Australia vs. South Africa: Score and Report from 2014 Rugby Championship Clash
Australia came out top against South Africa at Patersons Stadium, Perth, in a thrilling clash in the Rugby Championship.
Swirling stormy conditions made for a frantic and ferocious 80 minutes, but eventually tries from Israel Folau and Rob Horne, plus 14 points from the boot of Bernard Foley, were enough to see the Wallabies emerge as victors by a scoreline of 24-23.
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For the Wallabies, this triumph marks their first win over a top-ranked IRB side under Ewan McKenzie, and ahead of the clash, the Wallabies coach spoke of the significance of the team ridding themselves of the big-game bottler tag.
"That will be a conversation people have until we change that situation," McKenzie said, per Sky Sports. "Make no mistake: I want to win every Test, whoever we play."
But the Aussie boss would have been well aware just how difficult it would be to overcome a Springbok side bristling with talented and experienced figures. One of those men is Brian Habana, a player for whom this game was a landmark one.
The 31-year-old winger has been magnificent for the Springboks during his illustrious, trophy-laden international career, and he earned his 100th cap at Patersons Stadium. Super Sport TV paid tribute to the scintillating winger:
The match began with what was a blistering start from the Wallabies. Folau capitalised on some smart kicking and neat exchanges from the Aussies, and he was able to put his side five points up with less than two minutes on the clock.
Naturally, the Wallabies Twitter account was delighted with the marvellous start to the game:
The Springbok response was instant and incisive, however. Coming into this match on the back of two consecutive wins against Argentina, the home side were always going to be put through their paces and it didn't take long for the South Africans to ease into gear.
A penalty from Morne Steyn reduced the deficit to just two points, but the Springboks were ahead not long after. A combination of some fine passing and sloppy defensive play allowed Cornal Hendricks to take advantage of a well-worked overlap to put the visitors into an 8-5 lead in the 13th minute.
In wet conditions, the game was rife with myriad infractions, and penalties became commonplace throughout the first half. A free-kick apiece moved the scoreboard on to 11-8, but Steyn kicked another beauty to give the visitors a six-point advantage.
But another penalty from Foley for the Wallabies in the 28th minute got the home side within touching distance of the Springboks heading into the break with the score at 14-11.
The men in gold finished the second half the stronger of the two teams, and just as they'd done in the first period, Australia began on the front foot at the start of the second. McKenzie's side forced a penalty early on which restored parity, but just as they had done throughout the first half, another score from Steyn kept Australia at arm's length at 17-14.
By this time the Springbok scrum—something that was criticised during their two games with Argentina—was really motoring. And as the hosts continued to make errors in the difficult conditions, the visitors were there to take advantage when feeding the ball in.
A stunning break from the centurion Habana pushed the visitors deep into opposition territory early in the second period, and another good scrum yielded a penalty for the Springboks. Steyn, who was in a wonderful rhythm at this stage, made no mistake.
The high standard of scrummaging was noted by the official South Africa account as they took a six-point lead:
The visitors were turning the screw by this point, and with no let-up in pressure, another penalty was conceded by the Wallabies. Typically, Steyn made no mistake to extend the lead to nine points, the score at 23-14.
Things were going well for Habana on his 100th test. His handling was excellent and his running was typically intelligent and sharp, but his landmark occasion was to be soured. He harshly received a yellow card for a high tackle on Adam Ashley-Cooper with 67 minutes on the clock, an error that would eventually prove to be costly for the tourists.
With their opponents down to 14 men for the next 10 minutes, the Wallabies sensed a chance to make a late surge in the game.
The raucous home crowd thought their men had scored a try when Pek Cowan went over, but the hosts were penalised for illegal blocking. They did reduce the gap to six points when Foley slotted a penalty with 11 minutes remaining, and the home side introduced the effervescent Kurtley Beale in an attempt to win the game.
South Africa were clearly leggy in the dying embers of a draining battle, and while they defended resolutely against the Australian onslaught, there was a sense of inevitability about a Wallabies score. And when it did come, it lifted the roof off the Patersons Stadium.
Steyn was unable to find touch with a South Africa penalty, and a flowing exchange of passes in midfield saw the Aussies move the ball swiftly out to the left-hand side where it was left to Rob Horne to apply the final touches with a neat step and finish.
Now just two points down, it left Foley with a chance to win the game by slotting the conversion, a opportunity which he took with aplomb, pushing the Wallabies into a 24-23 lead with just one minute remaining:
The Springboks made a hash of the kick-off, allowing Australia the opportunity to easily see out the remaining seconds and bag a dramatic and much-needed victory.
South Africa will be left to reflect on a harsh yellow card for Habana, a disputable call from the referee that surely cost them victory here.
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