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It took Kings Park in Durban for champion Wallabies flanker David Pocock to turn in a royal command performance. The Wallabies beat the Boks 14-9 last night in an 80-minute arm-wrestle that did nothing for the clash to be a spectacle, nor for either side’s World Cup prospects.
In pecking order, it’s still the All Blacks and daylight.
But let’s not knock the “w” for the Wallabies – it was desperately needed.
Aside from Pocock, who was everywhere in defence and attack, and to a lesser extent skipper Rocky Elsom, who had his best game of the season, the Wallabies coughed up far too much ball, and gave away senseless penalties.
They had 57 percent of the territory in the first half, but butchered the chances they created, bombing five potential tries through poor handling, and impatience.
The Boks led 6-0 at the break, James O’Connor missing his only shot.
He landed his first early in the second half, and four minutes later came the only try of the game, set up by lock Nathan Shape, with a jinking run from O’Connor for Pat McCabe to touch down unopposed, wide-out. O’Connor missed again for an 8-6 lead.
Another penalty to the Boks was converted by Butch James for a 9-8 lead, but two more penalties to O’Connor gave the Wallabies back a telling 14-9 advantage with eight minutes left on the clock.
Desperate defence held the Boks at bay, for a win the Wallabies will relish.
In all honesty, they will never play worse and come away with the result.
And they will rarely beat a penalty count against them by the appalling referee, Kiwi Bryce Lawrence.
At long last Elsom stood up and was counted, demanding a response from Lawrence. The answers weren’t forthcoming but Lawrence was on report – thanks to the skipper.
In other pluses, Radike Samo replaced Scott Higginbotham, playing his first Test in 2,456 days. His last was in 2004 – and what a difference the 35-year-old Samo made. Higginbotham was out of his league.
And outside centre Anthony Faingaa must replace the out-of-form Adam Ashley-Cooper – Faingaa was on fire.
But it was Pocock and Elsom who showed the way – with locks Nathan Sharpe, and James Horwill, when he wasn’t being penalised, adding to the win.
A week off, and it’s Suncorp for a final clash with the All Blacks before the World Cup.
Improvement required by the Wallabies to take out the men in black and possibly win the Tri-Nations? At least 75 percent.
But for the moment, let’s just bask in the “w”.
Relive the action via our Live scores and blog of the match.