Let’s finish with a very kind message from Janet in Watford.
“Just to say a big thank you for the great way you report ‘live’ on these major rugby games. Fantastic descriptions of the play. It enables me to keep in touch with it almost moment by moment. Love your descriptive paragraphs every few minutes,so much better than just getting the score.”
Thanks Janet! That’s the aim. Glad to help. That wraps us up today - stay well, everyone.
James in Turkey chips in. “Problem with making penalty goals just one point is that players would just commit more infringements. A converted try would wipe out SEVEN infringements conceded in a kickable position. I’m not convinced this would improve the game as a spectacle. The next Lions tour to South Africa would see improbable scorelines like 4-3 or 2-1. Perhaps more frequent use of yellow cards would help.”
I reckon that’s it. Penalties would still produce try-scoring opportunities for one side, and if the infringements repeated then cards could come in. But it would incentivise try-scoring rather than penalty goals as the best means of scoring.
Michelle Garland has written in re the penalties.
“Get the sentiment of too many penalties, but if a side gives away penalty after penalty the ref can award a yellow card for consistent infringement. The other side of the argument is penalties reflect the dominance of the team receiving them. Scrum penalties can be a bit mean though if one team are clearly stronger than the other! Rugby laws, however are open to interpretation which brings contentious decisions. Were they really holding up their body weight in that turnover? Were they driving in straight at the scrum?”
I think what I’m getting at is more that minor infringements (rather than foul play or other serious problems) decide matches more often than moments of great skill and daring decide matches, in general.
Enjoy the celebrations, if you’re a fan of the gold and green. Commiserations to the green and gold. Australian rugby supporters have been asking for exactly the kind of consistency with a touch of boldness that they saw tonight. There it was.
And the Wallabies are still alive in the Rugby Championship. The All Blacks are due to play Los Pumas next, tonight, in the double-header at Suncorp.
Following that, from next weekend, Australia play Argentina twice, while New Zealand and South Africa play twice. The race remains open.
The Wallabies reclaim the Nelson Mandela Trophy
Two wins out of two against the world champion Springboks! A huge result for the Wallabies, they haven’t had the best of times lately but they’ll be energised by this. Controlled the game for much of the night. Took charge early with a big lead, withstood the inevitable Springbok comeback that even took the South Africans narrowly in front, found another surge to kick back out ahead themselves, then held the line for that last quarter hour.
81 minutes: ... but the Springboks lose possession after the throw, and the Wallabies kick it out.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
80 minutes: Full time whistle goes, the Wallabies trying to run down the clock but losing possesssion. The Boks get one more shot at scoring via a downfield kick and a line-out...
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
78 minutes: Yellow card for Jasper Wiese. Kerevi had nowhere to go, and had his head raised, he was vulnerable.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
78 minutes: The Wallabies have got this! Again the Boks pinged for not releasing the ball, again, a couple of metres from the goal line. Samu Kerevi was in there pulling at the ball, with his feet planted, showing the officials that it hadn’t been let go. Then there’s another TMO delay to show one of the South Africans driving in and collecting Samu in the head with his shoulder in an illegal clean-out attempt.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
78 minutes: The Boks manage to steal possession after that scrum feed, but the Wallabies keep them out, and they have to resort to another line-out attempt as time ticks away.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
76 minutes: Tupou collapses in a scrum with an Australian feed at the halfway line, turning over the penalty to the Boks. They kick downfield and get a line-out, but they’re penalised for it not being straight. The Wallabies opt for a scrum, about 15 metres out from their defensive goal line.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
73 minutes: Hooper wins a penalty just as the Boks are right up on the goal line! Tackles quickly and gets the attackers pinged for not releasing the ball. The Wallabies clear to the safety of the centre of the field.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
71 minutes: The Boks steal the Wallaby line-out and continue pressing on goal.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
71 minutes: Rolling maul from the Boks looking for the goal line, but the Wallabies win the contest to force them into touch and get a line-out.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
69 minutes: The conversion kick is wide on the left sideline, and Cooper fades it left to miss.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
Wallaby try! Leading 30-17
67 minutes: Another one for Marika Koroibete! He’s imposed himself on this match in the second half. Samu Kerevi creates this chance: after Cooper and Hooper do some rhyming overlaps through the centre, and Samu does some magician work to suddenly appear in a gap in the Bok defence and gain 30 metres or more on the charge. He gets clipped, stumbles and goes to ground, but manages to hold up the tackler just long enough for the cavalry to arrive and keep possession. Then width to Koroibete, who fakes an offload but holds on, steps around a tackle right in the corner, and scores.
Wallabies 30-17 Springboks
62 minutes: Thanks to Koroibete’s placement, Cooper kicks the conversion with no trouble.
