Tries from Lote Tuqiri and Stirling Mortlock got Australia's Tri-nations campaign off to a winning start against a committed South African defence at the Subiaco Oval. The Springboks, so impressive in beating New Zealand in Dunedin last week, could only offer sporadic runs into Australia's half and will have to rethink their strategies for when the sides meet again in a month's time.
It was a fourth successive win for Australia coach Robbie Deans, whose side already seen off Ireland and France with similarly dogged performances. "It was never going to be perfect," Deans said. "It was a way to get through for our first Tri-Nations win." Peter de Villiers, the first nonwhite coach in South Africa's international rugby history dating back to 1891, said Australia deserved the win. "They outplayed us on the ground tonight, they were more clinical, It wasn't pretty, but it was good to be part of a test like this," he said.
Despite holding possesion for long stretches during the first half, it took until right before the break for the Wallabies to get some points on the board. Francois Steyn had converted an early penalty and the Springbok line held firm for the next half an hour as the Australians let themselves down with a series of handling errors and questionable passing decisions.
However, a home score seemed inevitable and Tuqiri duly provided. George Smith grabbed the ball at the back of a lineout to send winger Peter Hynes charging forward and, on the ensuing play, the Wallabies backline finally clicked with some quick hands from Nathan Sharpe and Giteau to put Tuqiri over. The score meant that Tuqiri equalled former Wallabies fullback Matt Burke as Australia's fifth-highest test tryscorer with 29 tries.
Matt Giteau missed a difficult conversion from the halfway line to leave it 5-3 at the break and at that stage South Africa must have been reasonably confident of pulling off a second away victory on the bounce, especially with a strong and vocal South African ex-pat presence in the crowd. Those hopes soon faded though as a much more purposeful Australia came out for the seocnd half, and within a few minutes they had crossed again.
True to the man, Mortlock's score lacked the flashy spectacle of Tuqiri's effort but was just as effective as he muscled over the line, brushing off Springbok centre Jean de Villiers on his way. Giteau missed that conversion as well, but he added a penalty five minutes later to make it 13-3.
Having finally gained the initiative, Australia rarely looked like losing from here on and it was now the South African's turn to let sloppiness creep into their play. The inspirational Mortlock left the field with concussion and Butch James and Steyn kicked two more South African penalties to bring the margin back to just four points, but Australia remained in control and Berrick Barnes sealed the win with a late drop goal, making amends for a dreadful earlier effort that fell well short and wide.
Australia: tries Tuqiri, Mortlock pen Giteau drop goal Barnes
South Africa: pens Steyn 2, James
Australia Ashley-Cooper; Hynes, Mortlock (Cross 49), Barnes, Tuqiri; Giteau, Burgess; Robinson, Moore, Baxter, Horwill, Sharpe (Dunning 72), Elsom, Smith (Polota-Nau 72), Palu.
Unused replacements: McMeniman, Waugh, Cordingley, Mitchell.
South Africa Jantjes; Pietersen, Steyn, de Villiers, Habana (Pienaar 66); James (Bekker 62), Januarie; Steenkamp (Mtawarira 52), Brits, Van der Linde, Botha (Kankowski 66), Matfield, Burger, Smith, Spies.
Unused replacements: Strauss, Mujati, Grant.
Referee Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Perth 49,875
