Spain win vital Czech encounter

RWC qualifier

On Saturday afternoon at the Josef Kohout Rugby Stadium in Ricany Spain beat the Czech Republic 33-12, an important win, especially away from home.

The second leg is in Madrid at the end of September.

The winner of this Europe Round 4 qualifier will go into Round 5 with Romania and Georgia.  The winner of that will go to the 2007 World Cup in France.  The runner-up will go into répechage.

On a pleasant if windy afternoon, Spain were always ahead, leading 13-0 at half-time thanks to two penalty goals by Esteban Roqué who also converted the try by Alfonso Mata five minutes before half-time.  Mata's try came from a maul started by prop Javier Salazar.

Early in the second half the Spanish Lions increased their lead to 20-0 with a try by scrumhalf Pablo Feijoo.  No.8 Óscar Astarloa tapped a penalty and sent Feijoo on a 60-metre run for the corner.

After the Czech coach had made several changes a try by Jiri Skall got the Czechs on the scoreboard.  Martin Kafka converted.

Esteban Roqué kicked two more penalties before Vaclav Jursik scored the Czechs' second try.  26-12.

Rafael Álvarez chipped, chased, gathered, beat two defenders and scored Spain's third try.

Scorers:

For Spain:

Tries:  Mata, Feijoo, Álvarez
Cons:  Roqué 3
Pens:  Roqué 4

For Czech Republic:
Tries:  Skall, Jursik
Con:  Kafka

Teams:

Spain:  15 César Sempere, 14 Juan Cano,, 13 Javier Canosa, 12 Alvar Enciso, 11 Rafael Alvarez, 10 Esteban Roque, 9 Pablo Feijoo, 8 Óscar Astarloa, 7 Alfonso Mata, 6 Rafael Camacho, 5 César Bernasconi, 4 Andrew Ebbet, 3 Javier Salazar, 2 Mathieu Cidre, 1 César Caballero.
Replacements:  16 Diego Zarzosa, 17 Ion Insausti, 18 Sergio Souto, 19 Cyril Hijar, 20 Igor Mirones, 21 Andrei Kovalenko, 22 Victor Marlet

Czech Republic:  15 Krejcí Tomáš, 14 Jursík Václav, 13 Rohlík Jan, 12 Kafka Martin, 11 Cí?ek Martin, 10 Snídal Martin, 9 Vítezslav Dosedla, 8 Miroslav Nemecek, 7 Ladislav Vondrášek, 6 Jirí Buryánek, 5 Jan Machácek, 4 Robert Voves, 3 Pavel Indrák, 2 Jan Oswald, 1 Lukáš Rapant
Replacements:  16 Jirí Skall, 17 Patrik Leroch, 18 Karel Kucera, 19 Martin Hudák, 20 Pavel Vokrouhlík, 21 Jaroslav Tomcík, 22 Martin Pachman

Referee:  Andrew Small (England)
Touch judges:  Rowan Kitt, Andrew Pearce (both England)
Match commissioner:  Klaus Blank (Germany)

Springboks finish on a high

Two tries to one seals win

The Springboks ended their 2006 Tri-Nations on a winning note, beating the Wallabies 24-16 on a sunny spring afternoon at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.  The South Africans outscored Australia by two tries to one.

Despite the win, the Boks still finish with the tournament's wooden spoon; Australia finish second.  These placing were a done deal even before the game, as was the competition for the Mandela Challenge Plate that the Wallabies had won with their two victories in Australia earlier in the tournament.

The match had its moments -- moments rather than passages of constructive play, melodious snatches in a pretty ponderous piece of music.

It was not quite the boring kickathon that the two teams produced when they last met in Sydney, although the first half promised to be a repeat as they kicked and kicked and produced a half-time score of 3-all -- a penalty apiece.  Not even the goal-kicking was much cop as the Wallabies missed two -- one by Stirling Mortlock and one by Cameron Shepherd and André Pretorius missed two.

In fact it was a match of many errors.  There were handling errors by both sides, the Wallabies guilty of forward passes when they looked scoring.  The Springboks managed four gross kicks out of hand.  Pretorius failed to kick a penalty into touch but kicked a good ball over the dead-ball line, and Jean de Villiers and Wynand Olivier both cleared poorly to touch.

