Boks lead Tri-Nations. Now for the All Blacks.

August 3, 2005

The Boks kicked off the 2005 Tri-Nations championship with a hard-fought 22-16 win over the Wallabies at Pretoria on Saturday.

The game was a terse affair that probably should have been a draw, but fair dinkum to the South Africans, they played hard, they made their kicks, they won their home test at elevation, they held the Wallabies to only three measly points in the 2nd half ... it’s what they needed. The Wallabies asserted themselves well, and probably needed that too. They walk away with a bonus point, and really, down by only three points until the clock passed 80 minutes, they were in with a fighting chance ‘til the very end.

The game was not altogether a great spectacle, with each side only running in a try apiece, but those tries were beautifully executed, and will linger in the memory for a while.

The first was scored by the Wallabies. Level at 6-6 by the first half’s 40-minute mark, a late sustained build-up saw George Smith take a great try from George Gregan to end the half. Gregan shimmied off the back of a ruck, offered a hint of a dummy that flat-footed the Bok backline just long enough for him to offer a short offload to Smith bursting through at an angle. The dreadlocked breakaway had a huge game, and taking the ball through tackles, he had just enough reach to tomahawk the ball down on the goal-line with a two fisted spike. The video verified a try, Paul Honiss blew his whistle for half-time, and the Wallabies ran to the changing sheds tails-up with a 13-6 lead.

In the game’s 2nd half, the Boks were v-e-r-y lucky to escape trouble at the 9th minute mark. The Wallabies, eager to run the ball and raise the tempo, were given a penalty. Jeremy Paul took a quick tap and ran. Only he didn’t get very far. Bok captain John Smit, laying prone on the ground at the point of penalty, illegally ankle-tapped Paul. Referee Paul Honiss was right on top with his back turned, nevertheless caught the foul, penalized Smit and warned him. It could have been a yellow card. It SHOULD have been a yellow card. It was a clearly cynical foul. With the Wallabies up by a converted try, a yellow card for the Bok captain might have been incalcuably awful.

Instead, the break went the other way, ‘cos in three short minutes the Bok backline was breaking through the Wallaby defense for a superbly executed try, drawing the teams level. The ball came out to center Bryan Habana, who looked like Tana Umaga working a fantastic offload out of the tackle to Percy Montgomery who put winger Breyton Paulse into daylight. Habana had a big game, the up-and-comer is a potentially huge discovery for South Africa.

The Wallabies kept at the pace, but deep clearances from the boot of Andre Pretorius and Percy Montgomery kept them pinned back, and there were times when referee Paul Honiss didn’t help their cause. I already mentioned the quick-tap by Jeremy Paul, there was also a skillfully played throw-in by Stephen Larkham to himself that Honiss completely blew.

A drop goal at game’s end by Pretorius gave the impression of a victory more convincing than it actually was. But they got the win, they got 4 points on the table, they sit atop the standings (if, perhaps, temporarily), and the Wallabies awarded a consolation bonus point.

On their side of the ledger, Lote Tuquiri had a solid game hustling hard and making some monster runs. Gregan has shown a propensity for running sideways recently that has been confusing and counter-productive, and some were beginning to write him off. But he had a very good game, made some great breaks and sold some superb dummies. He’s still very much a stabilizing influence on his team and can be a match-winner. His partner Stephen Larkham was otherwise quiet. George Smith gave away some penalties that in the end hurt his team, but he was vintage, back to his best.

On the South African side, the whole team played well, especially the front row that destroyed the Wallabies on several occasions, but special mention to Habana, he was the stand-out. An overdue shout-out goes to Bok fullback Percy Montgomery. This guy has been maligned his entire career, he was given up for dead ever wearing the green jumper again, and here Monty was a big part of the Bok victory and going into uncharted territory in the Bokke record book. He racked up his 500th point in international test rugby with a vital penalty shot, that 500th point being a Bok first. Gotta tip the hat, I always dismissed him as a pretty boy, but you can’t argue against his longevity and all-round professionalism. He may not be the world’s best at his position, but he’s still a very credible and steady player who has a steadying influence on his younger teammates. And the shiner looked kinda cool too.

So next week the Boks host the All Blacks at Cape Town.

The Boks have now taken the Okkers down twice in a row, and they will have every right to feel as defending Tri-Nations champs, that they fancy their chances taking the All Blacks scalp while they're hot at home too.

They have recalled Schalk Burger to the starting XV, and his fresh legs and not-inconsiderable frame will be a huge relief for tired South African bodies. On the All Blacks, winger Sivetini Sivivatu failed a fitrness test and his spot has been taken (surprisingly) by fullback Mils Muliaina, while all-world winger Joe Rokocoko promotes to the bench.

Bok-All Black Test roster info here.

Don'tcha dare miss: Inky's tribute to Tana Umaga.

[excerpt:] Henry, Hansen and Smith have done great things with this side. They have harnessed the All Blacks' essence again, with Hansen providing a righteous platform, Smith unleashing a non-stop barrage of planned-move aggression, and Henry stiffening the defensive resolve. But Umaga is a powerful glue that binds the whole mixture.