(Adds quotes, detail)
* Wallabies score two second half tries
* Habana gives Springboks first half advantage
PERTH, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Australia got their Rugby
Championship campaign back on track with a scrappy 26-19 victory
over South Africa on Saturday, coming back from a first half
deficit to register a fifth successive win over the Springboks.
Back-to-back losses to the All Blacks in their first two
matches of the inaugural competition had made this a must win
test for the Wallabies and their coach Robbie Deans.
After a poor first half where they fell behind to Springbok
winger Bryan Habana’s 42nd test try, scores from forwards Scott
Higginbotham and Ben Alexander and a perfect kicking display
from Berrick Barnes just about got them across the line.
South Africa, who drew 16-16 with Argentina in their last
outing, were still knocking at the door looking for a converted
try to tie the match at the end of the match but will rue a lack
of a spark in their backline.
“We went into the second half and felt that we hadn’t played
as much as we would have liked to,” Australia captain Will
Genia, on crutches after injuring his knee, said in a pitchside
interview.
“So we came out with a lot more enthusiasm and energy. We
have a lot of pride in what we do. We know we’re a good side and
just happy to get a good win against a quality opposition.”
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers was disappointed that his
young team were unable to come away with a victory in Perth,
where they again enjoyed good support from the large South
Africa community.
“It was probably one we should have won but credit must go
to Australia for coming back when they were down at halftime,”
he said. We have to learn from this and if we’re in that
situation again, we can capitalise and get a win.
“We probably made one or two errors and that cost us big
time. A much better effort than against Argentina but
unfortunately not good enough on the day again.”
The South Africans had the better of the first half as the
Wallabies started nervously and gave away good attacking ball
with a series of inneffectual grubber kicks.
The visitors were always going to win a kicking duel and
Morne Steyn had already tried and failed with a drop goal
attempt before he gave them the lead with a penalty after three
minutes.
Berrick Barnes slotted his first attempt at goal after 17
minutes to give the Wallabies some reward for their early
pressure but the parity was short-lived.
Australia messed up the restart and the Springboks pounced,
driving deep into the home half and moving through the phases
before Habana seized the ball at the foot of a ruck and dived
over the line under the post.
It was a 42nd test try for the winger and a fifth in four
matches against Australia in Perth. Morne Steyn added the extras
and South Africa led 10-3 with 20 minutes on the clock.
Francois Steyn extended the lead with a typical long-range
penalty kick six minutes later but Barnes almost immediately
chipped away at it with one of his own.
South Africa prop Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira was sin-binned
seven minutes before the break for blocking Kurtley Beale when
the Australia fullback was chasing a kick but the Wallabies were
unable to make the extra man tell and went in 13-6 down.
Australia finally got some tempo in attack early in the
second half and were rewarded by a third Barnes penalty in the
47th minute.
Nine minutes later loose forward Higginbotham, fresh off the
bench, finally found a way through the Springbok defence and
broke a couple of tackles to touch down under the posts and give
the home side the lead for the first time in the game.
Barnes kicked the conversion before Francois Steyn tied the
match up at 16-16 with another long-range effort but the
Australians were finally playing with confidence.
Barnes again edged the home side ahead but Morne Steyn took
just four minutes to square up the contest with his second
penalty in the 67th minute.
A minute later, though, prop Alexander burst down the
touchline to clinch the victory with Barnes adding the two extra
points with his sixth successful kick from six attempts.
(Writing by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney, editing by Martyn Herman)