Wallabies 25-17 Springboks
Wallaby try! Leading 23-17
61 minutes: What a piece of skill from Tupou! Finesse from the big man right by the paint to set up Koroibete. The Wallabies hold possession through a few phases in the centre, then go wide to the left side. Tupou takes the ball, runs as though he’s about to receive a tackle with it in hand, then offloads with a little cross-body flick from his right hand. No-look pass, and Koroibete is steaming by at just that moment, receiving it one-handed with his right, and putting on a burst of pace that takes him not just past the defence but curving into a good goalkicking position before grounding the ball.
Wallabies 23-17 Springboks
60 minutes: A scrum feed for Australia after a raking series of passes from one side of the field to the other by the Boks, then back again from the Wallabies. They’re at the 10-metre line in attack, near the left sideline.
Wallabies 18-17 Springboks
57 minutes: Knock-ons galore in the last couple of minutes. Twice the Wallabies produce really good work from line-outs - once going very short, once very long - then give up possession by fumbling forward. In between times, the Boks knock on after briefly winning possession defensively.
Wallabies 18-17 Springboks
Wallaby penalty - leading 18-17
51 minutes: Quade Cooper gets a thumb in the eye while being tackled, and takes some time for medical assistance before returning to kicking duties. Takes a penalty from point-blank range in front of the goal and pops it over. Wallabies lead again!
Wallabies 18-17 Springboks
46 minutes: Mass substitutions, the whole front row for the Boks. Off go Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe, Marvin Orie, and Bongi Mbonambi. On come Malcolm Marx, Vincent Koch, Kwagga Smith, and Steven Kitshoff.
Wallabies 15-17 Springboks
43 minutes: Pollard misses the conversion, so the difference stays at two points.
Wallabies 15-17 Springboks
Springbok try! Leading 15-17
42 minutes: They hit the front! Penalty advantage, the pass comes out wide, there’s a tackle, de Klerk cleans out, kicks a little chip over the top, and Am times his run down the sideline well enough to get there and hatch the ball. It’s a brand-new baby try.
Wallabies 15-17 Springboks
Updated
An email in from Russell Smith, which is quite a familiar sentiment. “How this game is flowing and refereed, is exactly why I can’t watch rugby any more.”
Though at this juncture I am bound to point out that in order to make this observation Russell must, in fact, be watching the rugby.
“Surely the rugby authorities realise this. Watching penalty after penalty... is this soccer or rugby? Truly become a hopeless game, and this is coming from a former passionate football follower.”
Well, yes. The penalty gameplan is not an interesting one to watch. My simple theory, which may well be densely naive and I’ll defer to those who follow the game more closely, is that penalty goals are worth too much. Compared to how hard it is to score a try, 3 points versus 5 points is disproportionate. If penalty goals were worth 1 point, for instance, teams would be far more inclined to kick for the line-out.
Half time: Wallabies 15-12 Springboks
The home team reaches the half in front. They took advantage of de Klerk’s time in the sin bin to score a couple of tries via fast ball movement out of the ruck when they were deep into attacking territory. Then they’ve managed to keep the Boks out of the in-goal area since Swinton was sent off with a yellow card. The Boks have stayed in touch as they do, with accurate kicking and plenty of chances to use it.
Updated
40 minutes: The Wallabies turn over the Boks in a maul! They bring the tackler down, pile bodies in, and eventually grab possession, then get it into touch as directly as possible to end play for the half.
Wallabies 15-12 Springboks
Tom Banks has a broken arm
The fullback went off the field in obvious pain about ten minutes ago, after his arm got a heavy hit from a South African skull while he tried to tackle. Now the news comes through that he’s on his way to hospital. Looked to be his forearm that was crashed into.
Springboks penalty - trailing 15-12
37 minutes: Boks get possession back and win a penalty from an infringement in the tackle right in front of goal. Pollard kicks his fourth. Could have gone for a try with the Wallabies a player down, but took the points on offer.
Wallabies 15-12 Springboks
Updated
35 minutes: Great box kick / Boks kick right into the corner, and the Wallabies have to take a defensive line-out about a metre from their defensive goal line. They go with a long-throw variation and get to the 22 with a run up the middle from Koroibete.
Wallabies 15-9 Springboks
Yellow card for Lachlan Swinton - but it's down from a red
32 minutes: There’s a long TMO break to look at Swinton clashing shoulders and then heads with... Vermeulen, I think it was? A long chat between field and screen official about whether it was head on head first, or shoulder on shoulder. They decided on a red card, then talk one another down.