There was a time in the second half when the Springboks were playing like men either drunk or recklessly playing Russian roulette with their historic invincibility at Ellis Park.  They were sloppy in the tackle and sloppy in their handling.

The Wallabies must have been glad there were not more scrums, because the truth is that they are still not good enough as they buckled.  And yet from two wonky scrums they managed good attacks as the Springbok forwards, intent on scrumming, locked themselves in.

Ellis Park was not full -- 51,174 spectators for the third Highveld Test in successive weeks as "grassroots" found the exercise financially withering.  But John Smit, the Springbok captain, whose Tri-Nations had threatened to be the most miserable of all time, was pleased -- pleased with the victory and with the support at Ellis Park, saying that the momentum a second victory gave his side was paramount, especially with the World Cup final just a year away.

The Wallabies did not leave Johannesburg empty-handed as they were given the Mandela Plate, courtesy of their two home victories over the Springboks.

The Wallabies had the first chance to score when they got a really good maul going and BJ Botha was penalsied for collapsing it, but Mortlock hooked his kick to the left.

There was a bizarre near miss.  Stephen Larkham, 40 or so metres out, chipped and Rocky Elsom chased.  Fourie du Preez was at the ball and went strolling back with it.  At the line it stopped, by which time big Elsom was bearing down on him and Fourie managed to push the ball down on the line for a five-metre scrum.  It was an incident which may well have deserved a conversation with the television match official.

In this early part of the match the Wallabies were much more threatening.  When the Springboks overthrew a line-out George Gregan was on hand to attack.  Pedrie Wannenburg conceded a penalty and Mortlock opened the score after 17 minutes.

After that, more and more, the Springboks got on top,.  They counter-attacked and Pierre Spies had a great break past Rodney Blake.  He gave a perfect past to Jaque Fourie who, Mortlock looming, played inside on a switch to Wynand Olivier who looked certain to score till Clyde Rathbone mowed him down from behind.  Gregan was on hand to get the tackle ball and Olivier was penalised for holding on.

The Wallabies tapped a penalty for obstruction and debutant JP Pietersen was hard pressed on defence.

After missing two penalties, Pretorius, who was not as much in control as he had been against the All Blacks in Rustenburg, goaled the third when Daniel Vickerman was penalsied at a tackle on the half-way line and five metres in from touch.

At half-time Breyton Paulse came on as a substitute for Akona Ndungane -- it turned out to be a significant substitution on vital defence and decisive attack.

From the kick-off for the second half, Rathbone caught the ball.  He evaded AJ Venter but not Os du Randt and conceded a penalty for holding on.  Pretorius made it 6-3 with an easy kick.

But the Wallabies were soon back in front when the Springboks went on a drunken wobble.  De Villiers gave a poor clearance but the Springboks won the line-out.  They then won a turn-over but Victor Matfield eschewed the option of a simple pass and went on a crazy run.  He then lost the ball.  Matt Giteau scooped the ball up and went left where the Wallabies had numbers.  Big Wycliff Palu cut inside with power and at the line gave Larkham an easy try, which Mortlock converted.  10-6 after 45 minutes.

When Vickerman was penalised for an air tackle at a line-out, Pretorius made it 10-9 but the Wallabies attacked.  They were knocked out near the Springbok corner-post.  A quick throw-in saw Paulse hoof the ball miles down the field where Latham had no angle and kicked out just outside the Wallaby 22.  From the line-out Pretorius dropped a perfect goal.  12-10 after 53 minutes.

Spies caught the kick off and raced down the touch-line on his right.  He had just Latham to beat but opted to grubbered and grubbered into touch.

At this stage the Wallabies made changes, bringing on Mark Chisholm and Mark Gerrard.  When the Springboks got a maul going, Chisholm was penalised for collapsing it.  Du Preez tapped and charged at the backpedalling Wallabies.  Through and past Palu, Jeremy Paul, Gerrard, Blake and Nathan Sharpe he went to force his way for a try.  Pretorius converted.  19-10.  Now the Wallabies had to produce something extra to win.  They could not.

Palu had a great break past Du Preez, Venter and Wannenburg from a scrum but Fourie got him in the nick of time, but the Springboks were off-side in the subsequent disarray and Mortlock made it 19-13.  after 59 minutes.

