Wales catch Argentina cold

Wales silenced their doubters with a highly absorbing 27-20 victory over Argentina at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, thereby exorcised the ghosts of that record defeat at Twickenham.

The Pumas managed to steady themselves after a woeful start and almost snatched a share of the spoils when Martín Durand piled over the line at the death, but a timely intervention by Duncan Jones saved the day for Wales.

Admittedly, and as Gareth Jenkins's band of detractors will duly point out, the Pumas looked decidedly off-colour for much of the match.

This was not the side ranked fifth in the world -- the outfit seen by many as the dark horse of the forthcoming World Cup.  The side that turned up in Cardiff resembled the Pumas of old:  hesitant, disjointed, a touch naïve and in awe of their hosts and the surroundings.

Things did improve for the visitors in the second half as the rust began to flake away, but the mental damage had already been done.

And with no major engagements before hostilities begin for real, one can't help think that the South Americans might be in danger of being undercooked for that crucial opening fixture against France in Paris.

Yet credit must go to Wales for shaking that dire performance against England out of their systems with a display of confidence and cunning.

The line-out is still a huge concern, but the red forwards somehow managed to bully the bullies of world rugby.

James Hook and Gareth Thomas added wit and zip to the backline, and the whole ensemble was held together by the peerless Martyn Williams.

But Wales, desperate to conjure up something special, made the worst possible start as Thomas's pass to Tom Shanklin was plucked out of the air by Ignacio Corleto.

Hook gave valiant chase but the Stade Français wing sprinted 60 metres to score unopposed in the left corner.

The paltry crowd slumped further in their seats when Hook's first shot at goal crashed back off the left-hand post -- but the brilliant fly-half soon had them dancing in the aisles.

Hook sold a perfect dummy, sliced through the Argentina midfield and then presented his captain with the chance to make swift amends.  Thomas scored gratefully under the posts and Hook's conversion drew Wales level.

It was a positive response from Wales, who continued to be haunted by troubles in the line-out but were strong in defence and succeeded in forcing Argentina into mistakes.

With the Pumas on the back foot, Wales began to play at the high pace at which they are most comfortable and most dangerous.

They attacked quickly from turnover ball on halfway, Dwayne Peel anxious to take quick tap penalties as Argentina tried desperately to slow the ball down.

Thomas's jinking run cut deep into Argentina's 22.  Wales earned a penalty right in front of the posts -- a guaranteed three points -- but the Pumas were in disarray.

Peel wasted no time and sent Alun-Wyn Jones powering over for his maiden Test try.  Hook converted and the crowd began to stir.

Within minutes they were on their feet again as Wales scored their second try in the space of three minutes.

Argentina's fullback Federico Serra slipped as he took a pass on half-way and Hook hacked the loose ball forward to turn Argentina on their heels.

Tom Shanklin took up the chase, twice got his boot to ball and, despite Corleto's best efforts, Mark Jones was on hand to touch down for a try confirmed by video official Romaine Poite.

Argentina wing Lucas Borges was then sent to the sin-bin after a dangerous tackle on Wales fullback Kevin Morgan, who was taken out in mid-air.

Hook slotted a simple penalty to extend Wales's advantage as Argentina struggled to recover from the hammer blow.

Martyn Williams opened the second half by putting Pichot under huge pressure and stripped the ball from the Argentina scrum-half.  Shanklin spotted a gap, attacked around the fringes and broke into clear ground only to be called back for obstruction.

Todeschini slotted a second penalty to bring Argentina within a converted try and the visitors began to believe.

They took the game to the locals and managed to wrestle back the lion's share of territory and possession.

With less than three minutes remaining the Pumas forced Wales back onto their own line as Todeschini fired a brilliant penalty into touch just five metres out.

Wales hooker Matthew Rees was sin-binned for deliberate off-side as Wales threw bodies in the way in a desperate attempt to keep Argentina out.

At the third time of asking, Durand was driven over the line but Duncan Jones caused him to spill the ball, and Wales let out a collective sigh of relief as referee Chris White called for no-time.

So, in the context of the Rugby World Cup, what should we make of this strange game played under a closed roof to empty stands?

The bizarre backdrop brought to mind one of those cavernous hangars mortgaged out by the likes of Ernst Stavro Blofeld.  Yet on today's evidence, James Bond can stand down:  neither of these two works-in-progress looks capable of holding the world to ransom.

Man of the match:  All the usual suspects shone for Argentina during that second-half resurgence, with the energetic Mario Ledesma to the fore.  Wales's backline looked more assured under the twin leadership of James Hook and Gareth Thomas, and there were handy contributions from Tom Shanklin.  Ian Gough, Alix Popham and Alun-Wyn Jones took the game to Argentina's pack to devastating effect, but our man-of-the-match is the evergreen Martyn Williams.  So intelligent, so industrious, so strong -- so unsung!

Moment of the match:  James Hook's break that led to Gareth Thomas's try was a moment of pure class, but it was upstaged by the break made by Lucas Borges that handed Ignacio Corleto his second try.  It reminded the watching the world that the Argentinians can served up more than just beef.

Villain of the match:  Quite a bit of niggle for a so-called "friendly".  Lucas Borges's dangerous challenge on Kevin Morgan was ugly but perhaps not as bad as it looked -- his remorse was evident for all to see.  We'll hand this hideous gong to the WRU for the shambolic ticketing policy that left the bottom tier of the Millennium Stadium devoid of fans.  If Brains Bitter, the team's sponsor, ever decided to host a post-match bash at their HQ, they'd be advised to exclude the WRU from the organising committee.

The scorers:

For Wales:
Tries:  Thomas, A-W Jones, M Jones
Cons:  Hook 3
Pen:  Hook 2

For Argentina:
Tries:  Corleto 2
Cons:  Todeschini 2
Pens:  Todeschini 2

Yellow card(s):  Borges (Argentina) -- dangerous challenge, 28;  Rees (Wales) -- killing the ball, 79

The teams:

Wales:  15 Kevin Morgan, 14 Dafydd James, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Gareth Thomas (captain), 11 Mark Jones, 10 James Hook, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Alix Popham, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Jonathan Thomas, 5 Alun-Wyn Jones, 4 Ian Gough, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Duncan Jones.
Replacements:  16 T Rhys Thomas, 17 Gethin Jenkins, 18 Will James, 19 Colin Charvis, 20 Mike Phillips, 21 Ceri Sweeney, 22 Jamie Robinson.

Argentina:  15 Federico Serra, 14 Lucas Borges, 13 Martín Gaitán, 12 Felipe Contepomi, 11 Ignacio Corleto, 10 Federico Todeschini, 9 Agustín Pichot (captain), 8 Gonzalo Longo, 7 Juan Fernández Lobbe, 6 Juan Manuel Leguizamón, 5 Patricio Albacete, 4 Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, 3 Martín Scelzo, 2 Mario Ledesma, 1 Rodrigo Roncero.
Replacements:  16 Alberto Vernet Basualdo, 17 Santiago González Bonorino, 18 Rimas Álvarez Kairelis, 19 Martín Durand, 20 Nicolás Vergallo, 21 Manuel Contepomi, 22 Horacio Agulla

Referee:  Chris White (England)
Touch judges:  Tony Spreadbury (England), George Clancy (Ireland)
TMO:  Romaine Poite (France)

Ferocious France defend fortress Marseille

Let the games commence!  France, hosts of the forthcoming Rugby World Cup, laid down an outsized marker in the shape of a well-executed 22-9 victory over England at Stade Velodrome in Marseille on Saturday.

England ventured to Marseille with the objective of boosting their fragile confidence.  They will leave battered, bruised and no better off in terms of self-belief, for while their defence was stout and manful, their attack was bordering on non-existent.

In a game full of passion it was little surprise to see emotions simmering and then boiling over with a regularity that demonstrated the importance of this game to both sides.

England, however, would have been better advised to channel their energy into conjuring a cutting edge in their back line play.

The lack of tries, and for that matter the lack of try-scoring opportunities, will be a major concern for Brian Ashton, especially given that their next game is indeed the first of their title defence.  While Andy Farrell was a rock in defence you sense that he is not the answer at inside centre on attack.

The French pack took to the field with last week's harsh criticisms ringing in their ears, and it was evident in the manner with which the tore into England from the off.

England's hideous red shirts may have been the rag to the bull that tipped the French into such a frenzied state.

Credit to England, then, for standing toe-to-toe with their counterparts, but ultimately they could not match them for the duration.

It was the first-half battering that allowed the space to open up after the break.  That France failed to win by a more substantial margin is a result of their own mistakes, the most glaring of these from Imañol Harinordoquy which cost his side a clear seven points.

Simon Shaw was a beacon in the England pack, leading the rebuke time and again.  But a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Damien Traille on the stoke of half-time seemed to take the sting out of his game -- it was during that period where France effectively killed the game off, but it was the foundations laid in the opening stanza that paved the way.

After a ferocious opening fifteen minutes Jonny Wilkinson nudged England into a three-point lead with a straight forward penalty, only to see his effort cancelled out two minutes later by a Jean-Baptiste Elissalde effort.

As was often the case, it was England's lack of discipline at critical moments that cost them so dear.  Shaun Perry's pointless tackle on Harinordoquy when the ball was clearly still in the scrum was the first of these frustrating moments of madness.  Yet another worry for Ashton who was looking for a more mature display from his charges.

There was simply no controlling the macho battle at times, with Martin Corry and Fabien Pelous coming to blows on more than one occasion.

One got the impression that the respective forward packs were intent on seeing who could flex their muscle the most.  That these showdowns often descended into heated discussions added to the already intense atmosphere at Stade Velodrome.

With the scores tied at a measly three apiece, the remainder of the first half was dominated by the boot of Elissalde who added three more penalties before the break.  The last a result of Shaw's careless swinging arm in a tackle.  It was this same incident that led to England skipper Phil Vickery being stretchered from the field.

Luckily for England, Vickery, having been knocked out, was seen sitting up and talking to medical staff during the interval.  They will need his teak-tough frame to be in the best possible fettle as they now embark on their defence of the Webb Ellis trophy.

The needless England infringements continued after the break, and as referee Alain Rolland said to Matt Stevens after he entered a ruck from the side, most of the infringements were "stupid and pointless".  Not so for France as they served up further chances for points, that Elissalde missed the resultant shot at goal was a small reprieve for Stevens.

In fact it was Wilkinson who booted the next three points to trim the margin to just six points, but with Shaw still cooling his heels it was France who added fuel to the already roaring fire and stepped up their game.

