By Adrian Warren
November 2nd 2008 @ 12:09am
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All Blacks inflict more pain on Wallabies
New Zealand have heaped more pain on Australia with another gritty comeback win over the Wallabies in last night’s historic Bledisloe Cup Test at Hong Kong Stadium.
Aided in no small way by some generous refereeing from Irishman Alan Lewis - who did his best to spoil the spectacle for the near-sellout crowd of 39,682 - the All Blacks rallied from 14-9 down at halftime to post a hard-earned 19-14 victory.
Lewis hammered Australia, at one point awarding New Zealand 11 penalties to two - including seven in a row in the first half - and sharp-shooting Dan Carter took full advantage to slot three penalty goals which ultimately proved the difference between the two sides.
The Wallabies were gallant in defeat, playing some brilliant expansive rugby, particularly before the break, despite the humid and wet conditions which greeted the first-ever Bledisloe Cup clash contested outside of Australasia.
Alas, a superb tryscoring double from winger Drew Mitchell and some outstanding individual displays, most notably from five-eighth Matt Giteau, back-rowers George Smith and Richard Brown and hooker Stephen Moore, were not enough to see the Wallabies home.
After recovering from 17-7 down to clinch the Bledisloe Cup, as well as the Tri Nations trophy, for another year with a 28-24 triumph over Australia in Brisbane in September, the All Blacks completed a 3-1 series win over the Wallabies with last night’s success.
Mitchell’s two strikes in the seventh and 26th minutes, both converted by Giteau, were the only tries of an entertaining first half.
But Carter’s three penalty goals had the All Blacks ominously placed for a second-half fightback.
The All Blacks caught the Wallabies napping just 90 seconds after the interval when powerful winger Sitiveni Sivivatu crossed in the left-hand corner to tie the game up at 14-14.
The enthusiastic crowd then began to jeer the pedantic referee when he continued to stop play and, somewhat appropriately, he looked to have missed a forward pass from Sivivatu which set up the winning try for All Blacks captain Richie McCaw in the 64th minute.
The Wallabies must quickly bounce back from their latest disappointment.
They fly to Europe tomorrow morning for four more Tests this month against Italy, England, France and Wales before winding up their longest and most demanding end-of-season tour in 13 years of professional rugby with a showdown with a world-15 strength Barbarians outfit at Wembley on December 3.
Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock was disappointed that his team had let another lead slip against the All Blacks.
“Unfortunately we did not get the win but I think the boys really dug deep and I was very proud of the effort,” he said.
“I think the All Blacks team are an outstanding team and if you give them an inch they will take it advantage of it and you saw that in the second half.”
He felt the team “was on track” and told his teammates to keep their “chins up” for the European leg.
All Blacks coach Graham Henry praised his outfit for shutting out the Wallabies in the second half.
“They have a huge backbone this team and they know how to hang in there to win rugby games,” he said.
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mcxd said | November 2nd 2008 @ 3:05am | Report comment
congrats to the all blacks, once again, they seem have the belief that they will win and this is what the wallabies have lacked for a number of years..the wallabies had their chances and didnt take them. the abs held their nerve and won.
SamB said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:11am | Report comment
Look who the IRB is grooming for the WC final in NZ.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 2nd 2008 @ 9:47am | Report comment
the AB’s did well, no question, and after a very slow start. But, the combination of the removal of the short arm’s and inaccurate, pendantic, and more importantly, guesswork refereeing made the spectacle more effective than a full dose of Stilnox!!!
As for conspiracy theories, maybe it is the refs that are behind the anti ELV campaign so that they can be more involved in the outcome of games!!! certainly, this ref had a massive impact on the game and probably the result. Just how can you tell who has pulled a scrum down when they go down together and the ref adjusts the tempo of his scrum call each time?
But, I reststate, well done AB’s and well done Honkers.
Burgess had a cracker as did Giteau, Mortlock, Cross, Mitchell and the other backs. Brown and Smith were excellent and Robinson showed some of what a prop needs to do around the park. Mumm did some good things and in particular the kick chase on McCaw. The Line outs generally appeared so disorganised that there must be some other reason (crowd noise etc). Scrums seemed okay when they actually completed.
Often young and inexperienced teams will initially lose close games but this galvanises them for the future. There are enough Wallabies youngsters here to think that this might be the case. Barnes seems to be a minister without portfolio. Is he a 10, 12 or 15???
