Australia were made to work very hard for their 29-14 win in the historical inaugural Test against the Pacific Islanders at the Adelaide Oval. The Wallabies outscored the hardy visitors by five tries to two, but the game was a lot closer than the margin suggested.
In an historic match in Adelaide, Australia beat the Pacific Islanders 29-14, a tough encounter on a slithery evening before a cheerful crowd of some 20 000. The Wallabies won but the Islanders hurt the Wallabies.
Clyde Rathbone, three-try scorer against England, was hurt in three tackles this week and eventually left the field. Joe Roff hurt a knee in a tackle and left. George Gregan was heavily dumped in a tackle and left. Stirling Mortlock was hurt in a tackle and left with a bulging eye. Others could also have been hurt as the Islanders bashed with ball in hand and then bashed the Wallabies when the Australians had the ball.
The Islanders played their first Test ever and did so well.
There were also memorable moments for André Watson, who was refereeing his last Test after a wonderful career, and Brumbies prop Nic Henderson, brought into the squad when Matt Dunning hurt an eye. Late in the match Henderson got onto the field, just in time to win his first cap.
It certainly was a contest. One interesting area of contention was at the tackle where the Islanders drove in hard and won a surprising number of turn-overs.
For long periods of the match, despite the conditions, the Islanders, in their blue and red shorts and red, white and blue jerseys, deprived the Wallabies of the ball as they went through many phases -- more phases than metres against a determined Australian defence.
A feature of the match was the judicious kicking by the Wallabies against the pointless kicking of the Islanders.
The rain held off for the start of the match. There was none while the Australians sang their anthem and the Pacific Islanders their aggressive dance, a sipi tau, a Tongan form of wardance, led by a tattooed baggage master in war dress.
Not long afterwards, the rain started and the ground became increasingly slippery, very much a cricket ground in shape, amenities and bald pitch.
The Islanders' full back, experienced Norman Ligairi, had problems getting to the ball as the Wallabies kicked cleverly. A Stephan Larkham kick forced a line-out, to the Islanders, five metres from the Islanders' line. The Islanders lost five of their 16 line-outs but won this own and scrumhalf Mosese Rauluni cleared badly. Rathbone, back after his first shaking up, played inside. The Wallabies countered on their left, Lote Tuqiri straightened up to fix two defenders before giving to Mortlock who still had hard work ahead as he scored in Lome Fa'atua's tackle. Roff missed the conversion from the corner. He missed the next two conversions as well, unusual for the great man.
Just before half-time Australia countered off a Tanner Chan Vili kick and got their second try when Larkham grubbered ahead on the left and Matt Giteau did well to grab the bobbing ball to score in the corner.
That made it 10-0 at half-time.
The best two breaks of the half had been by Larkham and Vili. It was a half of stern defence.
In the second half Seremaia Bai missed his second penalty kick at goal but then the Islanders bashed with urgent purpose at the Wallaby line, which held. The ball then came to their left and strong flank Sione Lauaki burst through George Gregan and Justin Harrison to score near the posts. 10-7 after 48 minutes.
Australia had had two five-metre line-outs in the first half without scoring. But in the second half they got one right, drove their maul over for back-man Jeremy Paul to score: 15-7.
They tried it again soon afterwards but the maul fell down. Back the ball came to Larkham who lobbed a long high kick across the posts to his right. Lote Tuqiri was one of those contesting the ball. He knocked it back and Giteau dropped on it. This time Roff converted. 22-7 after 57 minutes.
Paul was just short after a fourth five-metre line-out and then the television match official judged that Chris Latham had lost the ball in grounding it.
The Islanders survived and scored when Bai broke, looked to his right and chipped a delightful ball which speedster Sireli Bobo caught and scored. Bai converted. 22-14 after 71 minutes.
The Wallabies caught the Islanders napping from the kick off. Larkham kicked left. Matt Burke got the ball, and got a clever pass to Mortlock who battled his way ahead to score in the corner. Matthew Burke converted.
Man of the Match: There were two excellent, creative flyhalves -- Tanner Chan Vili for the Islanders and Stephen Larkham for the Wallabies. Our Man of the Match is Stephan Larkham, who ran with decision, kicked judiciously and tackled as effectively as anybody on the field.
Moment of the Match: Seremaia Bai's chip that gave Sireli Bobo his try.
Villain of the Match: Dan Vickerman got the only yellow card of the match but our villain is Inoke Afeaki. Long after Clyde Rathbone had passed to his right Afeaki, from behind, laid him waste and forced the young wing off the field.
The Teams:
Australia: 1 Alastair Baxter, 2 Brendan Cannon, 3 Bill Young, 4 Justin Harrison, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 6 Radike Samo, 7 Phil Waugh, 8 David Lyons, 9 George Gregan (c), 10 Steve Larkham, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 12 Matt Giteau, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 14 Clyde Rathbone, 15 Joe Roff
Reserves: Matthew Burke, Chris Latham, Jeremy Paul, Chris Whitaker, Nic Henderson, George Smith, Daniel Vickerman
Pacific Islanders: 1 Taufa'ao Filise, 2 Aleki Lutui, 3 Soane Tonga'uiha, 4 'Inoke Afeaki (c), 5 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 6 Sione Lauaki, 7 Sisa Koyamaibole, 8 Alifereti Doviverata, 9 Mosese Rauluni, 10 Tanner Vili, 11 Lome Fa'atau, 12 Seilala Mapusua, 13 Seremaia Baikeinuku, 14 Sitivini Sivivatu, 15 Norman Ligairi
Reserves: Sireli Bobo, Leo Lafaiali'i, Semo Sititi, Steven So'oialo, Tevita Taumoepeau, Seru Rabeni
Unused: Joeli Lotawa
Attendance: 19296
Referee: Watson a.
Points Scorers:
Australia
Tries: Mortlock S.A. 2, Giteau M.J. 2, Cannon B.J. 1
Conv: Roff J.W.C. 1, Burke M.C. 1
Pacific Islanders
Tries: Lauaki S. 1, Bobo I. 1
Conv: Baikeinuku S. 2
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