Wallabies snatch late win
Mortlock kicked ten points as Australia seal late win
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Saturday, 05, Aug 2006 10:41
Mat Rogers' 76th minute try helped Australia seal a late 20-18 win over South Africa in the latest Tri-Nations match.
After a dire first-half, the match exploded in the second period and it was late drama which denied the Springboks their first win in the series.
In George Gregan's 56th Test as captain, a new Wallabies record, the home side were looking for a positive start but Stirling Mortlock couldn't give it to them as his third-minute penalty sailed wide of the posts.
However, the fly-half made no mistake when given another opportunity on 11 minutes, sending a simple kick over to give Australia the lead.
South Africa could have been level five minutes later as Australia were penalised in the ruck but Percy Montgomery's penalty was a poor one which drifted wide.
Montgomery was again at fault eight minutes before the break as he and Bryan Habana let the ball bounce between them. Australian wing Mark Gerrard picked up the loose ball and ran half the pitch to score the opening try, giving Australia a 10-0 half-time lead.
The full-back was relieved of the kicking duties in the second-half, having missed another penalty just before the break, and it was Butch James who picked up the mantle, sending over two penalties in the opening eight minutes to pull the Springboks to within four points.
They were soon in the lead though as on 54 minutes, scrappy play at the Australian scrum saw the ball kicked forward by Fourie du Preez and Jaque Fourie dived onto the loose ball to put South Africa 13-10 in front.
A Mortlock penalty on 63 minutes drew the sides level once more before Montgomery made up for his woeful first-half kicking as he touched down thanks to good support from the Springboks' forwards.
James then missed the conversion and this proved to be costly as four minutes from time, Rogers received a superb pass from replacement Phil Waugh and he scored in the corner to level things up once again.
It was then left to Mortlock to break South African hearts as his touchline conversion bounced off the left upright and over to seal a dramatic win for the Australians.