-point win was sealed 14 minutes later, replacement Israel Dagg producing two sizzling sidesteps past Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger and Kirchner before touching down.

Burger barged his way over for a late consolation, however the All Blacks were full value for their second successive bonus-point win and are now in pole position to regain the title.

Man of the match:  Once again, all the All Blacks played well.  Kieran Read led another impressive forward effort, while Dan Carter was able to probe with his boot or let the ball out to the outside backs who were a constant threat.  Acting as the link, and an ideal choice under the circumstances, was scrum-half Piri Weepu.  He thrived in the conditions, feeding the ball consistently while making breaks efficiently to ensure the advantage line was continually broken.

Moment of the match:  There were a few, but Israel Dagg's superb individual try to seal the deal was the icing at the Cake Tin.

Villain of the match:  Last week it was bad boy Baakie's Botha who crippled his team in the first half with a needless sin binning and this week his replacement Danie Rossouw followed suit.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Nonu, Muliana, Ranger, Dagg
Con:  Carter
Pens:  Carter 2, Weepu

For South Africa:
Tries:  Rossouw, Burger
Cons:  Steyn 2
Pen:  Steyn

Yellow card:  Rossouw, 3 min (South Africa, foul play)

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rene Ranger, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Liam Messam, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Israel Dagg.

South Africa:  15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Oliver, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthrö Steenkamp.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Gio Aplon.

Referee:  Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Samoa pip Tonga in Apia

Samoa fought off a spirited Tongan challenge to record a 24-23 victory in the second game of the 2010 Pacific Nations Cup in Apia on Sunday.

Kurt Morath kicked 13 points for the visitors but tries from Junior Poluleuigaga, a penalty and Sevens star Mikaele Pesamino secured the victory for the hosts in the sweltering heat.

Tonga have never beaten Samoa in the PNC, but with a number of new players and coach, former All Black Isitolo Maka, the Ikale Tahi came the closest yet in their first match in this year's tournament.

Kurt Morath put the visitors ahead early in the first half before Samoa's full back Paul Williams levelled the scores at 3-3, but the son of All Blacks' Bryan Williams missed two further penalties before Morath restored Tonga's three-point advantage with his second penalty.

The Samoan forwards, who were dominant throughout the match, laid the platform for scrum half Junior Poluleuigaga to scamper over the line, however, with Sevens star Lolo Lui converting to give the hosts a 10-6 lead at half time.

After the restart Morath narrowed the scores to 10-9 with his third penalty after 51 minutes but five minutes later the Tongan defence were penalised as the Samoan forwards once again proved their superiority in the scrum and were awarded a penalty try which Lui converted.

In the 65th minute Tonga clawed their way back into the match again, however, as a pass from Lui in attack saw Tongan full back Vungakato Lilo intercept and race 80 metres to cross under the posts despite the best efforts of Mikaele Pesamino.

The IRB Sevens Player of the Year Pesamino gave the crowd what they had been waiting for with 10 minutes to go, however, as he all but secured victory.

After receiving the ball from Sevens teammate Uale Mai, he crossed in the corner and Lui added the difficult conversion, which would prove to be crucial, and give the hosts some breathing space at 24-16.

Tonga were not done yet though and scored an impressive try as their backs decided to run from deep with wing Alaska Taufa the beneficiary of some fine passing to score.  Morath added the conversion to take his match tally to 13 and give Tonga some momentum heading into the next round of matches, but the Samoans held on to win their opening match 24-23.

Samoa play Japan next week, who lost to Fiji in the opening match 22-8 in Lautoka on Saturday, whilst Tonga meet Fiji.

Samoa captain Mahonri Scwalger said: ''The team has just come together and we needed some time to get going.  We knew Tonga would be strong but we targeted their line out and scrum and the heat played a role in the match as well.''

Tonga captain Aleki Lutui said: ''There are a lot of young players in the team and it will take some time to get going.  There is a lot of work needed as we have to get the basics right and get our combinations correct before the next match.  We scored some opportunist tries, which was good but we need to work on getting more into the game.''

The scorers:

For Samoa:
Tries:  Poluleuligaga, Pesamino, Penalty Try
Cons:  Lui 3
Pen:  Williams

For Tonga:
Tries:  Taufa, Lilo
Cons:  Morath 2
Pens:  Morath 3

The teams:

Samoa:  15 Paul Williams, 14 Mikaele Pesamino, 13 George Pisi, 12 Jamie Helleur, 11 David Lemi, 10 Lolo Lui, 9 Junior Poluleuligaga, 8 George Stowers, 7 Falemiga Selesele, 6 Iosefa Tekori, 5 Kane Thompson, 4 Filipo Lavea Levi, 3 Sakaria Taulafo, 2 Mahonri Schwalger, 1 Anthony Perenise.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Williams, 17 James Afoa, 18 Manaia Salave'a, 19 Alafoti Faosiliva, 20 Uale Mai, 21 Fautua Otto, 22 Uarotafou Setu.