Larkham kicked a high ball on 20-year-old Pietersen who knocked it on many metres where Venter showed disregard for the laws of the game and played it, way off-side, Mortlock made it 19-16.

After Matfield had flung an impossible line-out take at Du Preez's feet Sharpe had a great run till Paulse tackled him.  The move developed but Paulse was back up to intercept and clear.  But it looked as if the Wallaby was in the ascendant.  The ascendant fizzled out.

Paulse was also involved in a great Springbok attack down the right with Pietersen showing wonderful handling skills but inside five metres from the Wallaby line, Spies lost the ball forward and Giteau cleared.

Back the Springboks came down the right with Pietersen and Matfield prominent -- Pietersen twice.  The ball went back to the right where slightly-built Paulse crashed between Gerrard and Larkham, stretched and scored a splendid try.  24-16 with seven minutes to play.

Both sides made changes in that short time but neither looked likely to score though George Smith did find time for a bit of gratuitous stamping.

Man of the Match:  Chris Latham's positional play and boom-boom boot were outstanding, Nathan Sharpe was excellent and Phil Waugh still stole ball, but the stars were probably Springboks -- again Pierre Spies, strong Os du Randt, Breyton Paulse for his cameo appearance and our Man of the Match staunch Fourie du Preez who is such a good footballer and such a good team man.

Moment of the Match:  There was not great sparkle in the match but our Moment of the match is Breyton Paulse's try, build-up and finish.

Villain of the Match:  A few fisty-cuffs and a little bit of tap-dancing, but nothing overly naught.  No award.

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Tries:  Du Preez, Paulse
Con:  Pretorius
Pens:  Pretorius 3
DG:  Pretorius

For Australia:
Try:  Larkham
Con:  Mortlock
Pens:  Mortlock 3

Teams:

South Africa:  15 JP Pietersen, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Wynand Olivier, 10 André Pretorius, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pedrie Wannenburg, 7 AJ Venter, 6 Pierre Spies, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Johann Muller, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit, 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Lawrence Sephaka, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jacques Cronjé, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Breyton Paulse.

Australia:  15 Chris Latham, 14 Clyde Rathbone, 13 Stirling Mortlock, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Cameron Shepherd, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan (captain), 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Phil Waugh, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 Jeremy Paul, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements:  16 Tai McIsaac, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 George Smith, 20 Brett Sheehan, 21 Mark Gerrard, 22 Scott Staniforth.

Referee:  Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Touch judges:  Alan Lewis (Ireland), Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Television match official:  Eric Darrière (France)
Assessor:  Michel Lamoulie (France)

Pretorius penalty gives Boks a win

Losing streak ended at Royal Bafokeng Stadium

The Springboks ended their long-running losing streak with a nail-biting 21-20 win over the All Blacks at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg on Saturday -- South Africa's first win of the 2006 Tri-Nations tournament.

The teams scored two tries each, but Pretorius landed a 78th-minute penalty to put the Boks into the lead, which they clung on for their first win since June.

It not only ended a five-match losing streak for South Africa, it punctuated New Zealand's 15-match winning run.

Wow!  Take common sense and form and reason and throw them all away when 15 men stand up and decide that that other 15 -- the best in the world, they say -- are also just 15 men and can be beaten.  Take a team beleaguered, belittled and befuddled and give them a chance to play rugby football with serious determination and throw predictions in the bin.

This is the glory of sport -- the upset.  This is the glory of sport -- rival against rival in nail-biting contest.

The Springboks had little going for them -- a dilapidated season, playing on a ground they had never played on before to rob them of the advantage of being in their own "country" and with a threadbare crowd that spent much of the match like a sedate crowd of cricket watchers at a five-day test.

Then when the crowd sensed the possibility of a Springbok victory they got right behind the Springboks.  After all just being there proved their loyalty to the cause.

After the match Mils Muliaina said that the Springboks deserved to win, and that would be fair.  There was just a single point in it and obviously the All Blacks could have won but this time the pressure told and they became uncharacteristic -- their handling unsure.  Their captain Richie McCaw said that they had become frantic and lacked the composure which instead the Springboks had.  Perhaps chasing records produces counter-productive pressure of its own.  Perhaps having nothing but pride to lose produces winning determination.