Firstly the energetic Yannick Nyanga rampaged towards the line only to drop the ball in the act of grounding.  And then Yannick Jauzion struck the telling blow.  From Nyanga's knock-on the England scrum was destroyed earning France the put in.

A telling drive towards the line from Harinordoquy was followed by the simplest of finishes.  Frédéric Michalak drew the defence onto himself with a clever line of running before slipping the ball on the inside to Jauzion.  Such was the centre's angle that Farrell was unable to stop him and all of a sudden England were starring down the barrel.

Following the latest bout of fighting, again involving Corry, Wilkinson chipped over his third penalty attempt.  Yet as hard as they tried to create something other than kicking opportunities, France were full of answers in defence and effectively blunted England's less than razor-sharp attack.

Having said that, Harinordoquy was hardly sharpening knives with his butchering of a guaranteed try.  With Clément Poitrenaud wide open five metres from the line, the Biarritz number eight opted for the Chabal approach and clattered into Mark Cueto.  Unfortunately for Harinordoquy he does not have the same impact as Chabal, and Cueto was equal to the tackle and with that went France's last try-scoring opportunity.

Michalak did add a further three points to condemn the English misery before the game died away in the closing stages.

England need to find a try-scoring source and quickly.  They may have put nine on Wales's fringe team but all but one of those came through the forwards with a combined yardage of about ten metres.  The simple truth is they won't be able to bully the likes of South Africa in the forward exchanges.

France, well they were typically French.  For long periods they were happy to match England and batter their way around the pitch.  But unlike England, when the cracks appeared they utilised their options and developed nicely as the game went on.  So much so that in the second half England were totally outplayed.

So Brian Ashton has three weeks and only training to rectify England's shortcomings.  The alternative is an early flight home in September.

Man of the Match:  For England Andy Farrell was a tower of strength in defence and this was without doubt his best game in an England shirt to date.  Tom Rees was lively but faded in the second half.  Then there was Simon Shaw, who, a yellow card aside, was England's best player.  Yet this award must go to a Frenchman.  Cédric Heymans was exciting with ball in hand, and Yannick Jauzion showed glimpses of his devastating form.  But we have gone for the industrious Yannick Nyanga.  His endless running with ball in hand and tireless work in defence allowed those around him extra time and space.  A class performance worthy of the award.

Moment of the Match:  It has to be Simon Shaw's yellow card.  With the match hanging in the balance and going towards the break, it was Shaw's high shot and departure to the sin-bin that allowed France to press on and seal the game.

Villain of the Match:  The tempers may have boiled over on a regular basis but none of it was too malicious.  Simon Shaw's high tackle was deserving of a yellow card but not this award.  We instead give it to the designer of England's kit.  Their "home" kit is not exactly fetching but this little number was horrendous and hardly befitting of our glorious game.

The scorers:

For France:
Tries:  Jauzion
Cons:  Elissalde
Pen:  Elissalde 4, Michalak

For England:
Pens:  Wilkinson 3

Yellow card(s):  Shaw (England) -- high tackle, 40

The teams:

France:  15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Cédric Heymans 13 Damien Traille, 12 Yannick Jauzion, 11 Christophe Dominici, 10 Frédéric Michalak, 9 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 8 Imañol Harinordoquy, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Yannick Nyanga, 5 Jérôme Thion, 4 Fabien Pelous, 3 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 2 Raphaël Ibañez (captain), 1 Olivier Milloud.
Replacements:  16 Sébastian Bruno, 17 Nicolas Mas, 18 Lionel Nallet, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Pierre Mignoni, 21 David Skréla, 22 Aurélien Rougerie.

England:  15 Mark Cueto, 14 Josh Lewsey, 13 Dan Hipkiss, 12 Andy Farrell, 11 Jason Robinson, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Shaun Perry, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Tom Rees, 6 Martin Corry, 5 Steve Borthwick, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Phil Vickery (c), 2 George Chuter, 1 Perry Freshwater.
Replacements:  16 Lee Mears, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Joe Worsley, 19 Lawrence Dallaglio, 20 Andy Gomarsall, 21 Olly Barkley, 22 Paul Sackey.

Referee:  Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges:  Alan Lewis (Ireland), Nigel Owens (Wales)

Italy given tough work-out by Japan

Italy had to work hard to beat a disciplined Japan team 36-12 in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday.

Italy made a good start and soon roared into a 22-0 lead with a David Bortolussi penalty and three tries, two from Marko Stanojevic and one from Kaine Robertson.

But Japan, coached by former Italy boss John Kirwan, began to find their feet in a match played in the Alpine town of St Vincent.

Tatsukichi Nishiura touched down for a try that was converted by Kosuko Endo and then flanker Hare Makiri also scored a try which brought the score back to 22-12.

The visitors could not make further in-roads against an Italy team that struggled for much of the second half.

However, the hosts did put some distance between them and their visitors with two late tries.

Andrea Lo Cicero and Mauro Bergamasco were the scorers with Bortolussi slotting both conversions to give coach Pierre Berbizier a comfortable victory margin.

The scorers:

For Italy:

Tries:  Stanojevic 2, Robertson, Lo Cicero, Mauro Bergamasco
Cons:  Bortolussi 4
Pen:  Bortolussi

For Japan:

Tries:  Nishiura, Makiri
Cons:  Endo

The teams:

Italy:  15 David Bortolussi, 14 Kaine Robertson, 13 Gonzalo Canale, 12 Mirco Bergamasco, 11 Marko Stanojevic, 10 Ramiro Pez, 9 Alessandro Troncon, 8 Sergio Parisse, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Josh Sole, 5 Marco Bortolami (captain), 4 Santiago Dellapè, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Carlo Festuccia, 1 Andrea Lo Cicero.
Replacements:  16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Salvatore Perugini, 18 Valerio Bernabò, 19 Manoa Vosawai, 20 Pablo Canavosio, 21 Andrea Masi, 22 Roland De Marigny.

Japan:  15 Bryce Robins, 14 Kosuke Endo, 13 Yuta Imamura, 12 Shotaro Onishi, 11 Christian Loamanu, 10 Eiji Ando, 9 Tomoki Yoshida, 8 Takuro Miuchi (captain), 7 Philip O'Reilly, 6 Hare Makiri, 5 Luke Thompson, 4 Hitoshi Ono, 3 Tomokazu Soma, 2 Yuji Matsubara, 1 Tatsukichi Nishiura.
Replacements:  16 Taku Inokuchi, 17 Ryo Yamamura, 18 Samurai Vatuvei, 19 Ryota Asano, 20 Kim Chul-Won, 21 Kousei Ono, 22 Go Aruga

Referee:  Dave Pearson (England)

Scotland tie up Ireland`s second string

Scotland, inspired by hat-trick man Andy Henderson, beat Ireland's World Cup hopefuls 31-21 in their World Cup warm-up at Murrayfield on Saturday.

World Cup warm-up games are a tricky proposition.  You either use them to give your full strength side valuable game time, or on the other hand you can utilise them as a means of firming up your final squad.  Either way there are risks, the choice is down to the coach as to how much he gambles.

The usually shrewd Eddie O'Sullivan went the route of giving fringe players a run out in an attempt to gain peace of mind that his squad has the necessary depth to compete at the World Cup.  It failed, and what's more it failed so miserably that Ireland, dark horses for the World Cup, will leave Edinburgh having gained nothing of note from the game.

Frank Hadden, on the other hand, saw his gamble pay off handsomely.  Opting to run his senior troops out and ensure they rid themselves of any rust that had built up since their last outing, a deflating defeat to France, he couldn't have dreamed of a better result.

The timely return of Jason White in the back row gave the Scottish a visible lift.  So too did the inclusion of Chris Paterson at fly-half, a masterstroke from Hadden that could well have come in the nick of time for a side who showed more class and diversity in one game here than they did in the entire Six Nations.

There was the worrying matter of a mini Irish revival, which brought them within three points of Scotland midway through the second half, but ultimately it petered out with the flurry of substitutions that threatened to ruin the game altogether.

Such was the manner that Scotland went about their business that Ireland could just not resist the dark blue waves of attack that swept over them time and again.  The calming influence of Jason White was seen from the off, his first touch, a line-out take deep in the Irish half led to fellow flank Ally Hogg dotting down for a simple try to which Paterson added the extras in just the third minute.

White's game subsequently developed as he played his way back into rugby after an enforced six month break due to injury.  His next telling contribution was a thunderous tackle to force a mistake from Paddy Wallace at a time when Ireland seemed to be gaining a sense of ascendancy over Scotland.  The tackle not only jolted the Irish but spurred Scotland on further.

Aside from a Paddy Wallace penalty in the ninth minute it was Scotland, directed by Mike Blair and Paterson at half-back, who took complete control of the encounter on a wet afternoon.  White was ably assisted by his forward pack as Scotland broke first tackles with regular ease and caused Ireland countless problems at the set piece.

Ireland were not without their moments of magic or class.  The sight of Geordan Murphy flying through the air to claim a telling cross-field kick from Chris Paterson was a sign of his stability at full-back and a show of his commitment to the cause.

Likewise Paul O'Connell was a telling presence in the loose.  However the fact he, a second row, outplayed Stephen Ferris and Jamie Heaslip, the supposedly dynamic back row duo, in that aspect of the game will be a concern to O'Sullivan.  Factors such as that will do little to ease the glaring concern to emerge from this game -- Ireland lack world class depth in their squad.

In contrast Scotland, while not perfect, displayed a marked improvement on their Six Nations form and will head forward from here with the positives they would have looked for.  The build up play to their second try was nothing short of sensational as they went through seven phases and used forwards and backs to create space for Paterson who was hauled down short.

Nevertheless Scotland struck from the scrum, a cheeky delayed pass from Blair to the hard running Andy Henderson confused the Irish defence substantially enough for the centre to crash his way over.  Paterson again added the extras and Scotland were in the ascendancy.

They were momentarily pinned back by a Geordan Murphy penalty but as the half eked away and Jason White continued demonstrating why he has been so sorely missed they crossed for a third and telling try.  Paterson, a livewire at ten, released first Rory and then Sean Lamont before his forwards burrowed Euan Murray over for an unconverted score.

A second half in which Ireland had plenty to do started in the same vein as the first, with Scotland flexing their muscle and Ireland providing few answers to the physical test being laid down to them.  The result was a second try for Henderson as Tommy Bowe sold himself on an intercept, missed and stood watching as Henderson flopped over the line for a score that seemed to settle the game.

