The Australian team with the Bledisloe Cup after the Wallabies defeated All Blacks during the Tri-Nations rugby union decider between Australia and New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. Australia defeated New Zealand 25-20. (AAP Image/Steve Holland)
Will Genia and Radike Samo combined for the Wallabies to seal a spine-tingling 25-20 win over the All Blacks at Suncorp last night, to end a decade long drought in the Tri Nations.
It doesn’t get any better than this, after some very ordinary rugby this campaign.
Genia is a genius. His first half try, deftly slipping between Keven Mealamu and Owen Franks, was an integral part of 40 minutes superbly sustained Wallaby rugby.
The Wallabies came to play.
Samo’s midfield bust in the 35th minute was the highlight of the game. There’s no finer sight than the big Fijian-born 35-year-old, in full flight.
His 65 metre tearaway run brought 51,858 spectators to their feet, but it was Genia who did the biz for a very worthy man-of-the-match recognition.
Once the 20-3 Wallaby half-time lead had disappeared with the men-in-black piling on 17 unanswered points in just 19 minutes, Genia again stepped up to the plate.
Bursting clear on halfway, Genia made 30 metres, unloaded to Digby Ioane, who found an unmarked Kurtley Beale for what was the match-winning try.
To come back after being so dominated by the All Blacks in the second session, was commitment, a commodity often found missing in the Wallaby psyche.
What a time to click, not only to clinch the Tri Nations, but denting All Black morale with the World Cup only 13 days away.
It was statement time, there wasn’t a Wallaby weak link. Essentially a team effort with new skipper James Horwill leading from the front.
One Test, one win for the big bloke, with the Tri Nations trophy the big bonus.
But it was defence that won through, headed by David Pocock, Anthony Faingaa, Pat McCabe, Rocky Elsom, Radike Samo, Adam Ashley-Cooper, and Ioane.
They were tireless, they kept the best team on the planet under constant pressure.
And a special salute for inside-centre McCabe who has been under the pump lately from so many quarters. He silenced them all at Suncorp by taking up the ball hard and straight, and never missed a tackle. McCabe’s unfashionable, but rock solid and dependable, he’s here to stay and rightfully so.
Also in the salute department, Kurtley Beale is a match-winner, Ashley-Cooper played his best game in a year, Dan Vickerman gave the All Black pack hell throughout the first half, Quade Cooper came of age in All Black faces, but missed a conversion, and a penalty, at the death that could have been critical.
Downside one is the goal-kicking. The Wallabies haven’t a sharp-shooter like Dan Carter – Cooper, James O’Connor, Beale, even Berrick Barnes on their day can be brilliant, but they can also be flakey.
Downside two: the lineout, where the Wallabies lost five of their own. It wasn’t a good night for Stephen Moore’s accuracy.
Now it’s countdown time to the World Cup. Make no mistake the All Blacks are still the side to beat for rugby’s Holy Grail.
Even more so after last night’s defeat, their second to the Wallabies in the last three times they’ve met.
But so long as Will Genia, Radike Samo, James Horwill, Kurtley Beale, and David Pocock stay healthy, the Wallabies have a genuine sniff of a record third RWC.
Bring it on.
Watch video highlights of the match
bokka
Guest
"The sequel to this book is also available in soft back for when the Wallabies lose, it’s called ‘Robbie Deans should be killed and the whole team should be sacked and then killed with sticks’ written by the same authors as the above" haha, that's brilliant.
George
Guest
In regards to JOC - the "brand o'connor" will be a fleeting memory. He will not be in the 22 for the big games - no loss as egos do not win matches teamwork with stout defence do. Let us hope the Wallabies can maintain the momentum gained as nothing would be sweeter than seeing the Kiwi side choke again.
ray ray
Guest
"Neither England nor ABs are certainties (nor even near-certainties) to be in the final" too true! comments relate only to the heightened expectations attached to the wallabies latest victory any"finals" inferrence is unintentional
Mike
Guest
"and derailing any W/C aspirations" Every country has RWC aspirations and no country has anything more than that. Neither England nor ABs are certainties (nor even near-certainties) to be in the final.
Mike
Guest
England can 'froth' all they like. They can also 'bubble' if they wish! The AB's came back in the second half and did pretty well, but not enough to win the game. Good for them, but football is played over 80 minutes, not 30. I doubt that that the England and AB teams are doing what so many of their silly supporters do on this site: assuming that past glory will count in this RWC. If they do make that mistake, they will be lucky to get past the quarter finals. I think it more likely that both England and ABs are preparing for this RWC very soberly and carefully. They know that no team is guaranteed to get through to the finals in RWC, not even the top five.
allblackfan
Guest
JB, did you watch the second half at all? 17-5 to ABs in that half due mainly to your tight five, and forward eight, being squeezed out of possession and territory. England will be frothing
Moaman
Guest
The IRB has always been regarded as a major firkup imo ;-) On a more serious note-some equality in voting is well overdue...but the Old Boys will cling-on for dear e longer I imagine.
happychap
Roar Rookie
Only someone as dull as Ritchie McCaw would need to physically go and 'check our World Cup itinerary' to work out that the whole shebang is being played in his own home country. Sharp as a marble.
happychap
Roar Rookie
Mother jokes? Really? That's how low you lot have sunk huh? REALLY clutching at straws now. Zing indeed eh katzilla!
