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The Wallabies have defeated the All Blacks in a gripping Tri Nations final at Suncorp Stadium 25 points to 20, breaking a ten year Tri Nations drought.
In James Horwill’s first Test as captain, the Wallabies went to the break leading 20 points to 3, after overwhelming an All Blacks side in the first half in front of a crowd of 51,858.
Tries in the first half went to Will Genia and Radike Samo, with Quade Cooper converting both and hitting two penalties.
But within 20 minutes of the second half, the All Blacks had scored 17 points and levelled the match 20 all.
After the break, Dan Carter hit a penalty, then shortly after Conrad Smith crossed the line for an easy try.
In the worst outcome possible, Ma’a Nonu scored again for the All Blacks six minutes later.
The successful conversion levelled the scores at 20 points all.
But with the game slipping from their hands, the Wallabies mustered the ball, Genia scooted past the referee Barnes, into a gap and offloaded to Digby Ioane, who then passed to Beale just before the line for a try.
A gripping but less expansive period unfolded with the Wallabies and All Blacks looking to reserves to get them over the line.
A last minute attack from the All Blacks was nullified after a pass was intercepted by the Wallabies. The forwards hung onto the ball before a penalty right on fulltime saw Australia defeat New Zealand and win the Tri Nations. The last time Australia held the trophie, Will Genia was a 13 year old boy.
Earlier in the first half, Radike Samo scored a memorable try by making one of season’s best breaks, which he finished with a sprint to the line. Samo’s speed was like a man running in a dream, but he somehow got his old legs over the line before the defence hit him.
Watch Samo’s try:
The Wallabies regain the Tri Nations title and go into the Rugby World Cup with form on the board. Amazingly, the All Blacks go into a home Rugby World Cup with two losses in a row and far from being favourites.
Relive the game as it unfolded on our live blog.
Watch video highlights of the match
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August 27th 2011 @ 10:43pm
Rugby Reg said | August 27th 2011 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
Great win Wallabies!!!
Samo was a machine, the forwards won this one and Will Genia!
Cooper was OK , but not in carters class.
August 27th 2011 @ 10:48pm
Snobby Deans said | August 27th 2011 @ 10:48pm | Report comment
The Wallabies won tonight off the back of a great first half. As an All Black fan, I’d be worried if the RWC was being played in Aussie (especially Suncorp).
I’d say Graham Henry and Co will take a lot out of that first half – there’s no way that the All Blacks will go into the sheds at half-time 17 points down in RWC2011 – whereas I’d be surprised if the Wallabies against the major teams they need to beat (Ireland, France/England, possibly NZ) repeat that sort of half-time scoreline.
Time will tell . . . . bring it on
August 27th 2011 @ 10:52pm
Steve said | August 27th 2011 @ 10:52pm | Report comment
Great first half by the aussies they really knocked us back and was some of the best defence I have seen for a long time.
The AB’s option taking in the first half was also very poor and Guildford struggled espically under a couple of high balls.
Second half was much better as we slowed the ball down and the Aussie scrum took a bit of a hammering a couple of times.
Great effort by the AB’s to draw level but they seem to let off for a bit and this was enough for Aussie to score again and did enough to close out the game.
Still not convinced about a few selections for the AB’s Would have liked to have seen Crockett and Gear in place of Guildford and Afoa.
August 27th 2011 @ 10:54pm
p.Tah said | August 27th 2011 @ 10:54pm | Report comment
Well done Wallabies, but the ABs second half really impressed me. That 25+ phase try is what is required in a RWC. Fantastic discipline and control. Amazing stuff. Shows how good Henry is to switch the game plan so effectively at half time. Impressed the Wallabies didn’t panic when the scores drew level. They’re maturing.
The ABs will never drop that many balls in a test match again!
Glad the Wallabies weren’t over the top with celebrations at the end. They know this is just one step on the journey.
August 27th 2011 @ 11:00pm
mikeylives said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:00pm | Report comment
“The ABs will never drop that many balls in a test match again!” – they weren’t exactly unforced errors. Hard defence created a lot of AB dropped ball in the first half.
August 27th 2011 @ 11:08pm
p.Tah said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:08pm | Report comment
True, where did that killer defense go in the 2nd half?
August 27th 2011 @ 11:12pm
Frank O'Keeffe said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:12pm | Report comment
The defence was what won it. Anthony’s tackle on Mils saved a try and was just massive.
The conditions didn’t help New Zealand. They couldn’t get the ball through the hands like they wanted, and allowed Australia to make some big hits.
But it was the same against South Africa. Australia gets the defence right, and suddenly the forwards come into the game because they’re taking players behind the advantage line. The forwards get the ball and dominate.
The second most pleasing thing about the game was how the Wallabies constantly took it through the forwards, and if that didn’t work, they took it through the forwards, and if that didn’t work, they took it through the forwards.
You can’t ignore doing the hard stuff up front.
August 28th 2011 @ 12:23am
PeterK said | August 28th 2011 @ 12:23am | Report comment
Frank the CONDITIONS should of helped the AB’s, wet and Wallabies not renowned for playing in wet conditions. Great confidence booster to win in those conditions.