Then came the worrying spell, the spell that will leave Frank Hadden with more than a few points to muse over.  The most notable of these will be how his side fell asleep and allowed Ireland to score fifteen unanswered points in as many minutes.  The fact Jason White had left the field for ten of those minutes may have been a contributing factor.  The captain was taken off, a wise move seeing as Scotland may have lost Chris Cusiter to a late injury.

The impressive Isaac Boss got the ball rolling for Ireland when he brushed off a weak tackle from Sean Lamont around the fringe of a ruck to force his way over from close range.  Paddy Wallace duly added the extras and the Irish found some renewed hope and with it a sense of structure to their otherwise messy game.

As Ireland found momentary shape to their game Scotland lost all of theirs amid a flurry of changes.  It was one of Ireland's changes who scored the try to cause Scotland most concern.  A loose line out throw, one of only two from Scotland, allowed Ferris and Heaslip to combine close to the line before Boss spun it wide.  Quick hands found Murphy, who rode a high shot from Rory Lamont before offloading to Andrew Trimble who slid over.

Apart from a Wallace penalty to cut the deficit to just three points Ireland were done for the afternoon, and as soon as Scotland found some of their shape again, Ireland could not prevent Henderson from completing his hat-trick with another powerful run from close range.  Dan Parks took on the disinterested Ronan O'Gara, who at least made half an attempt to stop him, before slipping a clever pass to Henderson who went in under the posts.  Parks added the extra two and Scotland sealed an impressive win.

The fact it was an Ireland second choice side will be of little significance to the Scots who will head away with far more value than Ireland.  The re-emergence of their pack as a formidable force will be a major plus.  But more than that they looked like a side who had a game plan and the players to execute it.

Chris Paterson was a revelation at fly-half and Hadden will do well to utilise him there during the World Cup.  The loss of Cusiter late on to a knee injury will be a dampener on the day but it will not detract to Scotland's impressive display.

Ireland failed to show anything that we didn't already know.  O'Connell was the standout forward, closely followed by the industrious Neil Best.  The rest of the pack failed to impress, which will be of concern to O'Sullivan at this stage.  Their back line looked average, Boss and O'Driscoll the stars with Trimble coming on to support them.

There is much to be done from both sides before they depart for France but on this display Ireland are not so much dark horses as wild horses, whilst the brave hearts of Scotland grew in stature ready for the daunting task of stopping the All Blacks.

Man of the Match:  With the Irish reclining from holding their hands up for this award we naturally opted for a Scot.  Chris Paterson was a revelation at fly-half and Andy Henderson was superb at centre but it was their captain, sentimental I know, who was the catalyst for a new Scotland.  Jason White's telling contributions came at critical moments and despite leaving the field after fifty five minutes he did enough to show why Scotland need him so much.

Moment of the Match:  The first line out of the game went to Scotland and as they took the ball down they destroyed the Irish pack with a fierce drive and that set the tone for the remainder of the game.  It was not a total domination of the Irish pack but for the most Scotland were in control.

Villain of the Match:  Not a sniff of trouble.

The scorers:

For Scotland:
Tries:  Hogg, Henderson 3, Murray
Cons:  Paterson 2, Parks

For Ireland:
Try:  Boss, Trimble
Con:  Wallace
Pens:  Wallace 2, Murphy

The teams:

Scotland:  15 Rory Lamont, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Rob Dewey, 12 Andrew Henderson, 11 Simon Webster, 10 Chris Paterson, 9 Mike Blair, 8 Simon Taylor, 7 Allister Hogg, 6 Jason White (c), 5 Jim Hamilton, 4 Nathan Hines, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ross Ford, 1 Allan Jacobsen.
Replacements:  16 Fergus Thomson, 17 Craig Smith, 18 Scott MacLeod, 19 Kelly Brown, 20 Chris Cusiter, 21 Dan Parks, 22 Nikki Walker.

Ireland:  15 Geordan Murphy, 14 Brian Carney, 13 Brian O'Driscoll (c), 12 Gavin Duffy, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Paddy Wallace, 9 Isaac Boss, 8 Jamie Heaslip, 7 Stephen Ferris, 6 Neil Best, 5 Paul O'Connell, 4 Malcolm O'Kelly, 3 Simon Best, 2 Jerry Flannery, 1 Bryan Young.
Replacements:  16 Rory Best, 17 John Hayes, 18 Alan Quinlan, 19 Keith Gleeson, 20 Eoin Reddan, 21 Ronan O'Gara, 22 Shane Horgan.

Referee:  Tony Spreadbury (England)
Touch-judges:  Wayne Barnes (England) and Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Television match official:  Rob Debney (England)

Chabal cameo tears England apart

A rampaging last twenty minutes by France star Sébastien Chabal, including a late try, helped France to a 21-15 win over England at Twickenham on Saturday.

England gave their beleaguered fans reason for hope by demolishing Wales last weekend.

But those English hopes, as so often before, turned out to be tomorrow's veneer on yesterday's disappointments.  France scratched the surface and found more MDF than oak.

Perhaps that's harsh.  England are still experimenting with combinations and are just emerging from a long period in the Test wilderness.

Should we not still consider a tight game against a decent French side as a mock-triumph?

For long periods of this game the men in white had the better of their guests and showed the moments of skill, fluidity and adventure that were lacking against the Welsh.

Indeed, a fifth successive home win under Brian Ashton looked on the cards after Olly Barkley booted four penalties and Andy Gomarsall dropped a goal.

But Chabal struck nine minutes from time, powering through weak English defence for the decisive score of a gripping game.

If only that was the difference.  Unfortunately, England's problems run deeper than a rampaging caveman.

Despite the bulldog, the technical nous and the muscle, England lack the instincts of the French -- the ability to read situations and adapt play accordingly.

What will depress the hoards drinking away their sorrows in the shadow of the West Stand is that such skills aren't coached, they are dished out at birth.

England's main difficulty was converting hard pressure into inventive points.  Having made the hard yards, their backs failed to find the line.

In contrast, France fly-half David Skrela and his replacement Frédéric Michalak had the time and inclination to use the whole width of the pitch.  How England's behemoth forwards failed to get up their noses will be a question Brian Ashton must answer by next weekend.

As for England's brigade of "maybes", Ben Kay, Jamie Noon and Josh Lewsey held their hands up high;  Nick Abendanon and Paul Sackey had some good moments.  Olly Barkley and James Haskell might be wishing they could have auditioned in their preferred positions.

It was Barkley, playing fly-half, who punctuated a nervy opening spell by bagging a penalty after France were found guilty of holding on in the tackle in the ninth minute of the game.

France hit straight back, catapulting Aurelien Rougerie at England's midfield.  The ball was recycled and a floated pass from the nerveless Skrela found Fabien Pelous lurking in the tramlines, and the big lock duly celebrated his return to the Test stage by beating Josh Lewsey's despairing tackle to score an unconverted try in the corner.

England's errors then began to mount and the visitors soon had a shot at goal for an English infringement at the breakdown.  Skrela pocketed the points and the writing appeared to be on the wall for England.

But the locals responded well and some slick inter-passing between their forwards indicated that they were warming to the task.

The endeavour was rewarded as David Marty's lazy running handed Barkley a long-distance shot at goal, and the Bath star made no mistake.

Unwilling to be outshone, once again, by their big-boned mates, England's backline began exchanging passes and a superb break by Mike Catt gave France some food for thought.

Rougerie was then pinged for obstruction and Barkley stepped up to give England the lead with another fine shot at goal.  Against the odds, England were ahead with seven minutes until the break.

France immediately tacked out of the doldrums as Damien Traille cut the white line in two.  The speed of the move left big Andrew Sheridan marooned in an off-side position, and Skrela took the points on offer to steal back the lead.

Shaun Perry sparked the next England attack, shepherding his big forwards into gaps as the French beat an enforced retreat.

The back-pedalling blues were eventually forced to snuff out the move illegally, and Barkley duly snatched back the lead to leave the half-time scored poised at 12-11 in favour of the locals.

France's cool was shaken in the early stages of the second half as Skrela missed a kick at goal and Noon killed a raid with a fabulous tackle/turnover in midfield.

England's defence grew more confident as France channelled their attacks, somewhat naively, at England's well-manned fringes.

And like old Chief Bromden in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the English suddenly seemed to become aware of their own muscularity and began to assert their authority on the visitors.

France were soon pinned to their line, but England's backs failed to take advantage of what was on offer.  It was Gomarsall, on for Perry, who finally took the initiative by slotting a drop-goal.

France responded to England's growing confidence by unleashing the odd couple of Frédéric Michalak and Sébastien Chabal, thereby adding a little beauty -- and a sizeable slab of beast -- to proceedings.

The gamble soon paid off as Chabal forced England to cough up a penalty in defence, and Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, on for Pierre Mignoni, brought France within one point.

England then pulled a France on France, running back a failed touch-finder at pace, with Abendanon to the fore.  But Les Bleus stood firm and repelled the attack with some terrific defence, Dimitri Szarzewski's tackle on the glory-bound Phil Vickery being the hit of the day.

France were now visibly pumped, and it was time for their double substitution to make its mark.

The dancing feet of Michalak momentarily mesmerised England's defence, and it was then on to Chabal who bulldozed over both Abendanon and Lewsey to score in the corner.

Skrela converted and the tables were well and truly turned.

England had seven minutes to save the day and took the game to the visitors.

Ashton's final throw of the dice saw Jonny Wilkinson replace Catt with two minutes left, and a turn-over on the French line had the Twickenham faithful on their feet.

But a lack of precision at the critical moment -- a recurring theme in England's game -- allowed France off the hook.

Man of the match:  There were soon decent performances from the English, and important ones from Ben Kay, Josh Lewsey and Jamie Noon.  Lee Mears showed some class from the bench, and Lawrence Dallaglio is not so much on the train to France as pulling it through the chunnel -- he was at the eye of every English storm.  Now the English must play as a team.  Meanwhile, there were fine performances across the French side, particularly in the backline, where Aurelien Rougerie and David Skrela shone.  But how can we ignore the contribution of Sébastien Chabal?  Try and cameo billing aside, he was pivotal to the late effort that got France across the line.  He broke Ali Williams's jaw on his last outing, today he broke England's resolve.

Moment of the match:  Surely Sébastien Chabal's try -- with power like that, who needs backs?