Ai Rui Sheng
Guest
If you can improve on FIRKUP, be my guest.
Kitsune Maison
Guest
What game were you watching, Kiwidi? For the last ten minutes not a single All Black defending the fringes of the breakdown was behind the last feet. Watch the footage. Meanwhile, Toeva was tackled and even after having placed the ball and having three Wallabies drive over and past him (all still on their feet) on the counter ruck, he was allowed to pick up the ball and place it back on the All Blacks side. Refereeing decisions go both ways - swings and roundabouts.
Ai Rui Sheng
Guest
Congratulatuions Oz, but you cannot always guarantee that you will get Whiney Barnes, to run interference for Genia. Kaino, would have knocked them both on their pelvises. I would have liked to use a metaphor about black holes, but I do not want to offend Quaintass. Why do referees decide games? I guess in the NH they need to as the players cannot play footy worthy of a result. I just watched the Opium Pushing Slave Traders demolish the Choirboys, and their officials were even worse. Dangerous tackles ignored and imaginary dangerous tackles penalised, everyone lying on the ground having a rest at the ruck and maul, and plops binding on their opponents' arms. NH referees do not know the rules, particularly those governing the breakdown, scrum and lineout, well anything really. NH linesmen love to get on camera don't they? Why do we have so many NH referees, from second tier (England and France) and third tier nations (Ireland, Scotland and Wales), running the RWC? Is it an IRB conspiracy to save the NH from embarrassment? It is time we got rid of this racist Gerrymander and created a truly international Federation of Internationally Kinetic Rugby Union Players (FIRKUP . One which gave the same voting power to nations with brown eyes as nations with blue eyes. That would mean GB gets the same number of votes as the RSA, China or Samoa, not forty eight times the votes of Samoa or four times the votes of any 3N nation. China, with more than half the world's players, presently, gets no vote.
otagobeef
Guest
just a couple of points. - congrats to the wallabies- they were better in all aspects of the game - was it just me, or does wayne barnes stand in the way of the halfback when attacking, could have sworn on numerous times he was in the way of both teams - did weepu keep taking one step back before he would pass to carter. wallabies read this well and put carter under alot of pressure. bring on the world cup. i think the referees are going to play a big part in this one, my concerns are that SA can and have won on NZ. ENG will play the same boring NH game as always. AUS cant win in crap weather. and QC will cost them this world cup. either by being offside and giving away a stupid penalty, or throwing some no-look pass to the opposition who will go on to score. and finally just putting it out there, if and i say if. NZ somehow win this WC, people are going to say "you only win it when its played in NZ", "finally you get your second one, we did that years ago (SA/AUS)", so at the end of the day NZ can never win.
Dexter William
Roar Guru
League is like playing Checkers, while Rugby is more like Chess. Easier for most to understand Checker than Chess. Checkers can be enjoyed by 6 year olds, while Chess are for about 12.
Mike
Guest
I suspect the ABs peaked last year. We'll know soon enough. And I would have said their age was a problem for the WC, but Samo stomped on age-discrimination last night so I'll bite my tongue. ABs might well take the RWC; they also might not make it past the quarters. Wallabies are now playing like a champion team, genuinely dangerous. But I am really not sure they can sustain it through the whole WC. Die Bokke - their worst problem is PdeV. I just don't think they can do it this time with him at the helm. England or France both are always dangerous. And then a lot of the second tier are capable of knocking off a top team on their day: Argentina, Samoa, Ireland. The 3N are all used to playing each other, so also the 6N, but in RWC you have to take on everyone and beat them.
Johnno
Guest
Okay mate lets leave it at that all good im tired a big weekend of sport, but defiantly not trolling i think you underestimate the intensity of rugby league at state of origin level you have watched all of them to you say. But rugby forwards are all bodyshapes and my example were rugby league forwards Katipo read the list for what little it is worth if one can be bothered means nothing. but i love rugby just as much as league so all good both a great games to watch and way to brutal at an adult level for moist adults to participate in. Far more easier to watch .
sledgeandhammer
Guest
"As Kiwis we don't cry when we lose....lucky ref was on your side" LOL cry baby!!! The All Blacks were offside at every breakdown so please keep the 'we was robbed" dribble off the keyboard.
Mike
Guest
"I’ll take it on the chin as usual, but we cannot simply lose the world cup forever can we." Hmmm.....!
Mike
Guest
Sorry, that was a response to OJ
Mike
Guest
"I didn’t think there was anything good about the All Black performance." ???? Their third 20 mins was pretty darn good IMHO. Smith in particular worked his **** off. Somehow OJ makes me a defender of the AB's - ironic!