Wallabies 15-9 Springboks
Springbok penalty - trailing 15-9
31 minutes: “Almost a good penalty to give away,” says Tim Horan. Lukhanyo Am is standing wide and in space as he receives a long pass. Andrew Kellaway is the only defender anywhere near him, and there are two passing options who he could choose to cover on either side. Instead he flies into the tackle against Am, and chooses correctly, because the player wasn’t planning to pass. But he tackles while Am is still in the air, having jumped to receive the ball, so a penalty results. Saved a try, most likely.
Wallabies 15-9 Springboks
Wallabies penalty - leading 15-6
29 minutes: The Australians get their own back, winning a penalty wide and right, and Cooper pops it over.
Wallabies 15-6 Springboks
Updated
Springbok penalty - trailing 12-6
26 minutes: Another anticlimactic intervention on the scoreboard, as the Boks again win the whistle in heavy traffic about 30 metres out from goal. They take the shot and Pollard slots it.
Wallabies 12-6 Springboks
22 minutes: Cooper converts on this occasion, his strike from a wide right position fading back to get through the uprights.
Wallabies 12-3 Springboks
Wallabies try! Leading 10-3
21 minutes: Tupou puts in a bullocking run for the Wallabies, taking them near the try line. There’s an infringement in the scrum, and playing under penalty advantage, Cooper passes wide and right. Banks cuts back to Koroibete, who flicks up expertly to Len Ikitau for his second.
Wallabies 10-3 Springboks
Updated
Springbok penalty - trailing 5-3
18 minutes: This time with a kick in range the Boks decide to play safe and bank the three points. The penalty coming from a maul on the right of the field. Pollard kicks it.
Wallabies 5-3 Springboks
15 minutes: Cooper hits the right-hand upright with the conversion kick.
Wallabies 5-0 Springboks
Wallabies try! Leading 5-0
14 minutes: Len Ikitau gets over! A fast pass spreads the ball wide from the scrum in the right-hand corner back across field. Cooper is lurking for the giveaway, which keeps the defence in two minds, and Ikitau can keep hold of the ball himself and plunge over.
Updated
Yellow card for Faf de Klerk
12 minutes: Tupou bangs past a couple of tackles, Tom Banks makes some ground, then a scrum forms... and Faf de Klerk gets a yellow card. He’s in the sin bin for tapping the ball from Nic White’s hands as he tried to pass.
Updated
10 minutes: ... but the Wallabies win a relieving penalty of their own, when Eben Etzebeth receives the ball from that lineout and crawls across the turf trying to gain ground in a rolling maul. They get out of Dodge.
9 minutes: Another penalty blown, this time for the Australians going early on the line-out jumper. The Wallabies have conceded four penalties to one. The Boks kick for touch, right in front of the corner flag...
6 minutes: A couple of resets on that scrum, then the ref blows the whistle for a South African penalty. They clear out of their defensive zone and kick to the sideline for a line-out.
4 minutes: First whistle on play, and a penalty the way of the Wallabies in front of their defensive 22. They kick for a line-out at the Boks’ defensive 10, then Samu Kerevi finds a gap and drives towards the try line. A scrum will form about 5 metres out.
2 minutes: Quade Cooper gets things underway with a long spiralling kick downfield, gaining plenty of ground. The Boks have a couple of exploratory runs, then the sides trade box kicks in an attempt to control territory.
Kick-off!
Can the Wallabies go back-to-back or will the World Champions find their range?
Springboks team
Trevor Nyakane
Bongi Mbonambi
Frans Malherbe
Eben Etzebeth
Marvin Orie
Siya Kolisi *
Franco Mostert
Duane Vermeulen
Faf de Klerk
Handre Pollard
Makazole Mapimpi
Damian de Allende
Lukhanyo Am
Sbu Nkosi
Willie le Roux
Reserve: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese, Herschel Jantjies, Damian Willemse
Wallabies team
James Slipper
Folau Fainga’a
Taniela Tupou
Izack Rodda
Matt Philip
Lachie Swinton
Michael Hooper *
Rob Valetini
Nic White
Quade Cooper
Marika Koroibete
Samu Kerevi
Len Ikitau
Andrew Kellaway
Tom Banks
Reserve: Feleti Kaitu’u, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia
Bret Harris pondered whether this match will be trickier for Cooper, now that his excellent return has raised expectations.
Preamble
It’s time for Round 2, informally speaking, of the Springboks v Wallabies in the Rugby Championship. Last weekend, the Australian team defied recent flakiness to register a win over the well-drilled world champ Boks, thanks to the returning Quade Cooper lacing eight goals from eight attempts, including the winner after full time. Quite the story.
New Zealand and Argentina are the other sides in this championship, with Los Pumas having lost three out of three against SA and NZ.
Today’s match takes place at that oval-ball field of dreams, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