Villain of the match:  Mark Regan enjoyed getting into French faces, but he can't help getting old and crotchety!  All good clean fun -- no award.

The scorers:

For England:
Pens:  Barkley 4
Drop goal:  Gomarsall

For France:
Tries:  Pelous, Chabal
Con:  Elissalde
Pens:  Skrela 2, Elissalde

England:  15 Nick Abendanon, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Jamie Noon, 12 Mike Catt (captain), 11 Josh Lewsey, 10 Olly Barkley, 9 Shaun Perry, 8 Lawrence Dallaglio, 7 Lewis Moody, 6 James Haskell, 5 Ben Kay, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Matt Stevens, 2 Mark Regan, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements:  16 Lee Mears, 17 Phil Vickery, 18 Martin Corry, 19 Joe Worsley, 20 Andy Gomarsall, 21 Jonny Wilkinson, 22 Danny Cipriani.

France:  15 Clément Poitrenaud, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 David Marty, 12 Damien Traille, Aurelien Rougerie, Pierre Mignoni and Julien Bonnaire, 6 Serge Betsen, 5 Jérôme Thion, 4 Fabien Pelous, 3 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 2 Raphaël Ibañez (captain), 1 Olivier Milloud.
Replacements:  16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Nicolas Mas, 18 Sébastien Chabal, 19 Yannick Nyanga, 20 Jean-Baptiste Elissalde, 21 Frédéric Michalak, 22 Cédric Heymans.

Referee:  Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Touch judges:  Nigel Owens (Wales), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official:  Tim Hayes (Wales)

England reborn as Easter rocks Wales

England gave their Rugby World Cup credentials a timely boost by putting Wales to the sword at sunny Twickenham on Saturday.  Nick Easter contributed four of England's nine tries as the visitors slumped to a painful 62-5 defeat.

Shaun Perry, Lawrence Dallaglio, Steve Borthwick, Jason Robinson and Mathew Tait also touched down, while Jonny Wilkinson's seven conversions and a penalty saw him pass 900 Test points.

The win surpassed England's previous best of 50-10 against Wales during the 2002 Six Nations tournament.

Dallaglio, one of England's 2003 World Cup heroes, appeared for the final 20 minutes and scored a try, yet unsung Easter had already produced a headline-grabbing performance.

England head coach Brian Ashton will announce his 30-man World Cup squad in 10 days' time, and Easter apart, there were also significant contributions from centres Dan Hipkiss and Andy Farrell, together with Perry and lock Simon Shaw.

England could meet Wales in the World Cup quarter-finals on the opening weekend of October.  If today's evidence proves an accurate gauge, it will be a no-contest.

England eclipsed their 43-9 World Cup warm-up victory over Wales in Cardiff four years ago.

On that occasion, they effectively sent a third team to the Millennium Stadium.  Wales repaid the "compliment" but it backfired miserably and England must expect a far sterner test against Twickenham visitors France next Saturday.

Glorious sunshine and a 66,000 crowd greeted England for the opening Test of their warm-up programme, but there was an inauspicious start when full-back Mark Cueto suffered an injury warming up.

England had already replaced back strain victim Peter Richards on the bench with Harlequins scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, when Cueto withdrew due to a pulled groin muscle.

Tait took over the number 15 shirt for his first England start in that position, but the injury seemingly came too late for the world champions to name an additional replacement, so they went into action with just six substitutes.

England still sent out a powerful line-up -- their match-day 22 included five Test skippers, plus ex-Great Britain league leader Farrell -- while Wales were nowhere near full strength.

Only a third of their starting XV could be considered World Cup certainties, and they arrived in south-west London without a win at Twickenham since their 1988 Five Nations Triple Crown season.

Cueto's injury though seemed to set a tone as Farrell went off for treatment to a head wound inside four minutes and Toby Flood took over.

Wales set the early pace and England struggled to settle, with Wilkinson rifling an opening 45-metre penalty chance wide of the target.

But any nerves were calmed on 14 minutes when Perry's sniping break reaped its reward after a posse of England forwards backed him up and Easter touched down.

Wilkinson botched the conversion attempt, but England's heavyweight pack had already started starving Wales of possession before Farrell -- his head bandaged -- returned after a 20-minute absence.

Wales struggled to cope with England's increasing physical intensity, and a second touchdown arrived on 20 minutes when the forwards drove possession from a lineout, enabling Easter to double his try tally.

Wilkinson arrowed a difficult conversion between the posts, and England could reflect on a 12-0 lead with an hour of the match remaining.

Wales, despite Ospreys flanker Alun-Wyn Jones's heroic defensive efforts, remained pinned on the back foot, unable to handle England's greater speed and cohesion around the critical breakdown area.

Gaps began to appear in midfield, and after Hipkiss exploded through one inviting opening, he was grounded by a dangerous Aled Brew tackle that resulted in the Wales wing being yellow-carded by French referee Joel Jutge.

Wilkinson's straightforward penalty hoisted England 22-0 ahead, but sanctuary finally arrived for Wales in the form of Jutge's half-time whistle, even though they faced an alarming damage-limitation exercise.

With the honourable exception of Jones and his fellow flanker Colin Charvis, Wales had been horribly outmuscled up front.

England skipper Phil Vickery, who went down nursing an injury to his left ankle just before the break, was replaced by Bath's Matt Stevens, with flanker Martin Corry taking over as captain.

But it was soon business as usual for England, taking barely five minutes of the second period to blow Wales apart once more as Easter claimed the first hat-trick by an England forward since Neil Back in a World Cup qualifier against Holland nine years ago.

Wales were all over the place, and Wilkinson's conversion of a 50th-minute Perry try made it 36-0 before Dafydd James at least provided the visitors with a well-worked consolation try.

Dallaglio quickly resumed normal service though and England could reflect on a job well done.

Man of the match:  Hands went up across the England team, giving Brian Ashton a happy headache as he prepares to make the final cull.  Nick Easter, Joe Worsley, Dan Hipkiss and Jason Robinson played out of their skins, but our award goes to the man who made it all happen -- Shaun Perry.  Suddenly the sad loss of Harry Ellis doesn't seem too critical.

Moment of the match:  A bunch of moments, perhaps.  England's resolve to play a wide game, and the many fine moments that sprang from that plan.

Villian of the match:  A few high tackles and two yellow cards, but nothing too criminal.  No award.

The scorers:

For England:
Tries:  Robinson, Dallaglio, Tait, Borthwick, Perry, Easter 4
Cons:  Wilkinson 7
Pen:  Wilkinson

For Wales:
Try:  D James

Yellow card(s):  Brew (Wales) -- dangerous tackle, 35;  Jones (Wales) -- killing the ball, 75.

The teams:

England:  15 Mathew Tait, 14 David Strettle, 13 Dan Hipkiss, 12 Andy Farrell, 11 Jason Robinson, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Shaun Perry, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Joe Worsley, 6 Martin Corry, 5 Steve Borthwick, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Phil Vickery (c), 2 Mark Regan, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements:  16 George Chuter, 17 Matt Stevens, 18 Lewis Moody, 19 Lawrence Dallaglio, 20 Andy Gomarsall, 21 Toby Flood, 22 Mathew Tait.

Wales:  15 Lee Byrne, 14 Aled Brew, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Gareth Thomas (c), 11 Dafydd James, 10 Ceri Sweeney, 9 Gareth Cooper, 8 Michael Owen, 7 Colin Charvis, 6 Alun-Wyn Jones, 5 Rob Sidoli, 4 Will James, 3 Chris Horsman, 2 Huw Bennett, 1 Iestyn Thomas.
Replacements:  16 Gethin Jenkins, 17 Rhys Thomas, 18 Thomas Rhys Thomas, 19 Alix Popham, 20 Mike Phillips, 21 James Hook, 22 Tom James.

Conditions:  Bright and sunny with highs of 28°C and clear skies
Referee:  Joël Jutge (France)
Touch judges:  Alain Rolland (Ireland), Romain Poite (France)
Television match official:  Christophe Berdos (France)

New Zealand eke out Tri-Nations crown

New Zealand have won the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup in one go, with a compelling 26-12 win over Australia in Auckland on Saturday.

The Wallabies kept well in touch with their hosts, and it was only the fine details which let them down;  first a silly penalty which gifted the All Blacks a half-time lead, and then one costly error off the back of a scrum on the hour mark which led to the only try of the match by Tony Woodcock.

In the face of a valiant Australian effort, New Zealand stuck manfully to their task, with Dan Carter exceptional from the tee and a significant reduction in the number of handling lapses that spoiled their efforts against South Africa last week.

It was an emotional match for emotional Byron Kelleher and unemotional Anton Oliver as they played their last Tests on home soil.  It was also an opportunity for the Southern Hemisphere to say farewell to two of rugby's greatest sons -- George Gregan and Stephen Larkham.  Kellheer and Oliver were substituted early in the second half, leaving them to trudge to the touchline.  Larkham and Gregan played out the whole of the 80 minutes and looked as enthusiastic and determined as ever they have looked.

The weather forecast had said "light rain", which must be a New Zealand euphemism for downpour.  The rain burst down onto an already wet Auckland, mercifully relenting as the match went on but still water splashed from running feet, there was steam on the breath, and the conditions were not easy.

That said, both sides handled admirably.  in a match in which there were only eleven scrums.  The All Blacks did not put the ball into a single scrum in the first half.  That was a half when the Wallabies were with the weather and dominated possession and territory but ended 12-9 in arrears.  The second half was a different matter as the Wallabies had only rare forays into New Zealand territory.

The Wallabies were better at the line-outs, winning the ball four times on New Zealand throws in the first half.  That improved for the All Blacks in the second half.  The much-discussed scrums were a different matter.  The Australians had a great first scrum but then rather fell apart.  In the second half Matt Dunning was penalised twice at the scrums, which may have been better than he deserved.  One scrum, five metres from the Wallaby line, went down four times, three times clearly with Dunning taking the lead -- what John Drake calls a swan dive.

Both sides contested fiercely at the tackle/ruck and turnovers there were rare.  But there were also trickles of blood from the contests.

The penalty count punished the Wallabies -- 13-5 against them, and there was Dan Carter's boot to turn seven of those thirteen into 21 points;  enough to make the margin of victory look comfortable.  It was not comfortable as it sounds, but richly deserved nonetheless.