Paul said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Anyone complaining about the ref has to take the blinkers off. The Wallabies may have got some rough calls, but that was because they gave the ref probable cause. The forwards were like rabid dogs in the first half, piling into rucks and tackles with no respect for legality, desperate to steal or slow down the opposition ball. This is not to say they were always illegal. But they were often breaking the law under the ref’s nose - some times they got away with it (look at how George Smith took out Adam Thompson who had every right to the ball, winning the ruck leading to the second Aussie try).
I say with frustrated admiration (I’m a Wellington fan) that this is no surprise from a Deans coached team. Canterbury and the Crusaders have learned to couch this tactic so the benefits outweigh the risks, but the raw Aussie pack does not have the experience to recognise the true opportunities to jump in and execute them properly. As the game wore on, it was inevitable the “all bodies on the deck” tactic would bear decreasing returns.
Aussie fans should accept the down side to the tactics as gleefully as they accept the acres of space they opened up for the Wallabies.
Kickkickkick; slow down or steal the ball through flood defense at the ruck; only spread quick ball on the front foot. Classic Deans, I’m sure the Wallabies will only get better at it. They were seriously lucky not to get carded multiple times.The problem they will face is that Northern Hemisphere referees will always look with suspicion at the ghastly mess such tactics make of rucks. The quicker game introduced by short-arm ELVs may temper this attitude.. if they become law.
LeftArmSpinner said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:07am | Report comment
paul, my complaint about the ref is that he could not determine who was at fault but still chose to do so. then, it built up to the point where the packs were just plain confused and began to pull back!!! Hardly the environment for a fast, competitive physical game as we have come to expect from this year’s 3N.
Paul said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:17am | Report comment
LeftArmSpinner, sorry, you posted about the same time I did. I wasn’t dirrecting my comments at anyone in particular.
I believe your comment is fair, especially in the scrums. The Wallabies’ reputation precedes them there (again, as a Wellington fan, I know that pain :)). Given the poor surface, they should really have gone to golden oldies.
And the short-arms would have suited the Wallabies ruck play better as well. The penalty kick to touch from within your own 22 really makes a huge difference, and I think is the best reason for keeping such offence as full arm penaties - at least within your own half.
True Tah said | November 2nd 2008 @ 10:20am | Report comment
LAS,
I dont think the game was as bad as you made out, although I will say that the second half was far better than the first, maybe once the players were used to the humid conditions and the referee went a bit easier.
I think the match fitness of the All Blacks really showed, as the Wallabies’ effort really fell apart and they started making poor decisions associated with fatigue like the pass out to an isolated Peter Hynes who had two ABs onto him like a shark feeding frenzy, having said that, the fact Stephen Donald was at fly-half may have helped the Wallabies out.
Was impressed by Ice Man, I didn’t think he was a fullback, and whilst he was fantastic for the Blues in 2007, questioned whether he could could impact in the black jersey, that run when he stepped through about four defenders dispelled any myths.
Urbanonic said | November 2nd 2008 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
I don’t know of any other team sport in which a referree/umpire/official can influence the game as much as he can rugby. If he’s simply sticking to the letter of the law, as evidenced by M. Lewis, then he’s right and the laws are wrong. And many of the laws are most certainly wrong - unwieldy, complicated, fusty - in modern rugby. Every major sport has simplified the laws in order to get a more attractive game - for the spectators and for the players - but rugby clings to the concept that it’s played by wayward children who must be disciplined often and repeatedly.
Quel damage.
oikee said | November 2nd 2008 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
They will never make the rules of rugby simple urbanonic, other wise they have to call the game rugby league,
and that will never happen. Just leave the game as it is, one day we could throw in a few shovels on the field and they could dig a hole to china on the back of some off those rucks and mauls they form. Besides that it gives me great pleasure seeing the all blacks beating the wallabies. One bet i dont often lose.
Fragglerocker said | November 2nd 2008 @ 3:00pm | Report comment
Any New Zealander who thinks that the referee did a good and impartial job last night obviously thinks the same way about the refereeing in the 2007 World Cup quaterfinal against France.
MarkH said | November 2nd 2008 @ 4:01pm | Report comment
Over here in Hong Kong, nobody was gobbing off over that display. Both sides were scrappy and the ref…the 50/50 calls never went the Wallabies way. But in watching the game, it makes mew think that the ABs although winning, are just about at the end.
deek said | November 2nd 2008 @ 4:39pm | Report comment
righton fragglerocker sad but true
kenneth mortimer said | November 2nd 2008 @ 4:44pm | Report comment
Part of me believe that the Wallabies should have won this game (I am married to a Kiwi and have two Kiwi children) as they were the most innovative but they let themselves down by going over the top too frequently and the refereeing from Irishman Alan Lewis gave opportunities to Dan Carter to punish the Wallabies. Arguably Morlock should have provided better tactical leadership to stop the high penalty count.
