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Make no mistake the Wallabies’ near-death victory over the Springboks at Pretoria is one of the most important victories the national side has had in recent memory.
If the Wallabies had lost, and it was a close-run thing, Robbie Deans would have been obliged to make some massive changes to his squad.There would have been calls, too, for his head even though this type of execution was never on the cards.
Given the lack of talent below the top fifteen, especially with seven potential starting Wallabies out injured or unavailable, Deans would have been forced to virtually start from scratch to make these changes. This would have meant nearly three seasons of team-building would have been lost.
I would equate the victory at Blonfontein to the win the 1990 Wallabies achieved against the All Blacks in the third Test of the series, after losing the first two Tests and earning the description of the ‘woeful Wallabies’ for their troubles.
Bob Dwyer’s hold on the Wallabies coaching job was under threat from a Queenland push for John Connolly. Dwyer also threatened to drop a number of the stalwarts who starred in the RWC 1991 triumph – Nick Farr Jones was one – if the All Blacks got up again.
Deans’ Wallabies have now won two of the three Australian victories in South Africa in the Tri Nations era. At Pretoria the Wallabies recorded their first victory at altitude for 47 years.
The last time the Wallabies won at Blomfontein was in 1933. History has been made and the Wallabies should be congratulated for succeeding when other great sides have failed.
The importance of the victory, therefore, cannot be over-emphasised.
The Springboks fielded eleven players from their RWC 2007 triumph. This was no make-shift team or a rotational team. They were trying to prevent five losses in a Tri Nations season for the first time. And they had a goal-kicker, Morne Steyne, who kicked every goal, one of them from half-way.
The play of the Wallabies in the first 30 minutes was about as perfect as an Australian side will ever play. Everything was done at pace. The ball was passed in front of runners. The backs made skilful choices with their kicking game. Deans’ philosophy of ‘playing what is in front of you’ was expressed to perfection.
I thought at the time, though, that when the Wallabies were leading 31 – 6 with minutes to go before half-time they made a mistake in twice rejecting kicks at goal. The option of a 5m scrum turned sour when they were penalised for going early into a scrum. Not long after this, following a tremendous run and chip from Victor Matfield, Jacque Fourie powered across for a try.
What should have been a 34 – 6 scoreline became 31 – 13, with the Springboks 18 points behind but with some momentum going into the second half.
They were relentless in reducing this Wallaby lead to an unlikely Springboks lead. When Steyn banged over a penalty to make the score Springboks 36 – Wallabies 31, South Africa had scored an astonishing 25 points to nil.
Saia Faingnaa then had his brain storm, lifted a Springboks runner and smashed him to the ground to be given (correctly) a yellow card. Despite this, the Wallabies with fresh legs from Luke Burgess and Berrick Barnes stormed back for a stunning try to Drew Mitchell off a skilful in-pass from Barnes.
The Wallabies were now in front. But could they hold on? You had the feeling that if this game got away from them they would be scarred for years.
Then came some Keystone Cops play from Kurtley Beale.
He had dropped a bomb from Francois Hougaard a little earlier. Then he passed a ball from a turnover won by David Pocock (one of six) over the dead-ball line. Now he slipped into a pass and head-butted the ball to Adam Ashley-Cooper who was ruled off side.
Steyn banged over the penalty. The Springboks now led 39 – 38. Surely a Test that was as exciting as any ever played could not take another turn?
We turn now to the referee Wayne Barnes. The 34 year-old English lawyer had a superb game. His rapport with the players was excellent as he spelled out from time to time exactly why he made the decision he did.
With seconds remaining, the Springboks went into a flop/sealing off regime which was made even more frustrating by the way the ball was held in the back of the ruck for many seconds at a time. I hate this form of time-wasting because it violates two fundamental principles of rugby: first, the use-it or lose-it rule; and second, the rule that the continuous contest for possession is fundamental to the rugby game.
As the Springboks started their flip/seal tactics I heard Barnes warn them about sealing off the ball. The warning was disregarded and Barnes ruled, correctly, that an offence had occurred.
The rest is history.
Beale banged over a huge goal. The whistle went. The Wallabies had won a famous victory, and a victory the Wallabies had to have.
Admittedly, as posters have pointed out already on The Roar, the Springboks were playing their third successive Test. They had started off flat, as they did also at Pretoria.
Some of the Springbok stars of RWC 2007 seem to be finished.
Bryan Habana was booed by the home crowd before being hooked in the second half. John Smit was a passenger for the first half, although he lifted in parts of the second half. He is so vital to the Springboks for his captaincy it would not surprise me if he played next year as a prop, once more.
It seems unlikely that the Springboks can afford to play with their three huge backrowers, none of whom are fetchers or diggers. Pocock had a field day. Probably Spies is the one who will go when Brussow comes back.
There are problems for the Springboks at fullback, on the wings and in the defence of the centres. The team of RWC 2007 is now looking an unlikely RWC 2011 winning side. You would think that changes in the forward, backs and the coaching staff have to be made.
The Wallabies are in the position of having a number of experienced forwards coming back for consideration for the next Test. The youngish backline has proved itself in the toughest rugby environment possible.
For the Wallabies, therefore, it is onwards and upwards. They have broken an altitude/attitude hoodoo. Their world ranking is number 2, displacing the Springboks from this position by their win.
Now they get a chance to improve their recent record against the All Blacks at Sydney on Saturday night. What a Test to look forward to.