After being told to show more “mongrel”, the Wallabies bared their teeth in more ways than one at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night. They’re just lucky to have got them back.
Veteran lock Nathan Sharpe rushed to the dentist immediately after the 30-13 Tri-Nations triumph following a stray boot from Springbok centre Jaque Fourie.
Attempting to chase down the free-running Fourie as South Africa attempted their second half comeback, Sharpe copped the back of a heel to his jaw.
A tooth went flying into the turf and the 81-Test forward had to play with a gap in his mouth.
A team of six ground staff members were deployed after fulltime to comb the field for the molar but the emu parade struggled for quite some time to uncover the missing tooth.
Once found, Sharpe made his way into a nearby dentist’s chair expecting it could be reinserted.
It was a heartening post-script on an encouraging night for the under-pressure Wallabies who showed much more in attack, defence and at the set-piece than their four June Tests when their intensity and willingness were questioned.
While their backs ran amok, Australia’s highly committed forwards enjoyed their night against the massive Springbok pack.
Coach Robbie Deans singled out scrum anchor Salesi Ma’afu and said he’d “arrived” as tighthead prop just a month after the disaster of Perth when demolished by the English front-row.
Wallabies ball scavenger David Pocock officially filled retired great George Smith’s big boots with a man-of-the-match display which Boks skipper John Smit praised as the most pivotal on the night.
Pocock showed the value of having a specialist “fetcher” by winning the breakdown battle for the home side, who have now won their past seven against South Africa at Suncorp Stadium.
The frustrated Springboks correctly identified Pocock’s try-saving on Bryan Habana and then follow-up ruck penalty on his line as a massive turning point in the match.
“David Pocock was all over the breakdown,” Smit said.
“He was massive there and we just didn’t match him.
“It’s just such a big part of the modern-day game.”
While the Wallabies cleared their crucial first Tri-Nations hurdle, they must improve when the challenge becomes significantly greater in seven days time in Melbourne.
The high-flying All Blacks stand in wait and coach Robbie Deans indicated they could not afford to let New Zealand off the hook like they did the Boks several times in attack.
Skipper Rocky Elsom also stressed his side couldn’t afford to be off in any aspect of the game.
“It’s going to be totally different next week,” he said.
“I’d love to say that (tonight) helps us a hell of a lot going into next week but we don’t know that for sure.
“We just have to expect NZ will be at their best and it’s going to require our best to stop them.”
UPDATE: Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper and South African centre Jaque Fourie have been cited for dangerous tackles following Australia’s 30-13 win over the Springboks their Tri-Nations rugby Test in Brisbane.
Citing Commissioner Steve Hinds of New Zealand charged Cooper and Fourie under Law 10.4(e), over separate incidents which led to sin bin stints for the pair during the clash at Suncorp Stadium, the Australian Rugby Union said in a statement early on Sunday morning.
Springbok Fourie was yellow-carded in the second minute of the Test and Australian playmaker Cooper suffered the same fate in the 54th minute.
The two cases will be heard by Judicial Officer Bruce Squire of New Zealand on Sunday morning in Brisbane.
kiwi21
Guest
Good point however if you do what Botha did on your own tryline, then it is considered a professional foul, some would say it was a little harsh but the powers that be are trying to ensure teams score trys to keep rugby entertaining.
matthew
Guest
Well I dont mind the Boks losing if this will force them to adapt and make their rugby a game thats all about wanting the ball and playing WITH the ball.
Georgie McHugh
Guest
CraigB, thank goodness someone knows the rules! I still think that the rolling maul is the worst part of rugby. I know that it is not a popular point of view, because of the great skill that goes into it. The ELVs had it right when they allowed pulling down the maul. In my view it is wrong for three reasons: 1. It is the only part of the game where you cannot tackle the ball carrier or seek to access the ball. 2. If the crowd (or most of the players) can't see the ball it is a problem. 3. When half the game is not either involved or likely to become involved in the play for such a long time it is ridiculous. It is a skill (undoubtedly very technical) that has developed in the game. But, I still don't imagine that upon picking up the ball in the mid nineteenth century (whether at Rugby School or elsewhere), the players thought to unshackle themselves from only kicking the ball so that they could engage in rolling mauls. I don't have a problem with mauls, they are a great focus of the contest. However, rolling mauls are not the same contest. Possibly if it stops or goes backwards once (not three times), the team taking it in loses possession.
Georgie McHugh
Guest
RR, do you mean "hear,hear"? Or are you directing us there, there?
JohnB
Guest
"Bear" in the sense of carry. Sharpe carried his tooth to the dentist. Original story, and headline on the News Ltd site had it as "bare". "Bare" is in the first par of the story as published on Roar - therefore a possibility that it was an intential pun. The fact it's been corrected now suggests we may have been being too charitable in suggesting that.
mickh
Guest
and go the Lemon and Paeroa All Blacks!
