Key events
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 42-31 South Africa (van den Berg, 74)
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Yellow Card! (Suaalii, 73)
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Yellow Card! (Lonergan, 71)
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PENALTY TRY! Australia 42-24 South Africa
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Yellow Card! (Wilson, 70)
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TRY! Australia 42-17 South Africa (Jorgensen, 66)
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 37-17 South Africa (Wilson, 60)
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Penalty! Australia 30-17 South Africa (Lonergan, 54)
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Penalty! Australia 27-17 South Africa (Lonergan, 48)
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Half-time: Australia 24-17 South Africa
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 24-17 South Africa (Donaldson, 39)
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 17-17 South Africa (Van der Merwe, 30)
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 17-10 South Africa (Ikitau, 28)
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 10-10 South Africa (Ikitau, 25)
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 3-10 South Africa (Grobbelaar, 10)
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Penalty! Australia 3-3 South Africa (Lonergan, 7)
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Penalty! Australia 0-3 South Africa (Pollard, 4)
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Kick-off!
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South Africa XV
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Australia XV
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Preamble
74 mins: Yet another delay for technical reasons, this time for the scoreboard malfunctioning. What a circus.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 42-31 South Africa (van den Berg, 74)
The scrum holds, van den Berg picks up the pieces and crashes over next to the left upright. The conversion is unmissable and we have six minutes of mayhem to go!
73 mins: Piardi is talking to the two skippers, trying to calm things down, figuring out how Australia can pack a scrum with just 12 men. Play will restart with the Springboks packing down 5m from the line.
Yellow Card! (Suaalii, 73)
Australia are down to 12! I have no idea what is happening any more.
72 mins: IT IS ON! South Africa hammer downfield from the restart, carving through the undermanned defence. They reach the left corner in no time, then kick crossfield for van der Merwe to collect and touchdown – but he knocks on! Massive let-off for Australia – but hang on…
Yellow Card! (Lonergan, 71)
Australia’s scrum-half has to join his skipper in the bin. No arguments. Australia defending with 13 for the final nine minutes.
PENALTY TRY! Australia 42-24 South Africa
The scrum is unstoppable, the try is inevitable, but Australia try to spoil it on the line with Lonergan miles offside. That is as clear a penalty try as you could design… and…
71 mins: Another 5m scrum it is. What could possibly go wrong?
70 mins: Finally the scrum is fed. South Africa get the shove on, and they appear to be over the line, but Piardi is on the blindside so he has to call on his TMO for eyes in the sky. Replays show a knock-on over the line so play is called back for an earlier penalty.
The past couple of minutes of game time have taken about 15 minutes of actual time. Sometimes rugby is its own worst enemy. Piardi is back on the blower. Deary me this is a shemozzle.
Yellow Card! (Wilson, 70)
After review, Australia’s skipper has been sent to the bin for his part coming second man in and dropping his shoulder into the falling Marx. The Wallabies will have to defend with just 14 for the final ten minutes.
70 mins: The radio comms are down again, so Piardi is on an iPhone in the middle of Optus Stadium.
70 mins: The delay allows the referee to be instructed by his TMO to review that earlier Suaalii/Wilson double team.
70 mins: The scrum has to be reset, chewing up the seconds.
69 mins: Play resumes with Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicking to the right corner. Of course it’s then Etzebeth who accepts the lineout throw and sets up the maul. It’s destined for the right corner but Australia do well to hold it up. The ball comes out and two runners hit the line at searing pace – the second of whom, Marx – is clotheslined by Suaalii and finished off by Wilson’s shoulder. 5m scrum penalty under the posts.
68 mins: Discussions continue but officials seem unmoved. Etzebeth has to continue.
68 mins: There’s a delay while officials figure out what to do with Etzebeth. South Africa have emptied their bench but the big lock forward doesn’t look right. The Springboks seem to be trying to lobby for a head injury replacement.
68 mins: South Africa are stung. They up the intensity as they go through phases on the right but when they come infield Suaalii is quick at the breakdown. Play is called back to an earlier advantage near halfway. “Working Class Man” by Jimmy Barnes blares through the PA system, presumably ironically.
