South Africa 9 - 11 Australia: Young Wallabies withstand pressure as aging Springboks’ title defence ends

WINGER James O’Connor landed a 71st-minute penalty as Australia rallied to beat South Africa 11-9 in an intense World Cup quarter-final yesterday, ending the title defence of an aging Springboks squad.

Peter de Villiers said after the match that his Springboks coaching career is over and described the mood in the dressing room of the deposed world champions as “three notches lower than a funeral”.

O’Connor’s 30-metre goal retrieved the lead for Australia, who had been ahead 8-3 at half-time with a try from captain James Horwill but who had fallen behind under pressure in the second half.

Springboks fly-half Morne Steyn kicked a penalty and a dropped goal to give South Africa a 9-8 lead after 59 minutes, before O’Connor rewarded the valiant Wallabies with the winning goal. “I think not everything went our way tonight and we put ourselves under a lot of pressure but one thing that you can’t teach and you can’t train is effort and commitment from the group,” Horwill said. “And every member of the team showed a hell of a lot of both of those.”

Australia soaked up pressure from the Springboks throughout the second half as they sought to preserve first an 8-3 lead, then an 8-6 lead when Steyn kicked a 54th-minute penalty. Even when they fell behind by a point to Steyn’s 40-metre dropped goal, the will, the courage and the composure of the young Australian team did not break.

They rallied. They forced themselves into South African territory for one of a few occasions in the second half and when the Springboks committed an error of discipline under pressure, the Wallabies snatched their chance for victory. Even at the bitter end of a match which was gripping from start to finish, Australia made the tackles, forced the turnovers, won the inches of ground which turned the match in their favour and ended South Africa’s World Cup reign.

The match is likely to end the careers of many of the Springboks’ veterans, including captain John Smit, who played 49 minutes in his 110th test yesterday, and lock Victor Matfield, whom Smit described as “the greatest Springbok there’s ever been”.

Australia’s flanker David Pocock played a massive role in his team’s victory, forcing a steady succession of turnovers from a South African pack which was willing, physical but sometimes sluggish in the breakdown contest. “David Pocock’s game was remarkable and it was better than he got credit for,” Australia coach Robbie Deans said.

After a shaky start, Cooper put a kick behind the South African defence in the 11th minute which bounced into touch ten metres out. South Africa won the lineout, and scrumhalf Fourie du Preez found flanker Schalk Burger to take the ball into contact.

It was quickly dislodged, ejected from a forming breakdown and was recovered by No 8 Radike Samo, who fed centre Pat McCabe near the posts. McCabe twisted in the tackle and handed off to Horwill, who crashed over near the left upright. O’Connor missed the conversion but was successful four minutes later with a penalty when Brian Habana handled the ball at a breakdown near the posts.

Steyn attempted three penalties in the first half, the first from 50 metres out in the 27th minute which drifted just wide of the posts and the last, with time up, from 55 metres and the left side of halfway. Steyn’s second penalty attempt from 24 metres was successful and cut Australia’s halftime margin to five.

South Africa began the second half anchored in the Australian half, working the ball through phases, probing for a defensive weakness. They found one when centre Jean de Villiers stepped through a tackle and fed fullback Patrick Lambie, who strode over but the Springboks were called back for a forward pass.

The Springboks built pressure relentlessly but Australia’s defence was equal to the threat. Eventually, South Africa were forced to take points from a Steyn penalty and then to resort to the dropped goal.

Fourie came close to scoring but spilled the ball near the line as Australia saw off threat after threat. Having defended its line fearlessly and for so long, the Wallabies were equally happy to take the penalty when it came, giving them their second win over South Africa in World Cup knockout games.

Scorers: South Africa – Pens: M. Steyn 2. Drop Goal: M. Steyn. Australia – Try: Horwill. Pens: O’Connor 2.

South Africa: Lambie; Pietersen, Fourie, de Villiers, Habana; M. Steyn, du Preez, Steenkamp, Smit, J. du Plessis, Rossouw, Matfield, Brussow, Burger, Spies. Replacements: Hougaard for Habana (49), B. du Plessis for Smit (49), Louw for Brussow (20), Alberts for Burger (14).

Australia: Beale; O’Connor, Ashley-Cooper, McCabe, Ioane; Cooper, Genia; Kepu, Moore, Alexander, Vickerman, Horwill, Elsom, Pocock, Samo. Replacements: A. Faingaa for Beale (75), Barnes for McCabe (52), Slipper for Kepu (69), Polota-Nau for Moore (63), Sharpe for Vickerman (54), McCalman for Samo (72).