Problems for the All Blacks started at the line-out.  They lost six to the Springboks and threw one in skew.  That was telling, and this time the Springboks used the ball won far better than they had done in their previous four Tri-Nations matches.  When Jason Eaton came on the All Black line-out got onto an even keel but by then a lost line-out had given the Springboks their second try.

For their part the Springboks did what people had been imploring them to do -- play with the ball in hand and play wide, for the All Blacks may be great attackers out wide but they are not great defenders there.

At flyhalf André Pretorius set his men running and they attacked space.  It was his brilliant pass that sent Pedrie Wannenburg plunging for the try.

The much-questioned Springbok loose forwards did well enough.  Jerry Collins was great for New Zealand and Richie McCaw was the boss of the tackle but otherwise the Springboks were well and truly in the game.

It was a day to remember at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace outside the western town of Rustenburg with its platinum mine.  It was a day when the Springboks struck gold.

There was a time when it looked as if it was going to be the chaos of Springs in 1964 but the gates were thrown open to let the people in, just in time.  There were singable anthems, the controversial throat-cutting haka and then a gripping match on an outstanding playing surface.

In the first couple of minutes Wannenburg dashed up and thumped Doug Howlett to ground.  Then the Springboks played wide to their right but Akona Ndungane was penalised for hanging on.  Penalties continue to blight the Springboks game.  In this match the count was 12-10 against them and seven of their dirty dozen are for tackle/ruck offences.

South Africa scored first when Rodney So’oialo was penalsied for going into the side of a maul.  He was also the player penalised last, and that was the one that counted as Pretorius set up his ball on a sand castle, peaked out from under a boxer's eyebrow and goaled the vital, winning kick.

After Fourie du Preez kicked the ball away Aaron Mauger had a frightening break which suggested that Springbok defence was leaky indeed but from then on it was, as John Smit described it "alert".

Having kicked badly and having missed a tackle Du Preez then went into the side of a tackle and was penalised.  Carter goaled to make it 3-3 after nine minutes.

When Ali Williams for a sceond time interfered with a line-out jumper in the air, Pretorius made it 6-3 after 16 minutes.

Then the All Blacks scored one of those tries that they make look so incredulously easy.

From a line-out after a poor clearing kick by Pretorius, they went left with Joe Rokocoko coming in from the right wing and Howlett sprinting down the left to send Sitiveni Sivivatu running.  Back they came right where Chris Jack took Carter's pass, which may have been meant to be a skip pass, and the big lock charged at the posts.  He got a pass to Jerry Collins who would surely have scored if he had not let Carter do so.  Carter converted and the All Blacks led 10-6.

Was this the sign of things to come?  Hindsight answers that.

The Springboks responded almost immediately when So’oialo dithered and then passed to his right.  The pass reached Bryan Habana who did what he did so well last year -- intercepted and jogged off for a try under the posts.  Pretorius converted.  13-10 after 20 minutes.

The score stuck on that for 20 minutes till just before half-time when AJ Venter made an appearance in the match, falling on the tackle area to be penalised and enable Carter to give his side parity at 13-all at half-time.

Not that nothing happened in those 20 minutes:  Os du Randt went off with a cut head, Carter -- astounding to relate -- missed a penalty kick at goal.  Rokocoko set the All Blacks going left and right.  The Springboks won a turn-over and Matfield, in his favourite position of fly-half, grubbered into touch.  The Springboks won an All Black throw into a line-out five metres from their own line but Carter smashed Du Preez back for a five-metre scrum.  The All Blacks bashed and then lost the "use it or lose it" maul.  The Springboks cleared but not out and the All Blacks were counter-attacking with Jerry Collins breaking.  The All Blacks went over.  Andrew Hore grounded the ball under the Springbok posts.  The referee consulted the television match official, Hugh Watkins of Wales, and he advised that So’oialo had obstructed Jean de Villiers.  Instead of a try the All Blacks were penalised.

So’oialo did not have the sport of game he will want prominently in his memory bank.

The second half belonged mainly to South Africa.  Pretorius tried to drop at goal three times.  The first attempt was charged down and he missed the other two by substantial margins.