The ground surface was disgusting and without improvement that will be the last Bledisloe in Hong Kong.
I disagreee with True Tah as I was totally impressed with how the Wallabies equaled the ABs in fitness and their increased capabilities as coached by Deans - yes I do have a small shrine dedicated to the worship of Deans!
One has to be impressed with the AB defence and the tip of the fingers abililty of McCaw when scorong the try that with the AB defence sealed the fate of the Wallabies.
I agree with the views of LeftArmSpinner onhis ovrall view of the game.
Jin Bom said | November 2nd 2008 @ 5:22pm | Report comment
All the talk about the ref is true. He had a Barry Crocker! The touch judges as well. Whatever on the 50/50 calls, what about the two AB second half tries. The first came from a ruck just outside the Wallaby try line. From the tv you could see Mortlock lying on the deck on the rhs, and a big AB arm keeping him in the supine position. Needless to say, Sivivatu scored with lack of numbers in the Wallaby line. The Mccaw try was a classic. Sir Richie almost fell a over t in reaching forward to catch the ball. If I was a professional athlete, as these guys are, I would be aggrieved that such an incompetent display of match adjudication means I would not be getting my win bonus. Beaten fair and square is one thing. Being beaten by pedantic, vain glorious and incompetent whistle blowers is another.
Jim Bom said | November 2nd 2008 @ 6:29pm | Report comment
I’m not exactly sure why this game is a “success”? Is it because almost 40k people went and saw it? Could they have sold more tickets? Well, no, as there seemed quite a few empty seats, and even the official attendance was below maximum. Is it because the game was played at a high level of intensity, even though it was a ‘dead rubber’? Well, these two protagonists will always throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at each other when they play.
From my point of view, if you put a game on like that in an expat enclave such as HK, you would always get a big game. A Calcutta Cup match would be the biggest, of course. If taking the game to new geographies is the intention, well, Shanghai or Beijing, or Tokyo or Yokohama or Seoul or Inchion with requisite local tv coverage would be a far better bet.
I don’t think this game adds anything except a good piss up opportunity for local and Asian based expats. I wonder if it had been 2-1 up to the aussies going in to this game where a win meant winning the Bledisloe, that people would be so forgiving of a game/event such as this.
matta said | November 2nd 2008 @ 6:51pm | Report comment
Ref was poo… fullstop… go watch the replay Paul…
TommyM said | November 2nd 2008 @ 6:51pm | Report comment
I think the Wallabies did successfully change tactics to reduce penalties in the second half…. meaning they had only 20% possession!! It seemed to me that they became timid at the breakdown (and the scrum) for fear of the ref making good on his threats of a send off.
OldManEmu said | November 2nd 2008 @ 7:03pm | Report comment
There is real and genuine bias against Wallaby front rows and it was there sticking out like dogs balls yesterday.It dates to the Bill Young, Jeremy Paul era era where teams who were out srcummed by a “couple of ninety pound weaklings” could not accept that fact and caimed that the wallabies were cheating.
There were a number of scrums yesterday where Al Baxter got a great hit and had his side of the scrum shoving up and so the ABS dragged it down, and of course, the referee assumed it must have been Baxters fault, penalty ABs.
Benn Robinson was penalised on one occasion,God knows what for, because the replay clearly showed his opposite engaging and then bending at the hips so Robinson who was trying to scrum had to go to ground.
Stephen Moorewas under constant pressure from the ref for early engagement. He was lectured at length at one point.But there numerous scrums where the ABS had the feed and they just ignored the refs calland engaged early, and no problem, the ref let it go.
And I did not see one scrum on the telecast where the ABs half fed the ballintothe centre ofthe scrum but again no penalty
OldManEmu said | November 2nd 2008 @ 7:09pm | Report comment
Sorry accidently posted before I was finished (and had corrected spelling).
Richie McCawslipped up to helphis prop and engaged the Wallaby prop- again no penalty.
