A loss more valuable for the Springboks than a victory

Yeah I agree. Understandably w's fans are celebrating the win but a lot of things went right for them here, and I keep mentioning it's now 13 tests since Oz had a convincing win, losing seven of those, and that was also at home, versus France. You don't win the toughest pool and two or three knockouts away on that form. Oz have huge improvements to make to be able to be called consistent and even now the likely changes are just more of who had been there over those 13 tests. but a first up win is important. I just think all their tests this year are going to be like that, some won, some lost, same as it had been.

Geez steveo, too many journeymen in the one post for me to handle...

i think that's the point of the quotas, they've had years, or so they will say.

They were on the scoreboard and judging by the result that Is All that matters.

Lood. Chap had to do a tonne of tackling. Eben is the jumping version of Big Willy. Or the young version of Big Kev. Looks like there's no work being done to make Big Willy a half-decent jumper. This will not do. Heck Tman. What kind of players are we cobbling together for this RWC campaign. A 7 who's the weakest rucker in the backrow. An potential 8 who's only ever played 7, which means only two jumpers if Big Willy comes on. We have the world's first test-level non-jumping lock. A non-playmaker fullback who cant kick tactically. Worse, still - we're using Richard Graham's game plan! Oh well, whatever it is. We won a close one. It feels really good, for some reason

Not sure you are right about Saturday's game. Whilst the Boks dominated many important facets and stretches of the game, they got beaten convincingly in line breaks. The side that dominates line breaks wins the game more often than not. The Wallabies also bombed 2+ certain tries and had 3x the line breaks.

Well done to the Wallabies on the victory and especially for playing right till the end. Several points must however not be overlooked in your victory. The worry for the Wallabies is that the Springboks have: Vermeulen, Alberts, Pieter Steph-Du toit; Brussow, Fourie Du Preez; Francois Steyn and De Villiers missing. They will all be fit and raring to go World Cup time and will bolster the squad- all will just be at training camp keeping the powder dry. Also Nyakane and Koch will be the reserve front-rowers not Heinke and Malherbe after their weak performances on the weekend. Add to that the fact that the Wallabies had a full strength team, barring Speight, home ground advantage and their lack of a test standard goal-kicker it is looking probable that they will struggle to make the quarters this year.

Graeme Bachop, Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw... just Dan Carter you reckon? I don't think Berryman, Vunibaka or Dagg hold a candle to these guys who are arguably the best NZ has ever produced.But please carry on...you may eventually pass more than wind...

I remember Genia broke the game open with a similar run to his one in the 2011 Super Rugby final. He didn't score this one though, passed it off to someone else to score - AAC or Beale, can't remember.

hoopers was good slight of hand by phipps with a pump fake to send the defnce to horwill and leave hooper with only one to beat from a couple out (and a gap in behind those who had rushed up on horwill), tough to stop someone at pace one on one with such little to work with. great play from phipps a big highlight for him in a already good evening

all i really remember from that game was radikes try (and that we won), everything else has faded

Whata load of rubbish. Great in fact the best armies in the world have fallen to guerrilla warfare. So sometimes winning is not pretty but the best team always wins.

Yep, that'll be the best explanation because it was poor defence at this level, you don't just have two individuals running through the goal line defence that easily. I also notice the taller Boks just don't have the right body position. Etzebeth does a lot of work taking the ball up lately but he's far to upright when he makes contact. Same went with Matfieds replacement, forgot his name.

tman, My guess is they were buggered. Royally. The WBs ran them ragged in defence, including the reserves. You'll notice even when they were turned over the WBs around 65' they were breathing heavily, looking relieved. No celebration. Just breathing. Kick the ball back, followed by absorbing more attacks.

After just seeing the last ten minutes again I just can't understand how Hooper and Kurandrani were both able to score so easily in that period. All year SA SXV sides have been repelling those try line hits match after match, sometimes for 20 or so plays on the line yet Hooper, the smallest forward on the field powers over on his own, and Kurandrani gets a ball a few meters out and somehow clamours over the line. All at a time where all they needed to do was hold the line. Just don't get that.

I think I hear an axe grinding over there steveo!

Meyer himself said his side learned some very hard and valuable lessons from this. Wonder what they actually were. We'll find out part of that this weekend though with the injuries etc I don't think they're going to find themselves ahead in similar way to last weekend.

yeah Cullen's knees were buggered by then (my favourite player) but Akari is right Mitchell and Deans were absolute clowns by starting Leon McDonald and Aaron Mauger in the midfield, from when i can remember the All Blacks have always had a good mix in the midfield, one guy who can get over the advantage line and can drive in the tackle with the other guy playing more of a ball playing role So why they moved the journeyman McDonald we will never know, as soon as that pairing were named Mortlock and Flatley were rubbing their hands with glee and made so many metres up that channel its not funny, also Deans picked Thorne as his captain and 6 and he wasnt sighted the whole tournament and forced Jerry Collins to play out of position, should have been Jerry and Rodney at 8, Nonu was fit but what they kept quiet was that Tana was fully fit too after being injured but those two clowns went for a couple of journeyman instead Dont get me started on Caleb Ralph or Mark Robertson at centre being in the squad along with guys like Dave Hewitt otherwise I will start to feel ill, Canterbury coaches I think find it difficult to understand that you have to try and integrate all parts of New Zealand style and Deans thought that this Crusaders style of play which was very successful in super rugby would just continue to all black level, they didnt know how to handle players with x factor and are far too stubborn to admit they are wrong, mark hammet im looking at you, This however doesnt apply to Hansen or Smith cause Hansen went overseas to coach and saw a different perspective and Smith is originally from up north so he knew the importance for players with x factor, Dan Carter has/had x factor but there arent too many from down there who have it too, not ones that were actually born and bred cantabs, they have to draft that kind of talent in from up north (Dagg, Read, Berryman, Vunibaka and so on)

Ma'a Nonu wasn't close to ready to play 13 in 2003. He's not even a great 13 now, that match against Argentina was the only time I've seen him play well there for the AB's.