The Springboks attacked and Chris Jack intercepted but the big man lacked the legs to carry him 70 metres.

Then Collins counter-attacked and Ndungane intercepted well inside his 22, but Rokocoko mowed him down without the possibility of a try.

The Springboks now sent on Breyton Paulse and Ruan Pienaar.  Pienaar was at scrum-half this time and had a great 27 minutes.

The Springboks won an All Black line-out and went far left.  Then they came back right and Pierre Spies straightened for the line.  In straightening he took out three defenders.  The ball came back to the Springboks quickly -- Pienaar to Pretorius going further right.  Under pressure Pretorius got a perfect pass to Wannenburg who scored far out.  The conversion was missed.  Later that seemed a crucial miss.

Going left Muliaina slipped a perfect grubber behind the Springboks backs and into their in-goal area where Rokocoko got to the ball first and got it down for a try far out.  Carter's boot was true and the All Blacks led 20-18 with 14 minutes to play.

Pretorius did much to keep the Springboks in All Black territory as he probed the diagonals.  They also had the ball in hand and De Villiers looked to have got away but a great Carter tackle pulled him down.

The All Blacks were in Springbok territory on the Springbok left.  Howlett was penalsied for diving on Paulse, and Pienaar kicked the penalty down onto the All Black 22.  He kicked because Pretorius was having trouble with cramp and Butch James was off the bench and looking likely to replace him.  This was significant in the unfolding drama.

The Springboks won the subsequent line-out and the All Blacks were penalised.  Cramp forgotten, Pretorius's nerve and body held as he goaled the kick that made the score 21-20 to the Springboks.

There was 1 minute and 17 seconds left on the clock.

It was still not time to rejoice -- not against the All Blacks who can score from anywhere.

The Springboks got the kick-off and kicked the ball out.  The All Blacks got the ball from the line-out and attacked.  Felled in a tackle by BJ Botha, the great McCaw lost the ball forward.  It was a scrum to the Springboks.  Do or die.  The scrum fell down and was reset.  It fell again and the siren went.  The ball had to be fed into the scrum.  It fell again and had to be reset.  The Springboks won the ball.  Kick it out and the game would have been won.  But Wannenburg picked up and dummied Kellher as he drove forward.  A pile of All Blacks fell on him.  The referee decided the situation was unplayable and blew the final whistle.

The unlikely had happened.

There were speeches and the King of the Bafokeng presented the Freedom Cup to South Africa, wrongfully it seems.  They were also, after all, the last team to beat the All Blacks before the mighty New Zealanders went on their winning spree, a spree which has come to an end after fourteen glorious months.

Man of the Match:  Daniel Carter and Jerry Collins were magnificent for New Zealand, such effective players and Aaron Mauger was back again to give direction.  For the Springboks there was a choice between André Pretorius and his steel nerve or the exuberance of young Pierre Spies who was playing just his third Test.  Our Man of the Match is Pierre Spies.

Moment of the Match:  There was Bryan Habana's intercept.  There was the television match official's verdict that Rodney So'oialo had obstructed and so there was no try for Andrew Hore.  But our moment of the match is that last penalty kick at goal by Andre Pretorius that flew, straight and true, between the winning uprights.

Villain of the Match:  Perhaps for his crucial errors Rodney So'oialo would be a candidate.  But by and large people behaved.

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Tries:  Habana, Wannenburg
Con:  Pretorius
Pens:  Pretorius 3

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Carter, Rokocoko
Cons:  Carter 2
Pens:  Carter 2

Teams:

South Africa:  15 Jaque Fourie, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 André Pretorius, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 AJ Venter, 7 Pierre Spies, 6 Pedrie Wannenburg, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Johann Muller, 3 BJ Botha, 2 John Smit (captain), 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements:  16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Lawrence Sephaka, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jacques Cronjé, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Butch James, 22 Breyton Paulse.

New Zealand:  15 Doug Howlett, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Malili Muliaina, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Anton Oliver, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Jason Eaton, 19 Marty Holah, 20 Byron Kelleher, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Rico Gear.

Referee:  Chris White
Touch judges:  Alan Lewis (Ireland), Eric Darrière (France)
Television match official:  Hugh Watkins (Wales)
Assessor:  Michel Lamoulie (France)