I dont suggest that the ABs oughtnot have won, they should have, but it must be frustrating the hell out of the Wallaby front row who for mine are far too harshly dealt with by referees. I shudder to think how they will be treated when we play Englandwhere the suumption will be that if a scrum goes to ground it is the Wallabies fault. I think Jim Williamshas a big job on his hands to devise some strategy to deal with this problem
matta said | November 2nd 2008 @ 8:17pm | Report comment
OldMan… spot on… anyone whos played more than 5 minutes in the front row knows its all about cheating…but only cheating enough to weaken you opositions position.
The truth is, and I think this is your point, refs have no idea at scrum time and generally either 1) give the decision to the attacking team or 2) base their call on reputation.
sambobly said | November 2nd 2008 @ 8:25pm | Report comment
Old man Emu, I could not agree more. For a season or two now the Wallabies have been blamed for every little thing that goes wrong at scrum time. Sometimes it is their fault but often it isn’t. I think there are a couple of options to solve the problem.
1) The wallabies improve their scrummaging technique to such a degree that they are consistently destroying the opposition at scrum time. This would be impossible to ignore and would change the ref’s preconceptions.
2) The wallabies camp whines over and over about how they are unfairly treated at the scrum. This could have the effect of putting pressure on the referee to look at the scrums and be certain of his call before giving a penalty.
Obviously option 1 is what all Wallabies fans hope will happen. However, if this does not occur then option 2 could be used as a last resort.
Jerry said | November 3rd 2008 @ 5:38am | Report comment
Old Man Emu - I agree the ref was unfairly pinging the Aussie scrum at times. It does speak a bit about the nous of those front rowers that they couldn’t see that and dial back the engagement a bit at the cost of allowing the AB’s some stable attacking ball (better than conceding a bunch of penalties/free kicks). Same deal at the breakdown really - if the ref is hammering them, they’ve got to adjust their play. May not always be fair, but it’s the reality of test rugby.
Also - Jim Bom, if you think Mortlock could have stopped that first AB try, you’re dreaming.
Terry Kidd said | November 3rd 2008 @ 6:33am | Report comment
I said last week that I had a sneaking suspicion that the Wallaby scrum would go ok … and it would have if Mr Lewis had allowed them to. I think that scrum was pretty damn good …. a number of times they were penalised for supposedly engaging early (but I was watching closely and they didn’t go early) but it was the AB front row not engaging at the call that was the problem.
Hey samnobly … there is another option … the wallaby pack can keep doing as they did on Saturday night … the refs who penalize them out of it on the nigth get to see replays of the game and then get to see the true story … then refs attitudes change.
Well done the ABs for the win and well done the Wallabies for the effort …. thanks Mr Lewis go back to the juniors and learn how to ref a game please. Your effort was disgusting.
Mark H said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:24am | Report comment
Terry, the ABs scrum was all over the place but let me tell you. The surface of the oval was very poor. From where I was sitting, it looked like it was giving way. We did how ever put real presure on the ABs.
One thing though, from where I sat and call me full of crap, but that last pass to McGaw was forward and we let the lines man know it. We were right in line of it. Lewis gave the try without consult and we gave him a basting.
1/2 time, it was 11 - 2 onn the pen count. Even the Kiwis in the stands couldnt beleive what was going on. Smith got penalised for not rolling away when before he could, McDonald came in from the side right in front of arse clown and he did nothing but have a crack at Smith.
Jerry said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:28am | Report comment
Who’s McDonald?
Ben C said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:37am | Report comment
sambobly
We have already tried option 2. It was called the Eddie Jones era.
Terry Kidd said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Yeah Mark H …. I agree absolutely horrible refereeing with no semblance of consistency. At one stage in the first half … about 25 minute mark Mortlock was penalised for a high shot which hit the middle of the back and slid up over the head doing absolutely no damage, yet in the next 10 minutes there were 2 high shots front on from AB defenders that went unsanctioned …. and that is just another instance apart from the scrums.
I agree that the pass to McCaw was forward, it looked so on the telly, but the ref was probably mesmerised by McCaw’s qute miraculous hands to pick it up.
I think there is little doubt that this Irish ref went a little ‘irish’ and totally lost the plot. Although it was a loss on the scoreboard and the Wallabies lost the plot a little late in the second half, I count this as a moral victory, or at worst a draw, and I think the ABs will have no doubt that there is not a struck match between the sides at the moment.
OldManEmu said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:50am | Report comment
I am particularly heartened to see that there are people who are finally recognising that our scrum is not that bad.
This may not be something that can seriously happen at the level but I think we need to sit down with the referees boss and have this scrum issue out. Jim Williams and maybe a scrum doctor like Andrew Blades or maybe even an overseas ex player, perhaps the great Scot David Sole or Trevor Woodman who now helps out at Sydney Uni, armed with a video of the last three years, demonstrating how our scrum has improved out of sight and providing examples of how opposition scrums are conning the referee.
