Convincing start for Australia v Springboks

Australia 16 South Africa 9

Australia kick-started their Tri-Nations campaign with victory over South Africa at Subiaco Oval.

The Wallabies triumphed by two tries to nil to join the Springboks and New Zealand on one win apiece in the early stages of the competition.

Australia held a narrow 5-3 lead at the break and maintained their advantage throughout the second period, but it took a last-minute drop goal from Berrick Barnes to finally kill off the South African challenge.

Rocky Elsom, Lote Tuqiri and Peter Hynes were the stand-out performers for the Wallabies in front of a crowd of 41,838, with Elsom getting the nod for man of the match.

The first half try came from Tuqiri after a terrific team set-up from a line out, with captain Stirling Mortlock carrying three Springboks on his back to score the only try of the second half.

He soon went off with concussion after a knock to the head, leaving George Smith to take over the captaincy and lead the team to victory as he became the most capped Wallabies forward of all time.

The Springboks were well led by Juan Smith and Jean de Villiers, but the lack of a try on their last Tri-Nations Test of this trip was costly.

Penalty conversions to Francois Steyn and Butch James still left them seven points short.

South Africa opened the scoring six minutes in when Steyn converted a penalty kick.

The Springboks had their best chance to get a try 32 minutes in when hooker Schalk Brits, who came in for the suspended Bismarck du Plessis, could have put Bryan Habana in out wide, but he held onto the ball and Hynes brought him down.

The Wallabies made them pay just minutes later with the only try of the first half.

A line-out fell into the arms of Smith who was waiting out back and after terrific passes from Elsom, Nathan Sharp, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tuqiri crossed in the corner.

Giteau missed the conversion, but the Australians led 5-3 at the break.

The Wallabies made a great start to the second half with Mortlock crossing for a tremendous try to see them up 10-3. Mortlock pushed off a Springbok tackler, then carried three more on his back to walk over and ground the second try of the match.

Giteau and James then converted opposing penalties soon after to see the Wallabies still lead 13-6.

But what looked a poor late tackle call from referee Bryce Lawrence almost led to a Springbok try with 15 minutes to go.

The referee ruled Giteau had tackled JP Pietersen late, when Giteau appeared to have been just run into after the South African kicked.

The resulting line out saw Habana get to the try line, but Ryan Cross helped knock the ball out just before it was grounded.

It was Habana’s last action as he immediately came off and iced his shoulder, and with 10 minutes to go Steyn kicked his second penalty to put the Springboks within four.

The South Africans continued to attack, but the Australia defence held firm before Barnes sealed the victory with a drop goal with a minute remaining.