There were different tactics.  The Wallabies retained possession in the first half as they went through many phases with the confidence one would associate with a dry day.  The All Blacks on the other hand did a profitable pick-'n-drive routine.  In the second half the Wallabies had fewer chances to go through phases and then when the lead stretched away from them their nerve seemed to crick while the All Blacks became more expansive as they did, in Richie McCaw's words, "the business".  "We did it right." The result of doing it right was "a couple of cups in the cupboard", an alliterative understatement.

The umbrellas were up when the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band led the anthems and Carl Hayman led the new haka, watched by distant Wallabies.  Carter kicked off and an enthralling 80 minutes ensued.

There was early emotion when Rocky Elsom killed the ball at a tackle and players became upset.  There was also an interesting moment.  Canterbury claim that the last time one of their jerseys tore was in 1976.  They have a new collar which makes it harder to grasp, but big Keith Robinson grabbed Daniel Vickerman by the neck of his jersey and it came apart.  31 years later!

The emotions subsided and Carter kicked the penalty for Elsom's infringement.

The second score was a long time coming, also a penalty, this time against McCaw for unbinding early at a tumbling scrum.  Stirling Mortlock kicked that one on a night when both kickers were on target.

Two minutes later Matt Giteau kicked a sneaky drop, and the referee called in the help of the TMO to determine that it was over, which it was.  6-3 to Australia after 25 minutes.  When Larkham was penalised for not clearing away after tackling Carter made the score 6-all but when McCaw did in like manner Mortlock restored the Wallaby lead after 32 minutes.

Giteau went off-side and Carter banged a long one over from the half-way line and then there was a silly moment.  The ball bounced up towards Adam Ashley-Cooper who was not under pressure.  The full-back tried to trap the ball with his foot but the bounce caught him unawares and he footed the ball into touch where he threw the ball away as Doug Howlett came to claim it.  The referee penalised Ashley-Cooper for his petulance and Carter gave the All Blacks their half-time lead.

Early in the second half the Wallabies conceded a succession of penalties.  The second was when George Smith was at the side of a tackle-ruck and interfering.  From a sharp angle Carter put the All Blacks 15-9 ahead.

McAlister was penalised for being on the wrong side of a tackle and in the way and Mortlock made the score 15-12 after 46 minutes, the last time the Wallabies looked like scoring.

On their left the All Blacks tapped a penalty and kicked the ball over to the right where lurking Howlett came forward to collect it.  Mortlock was judged to have tackled Howlett high and, difficult though the kick was, Carter banged it over.

The All Blacks were not the only ones getting the rub of the green for McCaw was adjudged to have knocked on in a move which seemed to set up a certain All Black try.  But from the ensuring scrum Brendon Leonard intercepted a pass between Stephen Hoiles and Gregan and the next thing the All Blacks were battering at the Wallaby line.  Keven Mealamu went for the post's padding but the TMO decided that it was inconclusive whether he scored a try.  This led to a five-metre scrum which collapsed four times.  The third was allowed to play out and Leonard darted for the line before Tony Woodcock picked up and plunged.  This time -- another difficult decision -- the TMO advised that a try had been scored.  23-12 with 22 minutes to play.

Most of that belonged to the All Blacks who even had the confidence to run from their own 22.

With eight minutes left Giteau was again penalised for being offside and Carter finished off the scoring.

Man of the Match:  Daniel Vickerman had a lot to do with Australian ascendancy in the first half and Rodney So'oialo played with great energy and determination throughout, but our Man of the Match is Daniel Carter back in form with the boot, back in form with his tactical appreciation of the match and back in form with his running and passing.

Moment of the Match:  There were not many great moments but there was that moment when Drew Mitchell received the ball and Doug Howlett charged into him and flattened him in what has become a trademark tackle for the wing.

Villain of the Match:  Nobody really, though Matt Dunning may well have come close at scrum time.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Try:  Woodcock
Pens:  Carter 7

For Australia:
Pens:  Mortlock 3
Drop goal:  Giteau

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (captain), 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Keith Robinson, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Anton Oliver, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Reuben Thorne, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Aaron Mauger, 22 Nick Evans.

Australia:  15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Mark Gerrard, 13 Stirling Mortlock (captain), 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan, 8 Stephen Hoiles, 7 George Smith (v/c), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Guy Shepherdson, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Matt Dunning.
Replacements:  16 Adam Freier, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Hugh McMeniman, 19 Mark Chisholm, 20 Phil Waugh (v/c), 21 Scott Staniforth, 22 Chris Latham.

Referee:  Nigel Owens (Wales)
Touch judges:  Craig Joubert (South Africa), Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Television match official:  Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
Assessor:  Brendan McCormick (Australia)

All Blacks struggle past SA second-string

New Zealand set up an all or nothing Tri-Nations finale against Australia next weekend, but only after struggling to overcome a supposedly weak South Africa side 33-6 in Christchurch on Saturday.

Once more the New Zealand performance was beset with errors, while the Boks, although limited in attack, defended gamely, but couldn't find anything to match the impact of New Zealand's replacements.

All three New Zealand tries came late, two from replacement players and one from a simply ridiculous mistake by the Bok defence, giving the scoreline a satisfactory look for the home team -- deeply flattering for the neutral -- by the end.

But the pressure is very much on New Zealand after this match, with the standards of last year not being met by a long stretch and the Rugby World Cup now only one more match away.

33-6.  There will be Springboks turning in their graves, from PK Albertyn to Morris Zimerman, at such a defeat of the Springboks, and yet it was not the worst of them all and not without virtue from this side cruelly labelled the B Boks.

For New Zealand it was a victory which Richie McCaw said was not to be scoffed at, but not at all smooth, thoroughly deserved though it was.

South Africa were competitive in the first half but spent the second half clinging on.  Finally their clinging slipped and New Zealand scored 21 points in the last 11 minutes, the last seven after the final siren had gone and the game was in chaos.  Daniel Carter was just the last man left running with the ball.

For the All Blacks there was a "setback" before the kick-off.  Sitiveni Sivivatu pulled a calf muscle in the warm-up but his replacement was mighty Joe Rokocoko.

The Springboks started well and running -- the way they ended last week against the Wallabies -- but eventually they gave that up and decided that the best tactic was to transfer possession to the All Blacks, as they did for an hour in Sydney last week.  On one occasion in the first half, with the Springboks on the attack, Ruan Pienaar kicked into the New Zealand 22.  The next stoppage was a line-out in the South African 22!

The Springboks also aided in their own humiliation.  Pedrie Wannenburg incurred a regulation yellow card at a tackle and when the All Blacks were penalised under the Springbok posts Albert van den Berg took it on himself to put a boot on an All Black, presenting them with three points at a time when the score was 9-6.  That is disheartening.

Heartening must have been a vastly improved effort at the tackle/ruck where the Springboks competed.  The competition resulted in slow ball which did not make for a plethora of tries.

For the All Blacks, Carter's continued ordinariness must have been a worry and Isaia Toeava had poor judgement in the centre.  Much of the handling must be a cause for concern as pass after pass went astray.  In the first half the All Blacks put the ball into one scrum, the Springboks into eight.  The All Black scrum came after 36 minutes.

The evening was cold and dry to start with in Christchurch and got off to an excellent singing of the South African national anthem by Pete Guthrie -- for a change on foreign soil -- and the traditional kamate haka by the All Blacks.  The start had a feelgood air about it.

The All Blacks had the first chance to score but Carter missed a straight kick, but when Breyton Paulse was judged off-side, a dubious call, Carter goaled.  3-0 after nine minutes.

Pienaar tried a long kick at goal, as he did in the second half, and, as was the case in the second half, the attempt was ridiculous.  But when Ruben Thorne tackled high Derick Hougaard levelled the scores at 3-3 after 23 minutes.  Straight after that Jacques Cronjé was penalised for using his hands at a tackle and Carter made it 6-3.

For the first time a try looked imminent when the All Blacks won a deep Springbok throw into a line-out and Luke McAlister stepped inside Wynand Olivier and accelerated ahead but the passing went hopelessly awry.

The Springboks had a good passage of play with pick 'n' drive but that fizzled out with a knock-on and a scrum to New Zealand.

The second half started badly for South Africa when Jaco Pretorius,, who looked out of his depth, knocked on the kick-off and the All Blacks played advantage.  With Rokocoko on his outside Toeava opted to go for the try but was pulled down.  McAlister had another break but he, too, was pulled down.  Instead it was the Springboks who scored when Keven Mealamu was penalised at a tackle/ruck and Hougaard goaled.  6-6 after 46 minutes.

Then Wannenburg was sent to the sin bin for the second time in this Tri-Nations.  The captains had been spoken to and had had a chance to speak to their teams but Wannenburg still did his own thing right in front of the Springbok posts.  Carter goaled, 9-6 after 52 minutes.

From now on, except for one foray into New Zealand territory, the Springboks could only hang on, which they did reasonably well till their grip eventually slipped at the end.

There were two meaningful changes about this time.  Lively Brendon Leonard replaced Piri Weepu at scrum-half and made a huge difference in the speed of play, and Peter Grant came on for Hougaard and really looked the part.

Just after this Van den Berg's indiscretion pushed the score to 12-6.

That is how it stayed for the next ten minutes.  Then Paulse knocked on at close quarters and the admirable Doug Howlett grabbed the advantage to send Rokocoko racing away.  Challenged, he flipped the ball back, underhand, to Leonard who had a straight run to the line for the try.  19-6.

At this stage all manner of changes were made and the game became looser, and eventually chaotic.

With four minutes left the All Blacks attacked, switching from far right to far left where Nick Evans, on for Howlett, slipped inside Paulse and past two others with slithery speed and dived over for a try, which Carter converted from touch.

More substitutions happened.  Then Wynand Olivier had a dart down the left and grubbered ahead and chased.  At the corner flag Carter fly-kicked the ball into touch to concede a five-metre line-out.  The Springboks tried a clever move but knocked on.  That still gave the All Blacks a five-metre scrum to defend but Eddie Andrews was penalised for collapsing.

The siren had gone, there were numerous errors as both sides tried to keep the ball alive and eventually Carter picked it up for a long trot to the posts.  He converted to set the seal on an unconvincing win.

Man of the Match:  Wikus van Heerden was again magnificent for South Africa but the candidates were really New Zealanders -- strong Luke McAlister, Chris Jack and our choice -- nor for the first time -- Richie McCaw who is at the heart of so much vital possession and opportunity for his side.

Moment of the Match:  Joe Rokocoko's impish flip pass inside to Brendon Leonard.