I dont think it is a matter of nous Jerry. Using Al Baxter as an example, he was thrown in to International Rugby before he was ready and got carved up plenty of times. But he is there now, he is up there with the best. So now he is trying to establish credibility. He wants his opposition to know he can scrum. Naturally he is going to try to monster his opponent, that is plan A,B & C. But then if he does try to get sneaky and not scrummage and pulls a trick - he gets pinged, if the opposition pull a trick Baxter gets pinged, if the scrum simply collapses as they tend to do every now and then, Baxter gets pinged. At present he cant win.
It was there to see on Saturday, the referee lecturing Moore about the early engagement when Mealamu was doing exactly the same thing. It was absolute crapola. I thought it showed supreme control on the part of Moore to keep it together.
Terry Kidd said | November 3rd 2008 @ 8:59am | Report comment
Old man Emu … I agree. I think our scrum with Robinnson, Moore and Baxter up front is now world class. Whats more is that I think the ABs also now know how good it is and also know that easy ball against our scrum is no longer possible.
I think your suggestion has merit especially if the NH refs continue to hammer us later in the tour. I am looking forward to see how our scrum goes against the Italians and England …. parity will make me smile.
hayden said | November 3rd 2008 @ 10:54am | Report comment
So much bleating - I could swear I logged on to an Aussie site but this must be a Pommie one.
AllBlackfan said | November 3rd 2008 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
Terry, take another look at that second half. The Wallaby scrum (and especially the front row) was slowly but inevitably being shredded. Part of the AB resurgence in the second 40 minutes was because the Wallaby forwards were being strangled out of the game; once the ABs got hold of the ball, the Wallabies couldn’t get their mitts on it until there was an infringement or the ball went dead.
As for the ref … my head went down before the game when I saw who it was. I agree, very bad call to have Lewis there.
But allow me to offer you the same advice my aussie mates gave me after NZ’s WC debacle.
Get over it! That’s the way the ball bounces. Stop blaming the ref for your mistakes etc …
Don’t think the refereeing is going to get any better in Europe! So if you can’t change something, learn to live with it and move on.
It seems to me that the Wallabies are intent on playing a spoiling game; too many off-the-ball incidents for my liking from a team that supposedly prides itself on fair play.
Rangi said | November 3rd 2008 @ 10:52pm | Report comment
Good post AllBlackfan.
So much spoiling going on at the breakdown by the Wallabies loosies in particular. Is that what they were practising in those camps which were supposed to produce a fitter, improved team. After half-time the ABs clearly upped the ante and the Wallabies wilted and no amount of bleating about refs will change that. Sure the scoreline was close but the ABs played eerily like Sydney in the first half, fixed it in the second half and strangled the life out of the Wallabies.
There is a lot more than a struck match between the two teams and Robbie knows it. The ABs at the moment have the physical and mental strength to cope with whatever is thrown at them. Robbie Deans, knowing the Kiwi psyche as well as anybody will know that his presence in the Wallaby ranks only makes these victories sweeter. He should not be surprised at how difficult it is no matter what the Wallabies come up with.
As Spiro said earlier this year, great coach but he just hasn’t got the cattle.
Westy said | November 3rd 2008 @ 11:08pm | Report comment
Rangi and AllBlackfan…Australian rugby is more cyclical than New Zealand rugby reflecting the lower depth of quality players in Australian rugby. You are quite right Deans has a hell of a job. the Wallabies from before the last world Cup were an effective but declining team….as time went on the decline became more noticeable.
At the same time Deans has to rebuild a new team , reskill and develop new talent ..and try to get depth something you know Australia does not traditionally possess .Deans has not been given the licence and time to do so…. without still being highly competitive………..these spoiling tactics will continue as Deans must eake out competitive results. For the ARU the Wallabies is basically all we have got………..unlike the old days the ARU cannot afford to let the natural cycle of Australian rugby occur.
ohtani's jacket said | November 3rd 2008 @ 11:38pm | Report comment
I dunno if the All Blacks’ performances this year were anything to get cocky about. It was a taxing four Test series. Australia are in the position we were in from ‘99-2003. They’re desperate to win back the Bledisloe like we were. Henry has a real battle on his hands to keep our guys focused. I’m sensing a bit of boredom or maybe it’s just me who’s bored with the whole thing.