After a week of mild sledging between the coaches, the players of Australia and South Africa put on something altogether more edifying. By eventually pulling clear of a youthful Springbok outfit, the more gnarled Wallabies not only set up a Tri Nations showdown with New Zealand on Saturday, but also laid to rest a slightly embarrassing curse of the Gabba in Brisbane. In five previous attempts to win a rugby Test at one of the country's most famous cricket grounds, Australia had come away with nothing.
This time they had more than the historical record to set straight. This was a game with a bit of grudge thrown in. South Africa coach, Rudolph Streauli, had claimed that Australian forwards tended to be there for the taking. It was the sort of line that guaranteed a performance of note from at least one of the Wallaby front five. Nathan Sharpe, the least experienced of them, duly delivered, leaping at line-out and restart to deny the opposition any sort of clean possession in the first half.
For their part, the Australian camp had suggested in the build-up to the game - not that coach Eddie Jones mentioned any names in particular - that the Springboks cheated at the fringes. This should have guaranteed that not a fingernail strayed off- side. But Bobby Skinstad and James Dalton fell into the trap and were penalised time and again at the breakdown.
Within three minutes of the start, Ben Tune, the wing at the centre of the 18-month-old drug affair, helped put medical matters behind him by finishing off a move from a scrum. George Gregan went on a wide loop behind dummy runners cutting back and Tune fed off the scrum half wider out.
The second Wallaby try saw even more tackles missedand a typically robust thrust by Daniel Herbert, before a little delay on the pass from Stephen Larkham fashioned space for Latham to finish.
And then came the brawl. Up until now, South Africa were being forced to eat their words about the Aussie pack. But suddenly, after Greeff tackled Latham in mid-air and after a push led to a shove, a protracted fight broke out. The officials consulted and two Wallaby forwards were binned for 10 minutes. Justin Harrison would have been odds-on to be one of them - he was - while angel-faced Jeremy Paul was the surprise punch-packer. Greeff joined them for his original hit.
Out of nowhere, the Springbok three-quarters began to run. Forget the macho stuff up front, the kids behind the forwards decided to make their contribution. Breyton Paulse and Marius Joubert led the counter, the wing daring to run from his own 22, the centre running in with outstanding pace.
In the second half the revival continued. The teams were back at full-bore when Skinstad began a move with a pick-up off his toes. De Wet Barry swung the ball to Joubert who again had the pace to make it to the line.
For Australia it was now a case of the boot of Matthew Burke keeping them in front. It was just as well, because the Springboks were about to score a brilliant try. Skinstad launched a counter-attack from deep. Barry kicked downfield, Paulse remained in pursuit after the centre was taken down late and put enough pressure on Tune for the ball to squirt loose. Skinstad had remained in support and was over.
Now it was the boot of Stirling Mortlock that kept the Wallabies in front. A scorching run down the wing by another Springbok newcomer and flier, Brent Russell, meant that the margin was down to six points.
It grew in injury time when Latham had the strength to touch down through the tangle of a twin tackle, but it had been a rum close thing. It left Australia still in with a shout for the title and South Africa to mull on what perhaps should have remained unsaid before the start.
Australia: Latham; Tune, Burke (Rogers 69), Herbert, Mortlock; Larkham (Flatley 79), Gregan (capt); Young, Paul, Noriega, Sharpe, Harrison, Finegan, Smith, Kefu.
South Africa: Greeff (Jacobs 75); Terblanche (Russell, 72), Joubert, Barry, Paulse; Pretorius, Conradie; Sephaka (le Roux, 61), Dalton (du Preez 72), Rautenbach, Labuschagne, Matfield, Krige (capt, Scholtz 33), Van Niekerk, Skinstad.
Referee: Steve Lander (England).
Australia Tries: Tune, Mortlock, Latham (2). Cons: Burke (3). Pens: Burke (3), Mortlock.
South Africa Tries: Joubert (2), Skinstad, Russell. Cons: Pretorius (2). Pen: Pretorius.