Villain of the Match:  Perhaps Albert van den Berg and Pedirie Wannenburg should share this title for their indiscretions.  Perhaps.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Leonard, Evans, Carter
Cons:  Carter 3
Pens:  Carter 4

For South Africa:
Pens:  Hougaard 2

Yellow card:  Wannenburg (52, South Africa, killing the ball)

The teams:

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Doug Howlett, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Reuben Thorne, 5 Keith Robinson, 4 Chris Jack,3 Carl Hayman, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Andrew Hore, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Jerry Collins, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Conrad Smith, 22 Nick Evans.

South Africa:  15 JP Pietersen, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jaco Pretorius;  10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Jacques Cronjé, 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Wikus van Heerden, 5 Johann Muller (captain), 4 Albert van den Berg, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements:  16 Gary Botha, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Gerrie Britz, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Peter Grant, 22 Tonderai Chavhanga.

Referee:  Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Touch judges:  Nigel Owens (Wales), Paul Marks (Australia)
Television match official:  James Leckie (Australia)
Assessor:  Bob Francis (New Zealand)

Wallabies recover from Bok barrage

Just as they did against Wales a month ago, Australia pulled back from a shock 0-17 deficit at home to take their Tri-Nations encounter 25-17 against South Africa in Sydney on Saturday.

Two tries in the first eight minutes -- one a well-worked charge from Wikus van Heerden, the other a 60m intercept by Breyton Paulse -- both converted by Derick Hougaard, plus a penalty from Hougaard, had the Boks 0-17 ahead after a quarter of an hour.

But gradually the experienced Wallabies worked their way into the game, and a two-try flurry early in the second half swung the game their way, giving veterans Stephen Larkham and George Gregan a winning send-off from home turf.

It was a match about respect, and respect won.

There was respect for two of the greatest players in the history of world rugby -- George Gregan playing his 133rd Test and Stephen Larkham his 100th, their last in Australia.  They were in the winning team as they came back from behind for the third time in recent matches.  The respect shown to them by their home fans and by their opponents was excellent.

There was also a respectful performance from the Springboks.  Vilified and scorned, accused of treachery, threatened with eviction, they earned respect and in fact could have earned a little more than that.

Then the teams were playing for the Nelson Mandela Plate -- in honour of the most respected man in the world, and the Wallabies deservedly won that.

Respect won on that fine, cold evening in Sydney.

The Springboks had an excellent first twenty minutes and then a spell late in the second half when they went in for pick 'n' drive and put pressure on the Wallabies.  But the meat was in the sandwich between those two periods when the Wallabies played with continuity and flair as they dominated possession and so territory and opportunity.

The match had an electric start for the Springboks.  Larkham kicked off and the Wallabies won the kick off which they immediately sent wide to the left but then Gregan chipped and Paulse ran in counter-attack.  The Springboks had a penalty and Derick Hougaard hit the upright.  The ball bounced back into the field of play and the Springboks stayed on the attack with good work from Waylon Murray and Gary Botha till Ruan Pienaar fed Wikus van Heerden who scored close in.  Hougaard converted, and the Springboks led 7-0 after 7 minutes.

The Wallabies kicked off and won the kick-off and again went wide to the left where Nathan Sharpe threw a long pass towards Stirling Mortlock.  It did not reach Mortlock for Paulse nipped in, intercepted and raced through empty paddocks to score.  Again Hougaard converted.  14-0 after 9 minutes.

Would pundits be eating humble pie?

Sharpe was kind to the Springboks again when he went offside and Hougaard made it 17-0 after 15 minutes.

For the next 65 minutes the Springboks did not score a point.  They had a chance to go up 20-0 when George Smith was penalised for holding on, but Hougaard , who had an anonymous game, missed one he should have got comfortably,.In the second half he also missed a drop and a penalty kick, before being subbed.

Goal-kicking was not the only bad part of South African booting.  Early on Pienaar kicked high and well and put the Wallabies under pressure.  But as the half wore on he just kicked.  His kicking was no longer an attacking weapon but just a transfer of possession and this brought the Wallabies more and more into the game.

When Pedrie Wannenburg was penalised for a high tackle, the Wallabies used the penalty to form a line-out and from it they wove patterns and Mark Gerrard was able to burst past Van Heerden to score close in.  Mortlock converted.  17-7 after 22 minutes.

As half-time drew nearer the Wallabies were getting closer and closer to the Springbok line till Wannenburg was off-side and Mortlock made the score at the break 17-10, with a penalty.

The Springboks were ahead but the writing was on the wall.  The writing grew big and bright when the Wallabies won a turnover off Wannenburg near the half-way line on their right and attacked going left.  Larkham chipped and the ball seemed to be heading out when Mortlock, with great skill, swung a left boot to fly-kick it back infield, forcing the Springboks to concede a line-out.  The Wallabies went left from the line-out and then came back in for energetic Stephen Hoiles to get over in Gary Botha's tackle.  Mortlock's kick made it 17-all after 43 minutes.

Hougaard was well wide with a drop attempt and then, when Bob Skinstad was penalised at a tackle, Mortlock put the Wallabies ahead.

Just after this the Springboks conceded the first of two expensive yellow cards.  They were winning the ball at a tackle/ruck but had nobody to pick it up as Wallabies loomed.  Lying on the ground Botha footed the ball back and was sent to the sin bin.  Later Johann Muller was reported for punching at a collapsed scrum and he was sent to the sin bin as well with five minutes left.  The lucky player may well have been George Smith who punched CJ van der Linde and was then penalised for what the referee called a swinging arm on Muller.  Smith's actions seemed worthy of at least what Botha, who hurt nobody, and Muller got.

While Botha was sitting with George Ayoub in touch, the Wallabies attacked brilliantly down the right.  At top speed Gerrard managed to kick diagonally infield where Matt Giteau, under pressure, swooped on the ball and surfed over for a try, which Mortlock did not convert.

The Springboks had the better of the rest of the match but made crucial errors -- accidental off-side, then a penalty for holding on in the tackle but after the final siren they did their best bit of attacking from their own line and but for a knock-on at the end of it by Paulse could well have scored a try which would have given them a bonus point.

It was the first of four Tri-Nations matches so far that did not produce a bonus point.

Man of the Match:  Call me sentimental but the Men of the Match are that celebrated duo George Gregan and Stephen Larkham and all that they brought to this game and many, many others -- 233 Tests between them, 85 in the same team, 75 as the half-back pairing.  And in any case they were as good as anybody in this match, and better than most.

Moment of the Match:  Breyton Paulse's intercept try.  Apart from anything else it said that the "B Boks" deserved respect.

Villain of the Match:  We had a duo for Man of the Match and a trio for Villain of the match -- Gary Botha, Johan Muller George Smith.

The scorers:

For Australia:
Tries:  Gerrard, Hoiles, Giteau
Cons:  Mortlock 2
Pens:  Mortlock 2

For South Africa:
Tries:  Van Heerden, Paulse
Cons:  Hougaard 2
Pen:  Hougaard

Yellow cards:  Botha (52, South Africa, playing ball on the ground), Muller (72, South Africa, punching)

Australia:  15 Julian Huxley, 14 Mark Gerrard, 13 Stirling Mortlock (captain), 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan, 8 Stephen Hoiles, 7 George Smith (v/c), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Guy Shepherdson, 2 Adam Freier, 1 Matt Dunning.
Replacements:  16 Sean Hardman, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Hugh McMeniman, 19 David Lyons, 20 Phil Waugh (v/c), 21 Scott Staniforth, 22 Drew Mitchell.

South Africa:  15 Bevin Fortuin, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Derick Hougaard, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Bob Skinstad (captain), 7 Pedrie Wannenburg, 6 Wikus van Heerden, 5 Johann Muller, 4 Johan Ackermann, 3 Jannie Du Plessis, 2 Gary Botha, 1 CJ van der Linde.
Replacements:  16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Eddie Andrews, 18 Albert van den Berg, 19 Jacques Cronjé, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Peter Grant, 22 Jaco Pretorius.

Referee:  Paul Honiss (New Zealand)
Touch judges:  Steve Walsh (New Zealand), Kevin Deaker (New Zealand)
Television match official:  Lyndon Bray (New Zealand)
Assessor:  Michel Lamoulie (France)

Wallabies shock All Blacks at the MCG

Two tries while New Zealand were down to 14 men gave Australia a shock 20-15 victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday – keeping their hopes alive of winning back the Bledisloe Cup and throwing the Tri-Nations race wide open.

As Australia raised their arms in triumphant jubilation they did so in the knowledge that not only have they ensured the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup remain wide open but perhaps more telling in the knowledge the All Blacks are human after all.

It took a super human effort from the Wallabies, and as they departed the MCG man for man they bared more than a passing resemblance to the Incredible Hulk.  The green of the advertising logos on the pitch had slowly covered their bodies and shirts throughout a compelling encounter.

Stirling Mortlock, the catalyst behind a stirring second half performance that led to the downfall of the All Blacks, rippled beneath a green glaze covering him.  George Smith, who left the fray with minutes left, did so with his shirt splitting at the seams.  This was a performance based on brute strength and bourne out of a steely determination to not go quietly into the cold Melbourne night as all but they had scripted.

This, only the All Blacks fourth defeat in as many years, is perhaps their most telling.  The previous three, all at the hands of South Africa, ultimately counted for little.  Yet this close to the World Cup there is renewed optimism for all, the All Blacks do indeed have chinks in their armour and Australia gave a master class in how best to expose them.

The reshuffle in the New Zealand back-line, a result of a late injury to Leon MacDonald, gave the Wallabies a target to attack with Luke McAlister forced to play out of position at outside centre.  Mortlock was quick to pick up on this in the build up to the game, and it was he who did the damage with two searing outside breaks, the latter of the two leading to the winning score.

It is testament to the Australian mentality that they emerged from this encounter victorious, as for long periods the signs were ominous.  Yet it was their tenacity and unwavering determination to make a statement to the world that allowed them to maintain more than a glimmer of hope.  And when it mattered, with Carl Hayman in the sin-bin, they capitalised on All Black errors and punished them to the full.

Having left the All Blacks waiting after a ferocious rendition of the Kapa O Pango, a salute to the warriors in black, the Wallabies were made to pay.  Julian Huxley hacked the kick off straight into touch and the next time an Australian would touch the ball would be a full five minutes later when Huxley again got the game going after Tony Woodcock had burrowed over for New Zealand.