Tonga:  15 Vungakoto Lilo, 14 Alaska Taufa, 13 Saia Fekitoa, 12 Andrew Ma'ilei, 11 Manu Ahotaeiloa, 10 Kurt Morath, 9 Daniel Morath, 8 tbc, 7 Paula Kata, 6 Kelepi Halafihi, 5 Alepini Olosoni, 4 Akameta Feao, 3 Pa'alo'i Taula, 2 Aleki Lutui (c), 1 Toma Toke.
Replacements:  16 Sione Vaiomounga, 17 Sione Fukofuka, 18 Sitiveni Mafi, 19 Atunaisa Sikalu, 20 Samisoni Fisilau, 21 Fangatapu Apikotoa, 22 Alipate Fatafehi.

Referee:  Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)

All Blacks dominate Tri-Nations opener

New Zealand retained their world number one ranking thanks to a commanding 32-12 win over South Africa at Eden Park on Saturday.

It doesn't get better than this.  The world's two best rugby teams didn't disappoint as they delivered the top-class encounter we had all expected.

However, the defending Tri-Nations champions could not match their hosts' attacking prowess as New Zealand romped home as four-tries-to-none winners.

A dominant first half from the All Blacks -- helped by a yellow card for Bakkies Botha -- saw the hosts lead 20-3 at half time.  The second half went much the same way as the home side out-muscled and out-thought the world champions.

Lethal on the counter attack, and near-faultless in defence, Richie McCaw's men thoroughly deserved their victory.

Many had predicted that the Springboks would rule the set piece but the All Blacks scrum will feel they won the day and their jumpers competed efficiently at the line-outs.

A couple of technical infringements from the All Blacks gave the visitors an early advantage as Morne Steyn slotted an easy penalty.

The lead was short-lived however as referee Alan Lewis sent Botha to the sin-bin for a professional foul when the hosts were in full attack.  Dan Carter did the job from the kicking-tee to make it all square at 3-all after fifteen minutes.

New Zealand soon pressed home their numerical advantage with Mils Muliaina launching a stunning counter-attack from deep inside his own territory to slice through the South African defence.  McCaw was up in support to supply the link to Conrad Smith, who finished in the corner.

Carter's conversion gave the men in black a 10-3 lead to end the first quarter with the momentum firmly with the home side.

Botha's return didn't prevent the Bok scrum from buckling under pressure, allowing Carter to extend the lead to ten points with his second penalty.

It was one-way traffic for the rest of the half and when Jean de Villiers went looking for an intercept rather than defend his wing, the All Blacks were allowed to strike again.  Ma'a Nonu bust through two tacklers to barge over from short range and as Carter added the extras, the writing was on the wall for the Springboks.

Seventeen points down at the break, the visitors needed to come up with something special in the second period and got off to a solid start as Steyn added two penalties soon after the restart, narrowing the gap to eleven points.

But the All Blacks crossed the whitewash for the third time with their first real attack of the half when Kieran Read made an unstoppable run to hit Piri Weepu's pop pass at pace and charge over.

The Springboks replied almost immediately with Steyn's fourth penalty but at 27-12 going into the last quarter, the result seemed beyond doubt.

Read took a quick penalty to allow Tony Woodcock to muscle his way over in the final minute to rub salt into South African wounds and secure the bonus point.

Man of the match:  A couple of names stand out.  Tom Donnelly and Ma'a Nonu trashed any doubts over their match readiness, Richie McCaw and Kieran Read ruled the battle of the loose forwards, but we'll go with Mils Muliaina, whose attacking vision is still as good as ever after all these years.

Moment of the match:  It looked pretty even in the early stages, but from the moment Muliaina set off on that run to set up Conrad Smith's try, all the momentum was with New Zealand.

Villain of the match:  Not for the first time, Bakkies Botha looks set for an appointment at a disciplinary hearing.  Within a few minutes of kick-off he was using his head -- but not for thinking.

The scorers

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Smith, Nonu, Read, Woodcock
Cons:  Carter 3
Pens:  Carter 2

For South Africa:
Pens:  Steyn 3

Yellow card:  Botha (SA, 13th min, professional foul)

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:16 Corey Flynn, 17 Ben Franks, 18 Samuel Whitelock, 19 Liam Messam, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Richard Kahui.