TRY! Australia 42-17 South Africa (Jorgensen, 66)
What is happening out there!? South Africa are imploding! For the third passage in succession a straightforward attacking play ends in calamity. This time it’s disjointed in midfield, Moodie spills a mistimed pass, and Jorgensen is first to the loose ball. He scoops up the loose pill, and hares off at warp speed, covering the 60m to the right corner in a flash, much to the delight and disbelief of the Optus Stadium crowd. This is staggering.
Lonergan finally misses from the right touchline.
64 mins: Better lineout from the Springboks this time, looping the ball long out the back and the support runners hit the 22 – but then de Jager spills in contact! Who is this team in green, and what have they done with South Africa?
62 mins: For the second time tonight a South African restart has Australia in all sorts but Wright scrambles well and the ball is cleared to the 22 – where the Springbok lineout is spoiled and a gold jersey gathers the shrapnel on the deck. This has been an uncharacteristic half from the World Cup holders.
61 mins: Are the Wallabies a proper international rugby team again?
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 37-17 South Africa (Wilson, 60)
Wilson will not be denied twice! The 5m tap and go penalty sets up another passage of manic pick-and-go grunt and shunt work and this time Wilson is too quick and strong for the South African defence.
Lonergan extends the lead to 20 (twenty) points!
58 mins: The set-piece holds allowing Suaalii to hit the line at speed off the back. Inches from the line it’s frenzied pick and go. There’s an offside penalty advantage on the play. Gold and green jerseys mass around the line like eels wriggling in a rock pool. Can Australia find the out ball again? Yes! It’s Wilson on the left wing and he spins and rolls over in the corner! But did he creep into touch? Just! Agonising for the Wallaby skipper but play returns to the penalty advantage.
57 mins: Lonergan feeds the scrum 30m out then invites Paisami nto the line. Wilson has a smash, then it’s out to the backs for Wright to bring Potter into the fray on the left touchline. He’s hauled down just 5m from home so it’s back to the big lads. Tupou inches closer, Salakaia-Loto throws his weight around, the left corner looks inevitable – but then the whistle blows and there’s a knock-on… against green! Australia with the 5m scrum.
55 mins: Ikitau has succumbed to his pain so Potter comes on and Suaalii will shift into the centres. From the restart Australia are secure, control play for a few phases then Lonergan launches another towering box kick that Lonergan steams onto like a border collie catching a frisbee at the beach. That skill is becoming a serious weapon for the Wallabies. Play moves from right to left and scrambling on the back foot the Springboks concede their latest breakdown penalty. The No 1 side in the world are being seriously tested here. And they won’t want to see Etzebeth chugging painkillers with the bench already emptied.
Penalty! Australia 30-17 South Africa (Lonergan, 54)
Lonergan makes it six from six! Australia 13 ahead!
52 mins: More scrappy play from both sides that ends with a South Africa knock-on, then Etzebeth is penalised for an incorrect clearout. Things not going the Springboks’ way at the moment. Meanwhile Ikitau doesn’t look great, limping away from the physio after heavy contact on the ground.
50 mins: Australia’s set piece holds firm, Valetini to the fore yet again, and Lonergan clears miles downfield.
It had escaped me, but Erasmus has used his entire interchange with over half an hour to go. That is a serious bomb going off.
49 mins: This is as controlled and disciplined Australia have played against a top tier nation in a long time. And the good times continue with Jorgensen winning the clearing box kick from the restart. The Wallabies go through hands from right to left but Suaalii is stopped in his tracks and possession is kicked away. The Springboks enjoy some slow phase play on halfway before van den berg hoists a garryowen that comes down in green hands. With the home defence backtracking there’s space in behind for a kick to the left corner and a chance to execute a squeeze.
Penalty! Australia 27-17 South Africa (Lonergan, 48)
From 30m out, just to the right of the posts, Lonergan kicks Australia 10 points in front.
46 mins: Not for long though with a spilled carry and a couple of kicks ahead earning the Wallabies some ugly metres. Etzebeth tries to establish some order in his red zone but the clearing kick only reaches the 22. Australia can’t get any fluidity in their attack but South Africa are too desperate in defence with a hand in the ruck inviting Lonergan an opportunity to extend the lead.