Jerry
Guest
Your memory is faulty - there was no decent footage of the incident at the time.
Jerry
Guest
I don't deny it was reckless. It would have resulted in bans for both players, for sure. Though Mealamu was more at fault than Umaga. I don't think it was idiotic or malicious, merely very very unfortunate. You see players cleaning out rucks by lifting a leg constantly - that's not particularly dangerous. What happened that day was that both players lifted a leg meaning rather than BOD simply tipping over as normally happens, he was lifted in the air.
Bob Mcgregor
Guest
Started watching Rugby in 1945 Jerry and have pretty well watched every Test since in Sydney live and/or others on TV/Pay TV. Perhaps the said AB incident has been discussed so often it 'seemed' like last year. Actually I meant to end the sentence with 2 ? but was distracted and forgot. However, at the time in 2005 I was watching the game live on Pay TV and it looked pretty deliberate to me and clear cut. How no-one was called to account at the time remains one of the great travesties of justice in Rugby as it was clear to any fair minded person watching the intention was to maim O'Driscoll at the start of the Lions Tour. If that incident was the catalyst to get the IRB to act on such action then well and good, as in retrospect it certainly served it's purpose. Unfortunately similar thuggish actions have gone unpunished in the past and parents -especially mothers - lean on their children, especially sons to play a less dangerous sport. Perhaps another reason player numbers/crowds have dropped off here in OZ?
nicksa
Guest
OJ i agree, the wallabies didnt impress me much either. Im hoping they can win next week though to make this tri nations a lil intresting.
nicksa
Guest
well done wallabies, played very well! hopefully they can win next week in melbourne. Boks totally outplayed at the breakdown! i dont know what is going on there...
Hayden
Guest
Just curious. There are two species of posters missing from this thread: the " Whole World Is Against Us But We'll Show You On Saturday" Bok supporters, and the "That Deans Has To Go Now, This Team He Has Selected Will Get Smashed, I've Never Been So Embarrassed To Be A Wannaby Supporter" types. C'mon chaps, there's plenty of pie to go round.
Hayden
Guest
I am not defending the incident, merely pointing out the inaccuracies in the original statement.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Peter, I still don't understand why there is no chemistry between the Australian back three. JOC, AAC and Mitchell all made breaks last nights but they were individual runs and none of them led to tries, though I thought Mitchell might have the legs. If the Wallabies learn how to counter attack then I think they'll be dangerous. Cooper is good but I think he needs to be a bit more clever with his option taking. Once he has the opposition in two minds about whether he's going to pass long, then I think he'll profit.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
It won't be a popular opinion but at least the Wallabies appear to be staying a bit more grounded this year. I think they know that it wasn't anything to get excited by. It would be good for everyone all around if the Wallabies won a game against the All Blacks but hopefully it's in Sydney after we've won everything.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'Ben S – Yes you did. You stated he cannot catch and he cannot pass sideways. Bltanatlantly stupid to say he cannot catch otherwise how does he get the ball so often? Does he always pick it up from the ground or pinch it?' Pardon? I did what? Getting the ball often does not indicate that a player can catch. It indicates that a player is thrown the ball a lot.
Peter K
Guest
OJ - I was expecting to lose all TN's matches so even 1 win was great. The Boks are not near the force they were last year. We have lost 7 in a row to AB's. They are way ahead no 1 in the world. Especially with Cooper out I expect to be smashed. What was impressive BTW was the backline showed moves and patterns not seen for a while, they actually had plans, engineered by Cooper. Sure the finishing was poor but at least we have improved a lot in the halves. Gives me real hope when all the best injured players are back.
Peter K
Guest
Ben S - Yes you did. You stated he cannot catch and he cannot pass sideways. Bltanatlantly stupid to say he cannot catch otherwise how does he get the ball so often? Does he always pick it up from the ground or pinch it?
Ben S
Roar Guru
P.S. Chris, from the last 10 tests (not including yesterday's match) Elsom made 4 clean breaks, and made the most metres of any Australian forward in only 2 games. Close the door on the way out...
Ben S
Roar Guru
I see. Probably not popular sentiment, but I agree. At this stage it's pretty hard to judge though. SA were pretty poor, but equally that was a first hit-out for Australia so you would expect improvments. NZ are rested and won't allow Australia carte blanche at the ruck, and I'm pretty sure the NZ backs will pose greater problems than the Springboks. Olivier crashing the ball up 5 metres from the Australian try line off a scrum was one of the silliest attacking plays I've ever seen. Plus the absence of Cooper will most likely mean a debut for A. Faingaa, or promotion for O'Connor, neither of which will likely cause Nonu a headache. That said, I keep expecting Australia to turn the corner, so maybe next week will be that game ... or maybe not.