South Africa:15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Jean de Villiers, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit (c), 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Replacements:16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 BJ Botha, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Danie Rossouw, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Gio Aplon.

Venue:  Eden Park, Auckland
Referee:  Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Assistant referees:  Alain Rolland (Ireland), Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

Samoa clinch Pacific Nations Cup

Samoa recorded a dramatic 31-9 victory over Fiji in Apia on Sunday to clinch their first ever Pacific Nations Cup title.

Having already won the IRB Sevens World Series this year, the PNC triumph is another feather in the cap of Samoan rugby, and it was IRB Sevens Player of the Year nominee Alafoti Fa'osiliva who stole the show late on at Apia Park.

Following their loss to Japan last week, the Samoans needed a try-scoring bonus-point and a winning margin of more than 13 points to win the PNC for the first time and scored their first try of the afternoon when lock Joe Tekori scored in the 16th minute.

Lolo Lui added the conversion, and the crowd erupted when Mikaele Pesamino demonstrated why he was named IRB Sevens Player of the Year in the 22nd minute, chipping over the Fijian defence before showing great speed to collect and score.

Fiji were also looking for their first ever PNC title and hit back with three Taniela Rawaqa penalties, one before and two after half time, to cut the deficit to 14-9 and with just 15 minutes left to play, despite trailing by five points, Fiji looked to be on their way to the title as Samoa needed to score two more tries.

But Fa'osiliva was brought on by Fuimaono Tafua and had an immediate impact scoring two tries in the space of three minutes spurred on by the home crowd.

Fa'osiliva's first came from a Samoan scrum on the Fiji tryline as he picked up the ball from the base and powered across the line.  Lui missed the conversion but was on hand to convert Fa'osiliva's second.

Census Johnston's determination paid off in the build up after he chased Lui's clearance kick from the Fiji restart and was on hand to pounce on a Fijian fumble.

The prop kicked ahead and F'osiliva showed incredible speed and composure to also kick the ball closer to the try line, before collecting and scoring Samoa's fourth try to the delight of the crowd at Apia Park.

Any hopes Fiji had of a comeback were dashed when they lost Rupeni Nasiga to the sin bin, however, before David Lemi and Uale Mai combined to secure the 31-9 victory for the hosts, with the latter crossing and Lui adding the conversion.

Samoa captain Mahonri Schwalger said:  ''This win was for the people of Samoa.We came into the game with no pressure but just to give our best shot and prove our worth to the people of Samoa.''

Samoa coach Fuimaono Titimaea:  ''This is exactly what we wanted and I'm so proud of the boys' performance as they followed the plan we set for the match.  The players just did all the right things.''

The scorers:

For Samoa:
Tries:  Tekori, Pesamino, Faosilivia 2, Mai
Cons:  Lui 3

For Fiji:
Pens:  Maravunwasawasa 3

The teams:

Samoa:  15 Paul Williams, 14 Mikaele Pesamino, 13 George Pisi, 12 Jamie Helleur, 11 David Lemi, 10 Lolo Lui, 9 Uale Mai, 8 George Stowers, 7 Manaia Salavea, 6 Ofisa Treviranus, 5 Joe Tekori, 4 Kane Thompson, 3 Anthony Perenise, 2 Mahonri Schwalger (c), 1 Sakaria Taulafo.
Replacements:  16 Andrew Williams, 17 Census Johnston, 18 Filipo Levi, 19 Alafoti Faosilivia, 20 Junior Poluleuligaga, 21 Fautua Otto, 22 Rupeni Levasa.

Fiji:  15 Taniela Maravunwasawasa, 14 Ropate Ratu, 13 Sireli Naqelevuki, 12 Iliesa Keresoni, 11 William Saukuru, 10 Jonetani Ralulu, 9 Nikola Matawalu, 8 Mosese Volavola, 7 Samu Bolatagane Volau, 6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu (c), 5 Leone Nakarawa, 4 Sekonaia Kalou, 3 Alefoso Yalayalatabua, 2 Viliame Veikoso, 1 Campese Ma'afu.
Replacements:  16 Talemaitoga Tuapatu, 17 Graham Dewes, 18 Rupeni Nasiga, 19 Dale Mataluvu, 20 Kelemedi Bolatagane, 21 Josatiki Naisilisili, 22 Epeli Ruivadra.

Referee:  Romain Poite (France)
Assistant Referees:  James Bolabiu, Samuela Tuidraki (both Fiji)