The signs were not good for Australia, those opening five minutes were a cameo of what the All Blacks do so well.  They attacked with pace and exposed every possible weakness in the Australian defensive line with Mils Muliaina slicing into the twenty-two to lay the platform for Woodcock’s try.  The runners queued up out wide yet Woodcock, with the help of Dan Carter, bulldozed over from close range for his first Test try.  Carter duly added the extras and the All Blacks were up and running.

It was down to Stephen Larkham to check the All Blacks, whose speed off the defensive line was phenomenal.  Maybe Larkham slid in a clever kick to avoid a barrage of All Black tacklers, but more likely it was his astute knowledge and vision that prompted the kick.  It came agonisingly close to yielding a try for the chasing Mortlock but Rokocoko piped him to the ball and defused the danger.

It was a timely reminder that Australia posed more than a passing threat, despite having been given little to no hope.  After 14 minutes Mortlock slotted a penalty after missing a difficult attempt moments before.  Carter then extended the lead with a penalty of his own a matter of seconds after what can only be described as stupid play from George Smith, slapping the ball out of Byron Kelleher’s grasp under referee Jonker’s nose.

The scrum was becoming messy, and after four re-sets Jonker lost his patience and penalised the bemused Hayman.  Mortlock stepped up and slotted a fine kick from out wide.  Twenty minutes gone and enough from both sides to suggest this would not be a cake walk for the All Blacks.

Then came a timely strike from the All Blacks signaling their intent to play an expansive game and further expose the Australian frailties.  A quick free-kick by Kelleher paved the way for a lightning quick try.  No sooner had Jerry Collins smashed into three Australian defenders than Luke McAlister was slipping out of a George Gregan tackle and feeding a simple pass out to the grateful Rico Gear who cantered over in the corner.

The remainder of the half was a black wave of pressure, resulting in a staggering eighteen missed tackles from the men in gold.  Had it not been for a glaring knock-on by Rodney So’oialo with Rico Gear outside him and only Matt Dunning between the pair and the try line it could have been a bigger margin going into the break.  As it was the All Blacks had to settle for 15-6.

The second half could not have been more diametrically opposite from the first.  New Zealand may not have lost in their previous fifty five Tests when leading at half-time, but it was Australia and the mighty Mortlock who came out roaring.  With minimal space out wide Mortlock took the ball at pace and showed McAlister a clean pair of heals before trampling over the top of Mils Muliaina in a style reminiscent of Jonah Lomu.

The break may have failed to yield a more tangible reward yet it served as a reminder that Australia had the weapons to hurt the All Blacks.  Not to be outdone New Zealand stepped it up a gear and Carter dazzled his way through a bewildered Australian defence.  However for all their creative play it was basic errors that started to cost the All Blacks.  On several occasions they wasted prime field position and scoring chances with simple mistakes.

With each error the Australians grew in stature, the hulk in them straining to burst out.  Then, with Carl Hayman in the sin-bin for hands in the ruck, the green and gold monster erupted into life with two heroic tries.  The first was engineered by a Larkham break, supported by the bustling Tuqiri.  The ball came back quickly and Gregan ensured the attack kept flowing.  Out it went to the busy Nathan Sharpe who fired a peach of a pass to Adam Ashley-Cooper.

He was faced, in a tight space, with Rico Gear who he beat with a simple turn of pace.  Then Richie McCaw came across and he too was beaten with a deft side-step, yes McCaw was made to look a fool, and finally Chris Jack made a last ditch attempt to haul him down.  He too failed and Ashley-Cooper was over for a try that breathed life and fire into the Australian bellies.  Giteau added a fine conversion and it was game on.

The chink in the All Black armour was then to be torn open and to make matters worse it was from yet another of their own errors.  Aaron Mauger, who was surprisingly out of sorts, floated a kick straight into touch.  From the resultant line out Australia struck with a score that has huge reverberations in world rugby.  It sent a message to all whom were giving up hope to say the World Cup is not a forgone conclusion.

McAlister was the defensive chink, and he was exposed in devastating style by captain courageous Mortlock.  Having left McAlister flat footed Mortlock again made a fool of McCaw as he stepped inside his counterpart.  Having looked for support Mortlock put his head down and turned on the after burners cruising effortlessly into the New Zealand twenty two.  As four All Blacks closed in on him he looped a one handed pass over the onrushing tacklers to Scott Staniforth who had the simple task off finishing the break under the posts.

The remainder of the game saw a tired and lacklustre All Blacks look for another late escape, none was coming.  The Wallabies wound the clock down in expert manner and sounded a warning to their fierce rivals that they pose a real threat to the Bledisloe Cup, the Tri Nations, and most importantly the World Cup.

Man of the Match:  For New Zealand Jerry Collins was huge in attack but more so in defence.  McCaw started in his usual form but two costly missed tackles tainted his otherwise superb effort.  For the Wallabies it was a monumental team effort to hang on in and when the chance came to strike killer blows.  The heart of their effort was their captain Stirling Mortlock who was simply awesome.  He showed some deft touches in attack, coupled with a solid defensive effort.  But the crowning moment in his display was that searing break to set up Staniforth for the winning try.

Moment of the Match:  There is no doubt whatsoever that Carl Hayman’s sin-binning was the turning point.  It was whilst the cornerstone of the All Blacks pack was in the bin that Australia racked up fourteen unanswered points and effectively won the game.

Villain of the Match:  It was a hard and physical encounter yet all managed to keep their tempers in check in an environment when they could easily have spilled over.

The scorers:

For Australia:
Tries:  Ashley-Cooper, Staniforth
Cons:  Giteau 2
Pens:  Mortlock 2

For New Zealand:
Tries:  Woodcock, Gear
Con:  Carter
Pen:  Carter

Yellow card:  Carl Hayman (New Zealand, 62 – repeated infringements, not rolling away at tackle)

The teams:

Australia:  15 Julian Huxley, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Stirling Mortlock (c), 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Stephen Larkham, 9 George Gregan, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith (v/c), 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Dan Vickerman, 4 Nathan Sharpe, 3 Guy Shepherdson, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Matt Dunning.
Replacements:  16 Adam Freier, 17 Al Baxter, 18 Mark Chisholm, 19 Stephen Hoiles, 20 Phil Waugh (v/c), 21 Scott Staniforth, 22 Mark Gerrard.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Luke McAlister, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Rodney So’oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Troy Flavell, 4 Chris Jack, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Anton Oliver, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements:  16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Ross Filipo, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Mauger, 22 Nick Evans.

Referee:  Marius Jonker
Touch judges:  Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa), Willie Roos (South Africa)
Television match official:  Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor:  Michel Lamoulie (France)

All Blacks raise the bar as Boks falter

New Zealand, coming from behind, showed their true class by beating South Africa 26-21 in their Tri-Nations showdown in Durban on Saturday -- making sure their ranking as the world's number one team, looking towards the World Cup, has been enhanced.

It was a game in which many of the Springboks' young guns lost their heads and made a rash of silly mistakes, while the All Blacks' old hands showed true composure.

Scoring two converted tries in the final 10 minutes, the Kiwis came from being 21-12 down to win more comfortably than the margin suggested.

We all thought it would be a World Cup final dress rehearsal, and it did not disappoint.  The match was played with an intensity somehow above that of last week's opener, with a physicality that defied biology from where we sat in the stands, and it kept every one of the 53,000 spectators enthralled.

Tactically too, the game was fascinating.  The All Blacks annihilated the Bok scrum -- we saw for the first time today truly how much John Smit is missed -- and spent quite a bit of the second half using their own bashers to eat away at the yardage, precisely the tactics hitherto attributed to the South Africans.

Joe Rokocoko, of all people, ignored a gaping three-man overlap on the left late in the game, eschewing that option for an inside pass to Tony Woodcock.  Woodcock fumbled, and on moments like those:  18-12 down with fifteen to go, are matches lost.

Line-outs were the predicted disaster for the All Blacks, who lost five of their own throws and resorted to quick line-outs at every opportunity to combat their shortcoming.  It worked after a fashion, but it led to much of their ball being hurried to start with, and the backs rarely got well-worked space with which to work.

Yet for all that, it was the maturity and execution of their wide game that told at the end, with two superb quick fire tries in four minutes turning the tables on their battered hosts.

What of the hosts, against whom a huge psychological blow has now been struck, beaten at home by their nemesis ten short weeks before the World Cup starts.

Once again, there was no faulting the commitment or desire, and for the large part, tactics.  The loose battle was comprehensively sewn up for most of the game, with the magnificent Schalk Burger delivering a barnstorming performance of tackling and ball-carrying.

Perhaps, right at the end, there was just that missing ounce of patience and calm required to close out games such as these.  It will be a bitter blow to lose this game, but players such as Frans Steyn, Ruan Pienaar, and Pedrie Wannenburg -- whose late yellow card was a major turning point -- must look at the positives and learn, for the game could have been won.  Many locals will insist it should have been.

The tone for the match was set in the warm-up, with the Boks spending their 30 or so on-pitch minutes smashing away at the pads in bunches and jumping at line-outs.

Meanwhile, the All Blacks ran balls through the hands in groups of four with effortless efficiency, practiced a couple of tackles and sprints, and then trotted off the field.

When the teams came back on, it was the Boks who put their warm-up into practice first, enjoying four solid minutes of possession and hammering away at the 10-12 channel with the thicker of the forward tree-trunk battering rams.

It almost cost them, with Jean de Villiers ignoring a clear overlap on the left, but eventually, after Bob Skinstad reminded us of what he can do with ball in hand with a sublime fizz pass to JP Pietersen, the pressure near the All Blacks' line yielded a simple penalty for Percy Montgomery to fire the Boks into a 3-0 lead.

The early line-outs belonged to the Boks as well.  They won five out of the first seven in total, two of those on the All Black throw, and the second saw Skinstad and then Danie Roussouw mere blades of grass away from the All Black line.  A five-metre scrum resulted, but the All Black pack shoved the Boks off their own ball.  This whole passage of play was a pattern of the match.

New Zealand stopped kicking for touch then, and a peculiar bout of aerial ping-pong ensued, culminating in a penalty for the All Blacks from 40m out and in front of the posts.  Astonishingly, Daniel Carter missed.

New Zealand were not on their game completely, demonstrated first when Jerry Collins ran bizarrely at Aaron Mauger from 10m away, and then when Joe Rokocoko sprinted away across the field but the first four men at the tackle were all green-shirted.