44 mins: Williams steals the lineout! What a couple of minutes from the big second rower. Australia attack from left to right but it’s all very flat. Then they reverse direction and Suaalii gets too cute with his no-look pass and the ball is knocked on. Both teams try to counter in broken field as structure goes out of the window. For South Africa it’s Hooker tearing down the left wing, but he runs into Wilson, gets stopped in his tracks and Australia can settle things down.
43 mins: The home scrum holds allowing Donaldson to belt clear to halfway on the left.
42 mins: South Africa get the first opportunity of the half with Suaalii penalised on halfway allowing the Springboks to kick to the 22. But the lineout doesn’t go anywhere and Williams wins a massive turnover penalty. That was a big win for the Australian pack.
41 mins: The teams are back out for the second half as the warm Perth evening bleeds into a mild floodlit night.
While I find some lollies, here’s Jack Snape to get you through half-time.
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Half-time: Australia 24-17 South Africa
The Wallabies take a hard earned seven point lead into the break.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 24-17 South Africa (Donaldson, 39)
The lineout is contested but it comes down gold. Australia go through hands from left to right then Wright dabs a Messi-like through-ball to Jorgensen on the right touchline. The winger just remains infield and with momentum almost crosses the try-line. The Wallabies recycle infield then get into some serious grind, going to-to-toe with the Springboks one-out. 14 phases – then they strike! Lonergan is quick at the ruck, then it’s crisp catch and pass with precise execution to allow Suaalii to offload to Donaldson on his outside and cruise over in the left corner. That is the second magnificent try of the half from the hosts that demonstrates patience in sight of a score, decision making, and execution to go with it.
Lonergan remains 100% off the tee.
37 mins: Donaldson pumps the ball from halfway inside the 22 on the left to set up what should be the final attacking play of the half.
37 mins: Now there’s a delay while the TMO takes a look at something. It’s a clash of heads between Hooker on Donaldson as the Australian took possession of a high ball. The tackle is fierce – and legal to begin with – but then there’s head-on-head contact so a penalty to the Wallabies; nothing more.
37 mins: Australia go from 22 to 22 from the scrum with Ikitau bursting downfield. He’s hunted down by green jerseys allowing the Wallabies to go through the phases with attacking territory but yet again it’s poor connection in midfield and the ball is knocked on. The Springboks respond by kicking behind and chasing hard, winning the ball back on the ground. Fassie senses chaos equals opportunity and dashes on the outside down the left, kicks ahead but Jorgensen is well placed and claims the mark. Breathless stuff. Brilliant running rugby from Ikitau and Fassie, superb collective defensive from the Springboks, excellent scrambling from the hosts.
35 mins: From the resulting scrum, 30m out, there’s room to the left but Fassi can’t pull in a pass that’s a fraction behind him. Ikitau’s eyes light up at the possibility of a 70m counter but he fumbles the loose ball.
33 mins: South Africa kick to halfway after Alaalatoa is penalised for head-to-head contact in the tackle. The Springboks mount a scruffy attack that is resisted powerfully by Valetini. Bell then looks to have secured clean turnover ball, only to spill it forward after doing all the hard work.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 17-17 South Africa (Van der Merwe, 30)
It’s a shootout in Perth! South Africa secure turnover ball on halfway, create a maul, and from a penalty advantage launch two beautiful passes out to the right, first from Pollard, then Moodie, splitting the Australian defence apart, then it’s textbook timing catch and pass to allow Van der Merwe to show his pace and streak into the corner.
Pollard is as consistent as Lonergan and we’re tied once more.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 17-10 South Africa (Ikitau, 28)
Ikitau has two in the blink of an eye! The Wallabies scrum holds and there’s a break down the right. With penalty advantage Bell and Wilson hit the line hard allowing Lonergan time to pick his spot with his boot – and that spot is 15m in front of the charging Suaalii – who leaps, spoils Fassi in the air – and Ikitau is front and square to pick up the crumbs and scamper over the line. That was very rugby league areas from the former Rooster, and also AFL at the home of the Eagles and Dockers, with the big forward bringing the ball to ground for the little fella to do his work.
Lonergan continues his great night off the boot.
26 mins: A bunch of Boks are offside from the restart so we’ll have a scrum on halfway. A chance to praise Wilson for his decision to go for the try instead of the penalty a few moments ago. It has become a feature of his captaincy.
