Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi oi oi!

• 
• 

Details

Category: rugbywc2011

Published on Sunday, 09 October 2011 19:37

Written by Sankha DLT

Hits: 768

 

The 3rd Quarter finals of the 2011 rugby world cup produced an absolute ripper at the Wellington Stadium when the world cup defending champions South Africa lost to the Wallabies 11-9.

It was always going to be a close tussle between these two rugby heavyweights but the Springboks were the most impressive right through the match. Aussie skipper and second rower James Horwill scored an opportunist try for the Wallabies in the 11th minute of the game to take an early lead. The Boks who had the majority of the possession and territory just couldn’t convert the pressure into points. Morne Steyn had the opportunity of securing a couple of penalties early on but could not send it through the uprights to the dismay of the Springbok fans at the stadium. The 21 years old Aussie winger James O’Conner then put over a penalty and extended the lead.

The South Africans were definitely the better team but the handling errors and indiscipline around the fringes led to their downfall. They managed to go in to half time with a penalty kick through their fly half Morne Steyn who is incidentally the highest scorer in the tournament to head in  to the sheds trailing 3-9.

Steyn resumed the 2nd half with another kick over the bar to close the gap in the 56th minute of the game. The Boks looked recharged with the inclusion of some heavy forwards, Willem Alberts and Bismarck Du Plessis who manhandled the Wallaby players in mid field. Reserve hooker Bismarck Du Plessis had a tremendous game in both attack and defense and made his presence felt coming off the bench.   Steyn took his team in to the lead for the first time in the game through a well executed drop goal. Boks leading the game 9-8 threatened to score through their towering forwards.

Danie Rossouw would be cursing himself when he made a crucial error in the line out to give away a penalty within kicking range for young O’ Conner. With that kick the Wallabies took back the lead 11-9. They underwent some anxious moments in the game before winning the game and going through to the semi finals.

The Wallabies will meet the All Blacks in the 2nd semi finals next weekend.  Australia beat the Boks for the 4th successive time beating their previous record which was set in 1999.

 

• < Prev
• Next >