The Boks defence smashed away at New Zealand's runners, who made the mistake of trying to take the Boks on at their own game.  Eventually the tackles and strewn bodies were so numerous that Carter had nobody outside him from a ruck, and he kicked for touch disconsolately.

Then, from an up and under, Mills Muliaina was also left stranded at tackle time, held onto the ball, and Ruan Pienaar goaled magnificently from five meters inside his own half.

After an extraordinary free-kick from a Rodney So'oialo mark, when the number eight nearly caught his own defence napping by slicing the ball across the field, the new Zealanders finally stitched something together.

Sitiveni Sivivatu was set free down the left, and had he chipped instead of trying to step outside he would surely have scored.  Likewise had Troy Flavell not tried a flashy switch pass and simply drawn his man, Greg Rawlinson might have scored.  But New Zealand seemed mentally a step out of sync with each other.

The Boks seemed to be upping the physicality another notch, and taking it a mite too far at times.  Montgomery rained a series of punches down on Flavell and got mighty lucky not to be flagged by touch-judge Wayne Barnes, and then Butch James delivered a hit on Carter that arrived panting and sweaty but just in the merest nick of time.

As it was the All Blacks made do with a penalty for hands in the ruck, which Carter converted on the half hour mark to make the score 6-3.

After a delightful All Black movement involving Carter down the left, South Africa turned the ball over and De Villiers went haring down the right.  Sivivatu caught him, and although the ball was popped inside to Willemse, the latter's offload was so poor that New Zealand got the ball back and forced a penalty.  Again, Carter missed.

But New Zealand's hands were now working, and another passing movement took them into South African territory, forcing a penalty conceded by Bakkies Botha, a stiff word from Alain Rolland to Victor Matfield, and three points for Carter to make it 6-6.

A good kick from James then took the Boks to the All Blacks' 5m line, with Muliaina running the ball into touch, and the Boks mauled the line-out ball inexorably to the line where Schalk Burger peeled off the back for a super try, marred by some ugly and utterly unnecessary punching and shoving from Bakkies Botha.  That was half-time, 11-6, but the Bos on the front foot.

The All Blacks began the second half on the attack, with a right to left move culminating in a threatening chip from Carter which was just a fraction too far.  Form the 22 drop out, the All Blacks regained position and possession, and Mauger made it 11-9 with a drop goal.

Again the All Blacks scrum made mincemeat of a Bok scrum, but again, the Boks bounced back.  Burger took the ball on, and then Pienaar's ineffective kick was run back threateningly by Sivivatu and Mauger, but Mauger opted to offload one time too many, and James picked off the ball and streaked away for a try under the posts to make it 18-9, including Montgomery's conversion.

The All Blacks were still moving the ball with purpose, playing the Boks at their own game with Collins, Flavell and So'oialo smashing the ball up before Mauger's chip nearly sent So'oialo in, but Pienaar covered superbly.

The intensity showed no sign of letting up with a half hour to go, with even the usually mild-mannered Joe Rokocoko getting involved.  The game simmered menacingly.

Muliaina had a break as the All Blacks began to speed up line-outs and stray kick returns, but Collins couldn't keep his grubber in play.

Steyn came on for James with 28 minutes to play, as Skinstad was penalised for an off-the-ball incident involving him and McCaw.  Carter's kick hit the post, but bounced kindly for the chasers and the All Blacks had a line-out inside the hosts 22.  The Boks pinched it, but Steyn's first touch was to fumble the pass from Pienaar and concede a 5m scrum -- coinciding with the departure of Os du Randt.

Wannenburg, who had replaced Skinstad seconds before, was yellow-carded as Sivivatu went close to the line following an inside pass from Carter, who in turn slotted an easy three points to make it 18-12 with a little over a quarter of the game to go.

Twice thereafter the All Black scrum annihilated its counterpart, twice yielding turnovers, from the second of which Rokocoko had a sniff of the line before being tackled into touch.  But despite the pressure, the All Blacks just couldn't get the crucial move right.

It seemed as if the All Blacks, having opted to take the Boks on at their own game, were guilty of the same wasteful adherence to the game plan, with Rokocoko scorning a three-man overlap out left.  15 minutes to go, and shattered bodies lay all over the field.

A dreadful tired kick to touch from Flavell ensured the Boks got possession down near the All Black 22, and then a penalty conceded by McCaw gave Montgomery the chance to make it 21-12 with 13 minutes to go.

Then came a moment of magic that brought the All Blacks right back into it.  So'oialo caught a high ball from Steyn, and then slipped past five or six defenders before offloading to Collins, who got into the Bok 22.  Wide the ball went left, and then, after five close phases, McCaw picked and went over for the try.  Carter converted to make it 21-19 with ten to go.

Now the All Blacks had the bit between their teeth, and Carter nearly got a breakthrough when he spotted nobody home at full-back and chipped.  Pienaar covered superbly again, and kicked long down field, but Rokocoko took the loose ball from Weepu and set Leon MacDonald on his way, looped MacDonald, and finished off a superb counter under the posts to give New Zealand the lead for the first time with seven minutes to go.  Carter made it 21-26 with the conversion, and South Africa had shot their bolt.

Right at the end, needing a desperate length-of-the-pitch move to win it, Steyn dropped a simple ball from Pienaar and conceded a 5m scrum.  There was just no gas left.  The All Blacks controlled the ball well and as the siren sounded so too did Rolland's whistle as the ball was buried under bodies.

Man of the Match:  This award could go to any one of about six players with the rest of the bunch not far behind.  For New Zealand Rodney So'oialo was massive, he tackled and carried the ball relentlessly, and then their was that mesmerising run in the build up to McCaw's try.  McCaw too was full of running and tackling and as usual he turned the ball over with aplomb and consummate ease.  Then there were the South African nominees, and in particular Ruan Pienaar.  His kicking game was a delight to watch and he saved his side's bacon on more than one occasion.  Yet it was the Trojan-like Schalk Burger who takes this award.  Not often does a losing player take the award but his game just gets better every week.  He tackled with relentless regularity and explosive force.  He carried the ball with unbridled aggression and worked feverishly at the breakdown.  He is one of the world's finest at present ... perhaps, on the strength of this performance, The world's finest.

Moment of the Match:  The Rodney So'oialo run that lead to McCaw crashing over.  At a time when the All Blacks needed some magic the big number eight conjured a run full of pace and dexterity that left the Bok defence in tatters, and they would never recover.

Villan of the Match:  Firstly there was Percy Montgomery who had no business launching an attack on Rodney So'oialo in the second half and then there was Bakkies Botha, who also had no business starting a thirty man scuffle after Burger had scored.  Also possibly Pedrie Wannenburg, whose yellow card cost his team manpower at the most crucial moment.  Keven Mealamu was also no angel with Schalk Burger on the ground at his mercy during the second half.

The scorers:

For South Africa:
Tries:  Burger, James
Con:  Montgomery
Pens:  Montgomery 2, Pienaar

For New Zealand:
Tries:  McCaw, Rokocoko
Cons:  Carter 2
Pens:  Carter 3
Drop Goal:  Mauger

Yellow card:  Pedrie Wannenburg (South Africa, 54 -- professional foul, hands in ruck)

The teams:

South Africa:  15 Percy Montgomery, 14 Ashwin Willemse, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 JP Pietersen, 10 Butch James, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Bob Skinstad, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 BJ Botha, 2 Gary Botha, 1 Os du Randt.
Replacements:  16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Johann Muller, 19 Pedrie Wannenburg, 20 Michael Claassens, 21 Wynand Olivier, 22 Frans Steyn.

New Zealand:  15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Isaia Toeava, 12 Aaron Mauger, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Byron Kelleher, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw, 6 Jerry Collins, 5 Greg Rawlinson, 4 Troy Flavell, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Anton Oliver, 1 Tony Woodcock
Replacements:  16 Kevin Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Ross Filipo, 19 Chris Masoe, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Luke McAlister, 22 Leon McDonald.

Referee:  Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Touch judges:  Wayne Barnes (England), Simon McDowell (Ireland)
Television match official:  Hugh Watkins (Wales)

Turner spares Australia A embarrassment

Wing Lachlan Turner scored a late try to salvage a draw for Australia A in Fiji, in their final Pacific Nations Cup match in Suva on Saturday.

Clint Schifcofske could even have nicked a win for the visitors, but he missed the conversion from wide out.

The Fijians had stormed into a 14-9 lead, with wing Filimone Bolavucu scoring two terrific length-of-the-pitch tries, both converted by fly-half Waisea Luveniyali.

The hot weather made things tricky for the Aussies, who made a stack of errors and lost hooker Tatufu Polota-Nau to injury just after the break.

Trailing 7-3 at the break, Cameron Shepherd doubled his tally of penalties before Schifcofske put the visitors in the lead with another pot at goal.

But Bolavucu intercepted a careless Ryan Cross pass for what looked to be the winning score for the Fijians.

But right at the death, the hosts' energy flagged, and the Australian pack shoved their Fijian counterpart off their own scrum ball, allowing Turner to wriggle through.

The scorers:

For Fiji:
Tries:  Bolavucu 2
Cons:  Luveniyali 2

For Australia A:
Try:  Turner
Pens:  Shepherd 2, Schifcofske

Fiji:  15 Norman Ligairi, 14 Isoa Neivua, 13 Kameli Ratuvou, 12 Seru Rabeni, 11 Filimone Bolavucu, 10 Waisea Luveniyali, 9 Jone Daunivucu, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Aca Ratuva, 6 Semisi Naevo, 5 Kele Leawere (c), 4 Ifereimi Rawaqa, 3 Henry Qiodravu, 2 Sunia Koto, 1 Alefoso Yalayalatabua.
Replacements:  16 Vereniki Sauturaga, 17 Apisai Turukawa, 18 Peniasi Tokakece, 19 Dale Tonawai, 20 Moses Rauluni, 21 Sisa Waqa, 22 Gabiriele Lovobalavu

Australia 'A':  15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Digby Ioane, 13 Junior Pelesasa, 12 Ryan Cross, 11 Lachie Turner, 10 Berrick Barnes, 9 Josh Valentine, 8 David Lyons, 7 David Pocock, 6 Hugh McMeniman, 5 James Horwill, 4 Alister Campbell (c), 3 Nic Henderson, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Rodney Blake.
Replacements:  16 Sean Hardman, 17 Gareth Hardy, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Jone Tawake, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Sam Norton-Knight, 22 Clinton Schifcofske.

Referee:  Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Touch judges:  Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand), Napolione Locoloco (Fiji)