August 27th 2011 @ 10:54pm
Pkd said | August 27th 2011 @ 10:54pm | Report comment
Will Cooper be cited for kneeing McCaw? He didn’t do a good job of it but… he saw him, cocked, unloaded and connected. If he had the strength of Thorne or Botha, McCaw would’ve lost his head.
The ABs could look like arses for doing it as it had no consequence, but they could get him banned for the opening WC games at least.
I wasn’t sure about it, until in the presser, Cooper was asked about the “incident” that led to the fight/tussle. He waffled on about not remembering any incident and that rugby was all about the impact with other players, and then went on to talk about McCaw. He looked Dodgy as.
August 27th 2011 @ 11:15pm
Breakaway said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:15pm | Report comment
This win does not alter AB favouritism for RWC. But it nudges the Wallabies a tad closer, and puts doubt – that corrosive killer of confidence – in the minds of all Kiwis, including those in the team. Bring on the World Cup, the carnival of rugby, for all to enjoy!!!
August 27th 2011 @ 11:34pm
sledgeandhammer said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:34pm | Report comment
Must be great to be an All Black supporter, when you win you win, and when you lose you win (well, you were the better team, and the referee was to blame, the travel was a factor, and it wasn’t your best team anyway). Little bit like the old coin trick, heads I win, tails you lose.
August 27th 2011 @ 11:49pm
stillmatic1 said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:49pm | Report comment
yeah, and we dont hear that after every single wallaby loss!!
August 27th 2011 @ 11:42pm
p.Tah said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:42pm | Report comment
Ok someone has to say it… Whats up with Digby’s new hair colour?
August 28th 2011 @ 12:03am
winston said | August 28th 2011 @ 12:03am | Report comment
Denis Rodmanesk
August 28th 2011 @ 12:15am
ThelmaWrites said | August 28th 2011 @ 12:15am | Report comment
Speaking of hair, did Foxtel show the two Samo look-alikes in the crowd after Samo’s try? (I had a feed from SkySports.)
Just a little levity…to calm bad nerves!!
August 28th 2011 @ 12:18am
p.Tah said | August 28th 2011 @ 12:18am | Report comment
Yes. We’re a bit sensitive to the painted faces look here (see Red Faces show a few years ago), but this was tribute to Samo rather than a mockery IMO.
August 28th 2011 @ 12:24am
ThelmaWrites said | August 28th 2011 @ 12:24am | Report comment
Yeah, I took it that way too and so did the crowd!
August 27th 2011 @ 11:52pm
Johnno said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:52pm | Report comment
Form tonights match I can see the following a chance for starting line up outside of tonights starting team come RWC finals stages or big group matches.
Palu
TPN
Mitchell
JOC
Barnes
And maybe slipper when fit and firing is not bad.
I wonder if Ben robinson’s loss was overrated how much better is he than ALexander who has improved quite bait. Aorund the field i never got th impression ben Robinson did a lot. I would liked to have seen ben Daley in squad would be handy still think mafu offers nothing would hate to have to rely on mafu if injury happens in first 5 minutes of a RWC final versus the ALL BLACKS. Far more conifence in Ben Daley, Slipper, or Holmes than mafu .
August 27th 2011 @ 11:55pm
ohtani's jacket said | August 27th 2011 @ 11:55pm | Report comment
Sledgeandhammer, nobody’s made those sort of excuses. None of us thought the All Blacks’ first half was good enough. I doubt there many of us excited about the second half comeback. But poor performances are always made more exasperating by poor referring and that’s exactly what happened tonight. If tonight proved anything it’s that refereeing will decide the Rugby World Cup just like last time and some unfortunate team will be screwed in a few weeks time.
August 28th 2011 @ 12:01am
PeterK said | August 28th 2011 @ 12:01am | Report comment
OJ what a joke, you said the ref cost the AB’s the game, what rubbish, the Wallabies were the better team and Barnes let the AB’s get away with a lot.
August 28th 2011 @ 2:55am
ohtani's jacket said | August 28th 2011 @ 2:55am | Report comment
It’s always the same with you Aussies. Whinge when you want to about the refs and then expect everyone to be magnaminous when your side wins.
August 28th 2011 @ 3:03am
happychap said | August 28th 2011 @ 3:03am | Report comment
Take the loss with a bit of grace you big sook. You were beaten fair and square by the better team. It’s not often that happens, but it happened tonight. NZ were back to their excellent best in the second half and gave it a great shake, but the Wallabies hung in there and were rewarded with their stellar first half.
August 28th 2011 @ 3:04am
happychap said | August 28th 2011 @ 3:04am | Report comment
(When I say it’s not often that happens, I mean it’s not often that NZ are outplayed, such is their consistent excellence).
August 28th 2011 @ 3:25am
ohtani's jacket said | August 28th 2011 @ 3:25am | Report comment
I never said anything about the Wallabies or their win. I’m talking about the referee the same as people always do after a test match. Peter K does it religiously.