International
Late Springbok charge not enough against Wallabies
The Wallabies defeated the Springboks by 25-17 (halftime 10-3) despite a strong finish by the South Africans, with Kwagga Smith scoring two tries in the final 10 minutes of their third round Castle Lager Rugby Championship match played in bright winter sunshine in Adelaide on Saturday morning (SA time).
The Wallabies went into the halftime break with a 10-3 lead following a converted try and a penalty goal, while South Africa replied with a single penalty goal despite their dominance in the set piece, territory and the penalty count in their favour.
A string of basic errors in the first half meant the Springboks could never get into their stride, while the Wallabies made a perfect, fast start to the game which set the tone for their first-half performance; 40 minutes of rugby the Springboks would rather forget.
After conceding a converted try in the opening two minutes and then a penalty goal soon afterwards, the visitors found themselves 10-0 behind with hardly a hand laid on the ball during that period.
From a Springbok mistake with the kick-off, Australia beautifully took the ball through a couple of phases and flanker Fraser McReight rounded off a quick start with a converted try next to the posts. Moments later, when flyhalf Noah Lolesio slotted a close ranged penalty goal following a South African high tackle, the Wallabies were 10-0 up within five minutes.
Hooker Joseph Dweba left the field in the 11th minute with a cut above the eye, and Malcolm Marx came on while the starting hooker received stiches for his head wound. Handre Pollard, who slotted 10 consecutive kicks in his previous two matches, steered his first penalty attempt wide of the upright.
Eben Etzebeth put in yet another massive shift in his 103rd Test.
When the Boks finally got some passes going and ventured into the Wallaby danger zone, they committed several handling errors which relieved the pressure on the Australians.
Pollard pulled another penalty kick when the Wallabies were penalised at scrum time, but he had no problem with his third attempt a few minutes later to finally put the Boks on the scoreboard at 10-3.
With the Boks now getting good go-forward ball, Wallaby right wing Tom Wright was yellow carded for going offside when SA took a quick tap penalty five meters from his goal line, but again the visitors failed to capitalise as they conceded a penalty from an attacking scrum.
The men in Green and Gold were now in control at the set piece and they generated a lot of scoring opportunities, but frustratingly, they were unable to convert those because of numerous errors, but the hosts also defended well, as was the case when wing Makazole Mapimpi was stopped in his tracks with the try line in sight by a desperate Marika Koroibete tackle.
To make matters worse for the Boks, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk was yellow carded for foul play on opposite number Nic White just before the break, and the Wallabies took advantage of that with an extra man on the field early in the second half.
After the break, Koroibete scored the Wallabies’ second try of the match when he showed good footwork to step Pollard and dive over. Lolesio hit the upright with his conversion, but the Wallabies had stretched their lead to 15-3 just seven minutes after the break.
Damian Willemse looks for a gap with support from Eben Etzebeth and Handre Pollard.
Springbok Jacques Nienaber sent on Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Kwagga Smith, Franco Mostert, Frans Steyn, Jaden Hendrikse and Elton Jantjies as replacements in the second half in an effort to lift the tempo.
But it was the Wallabies who kept the scorers busy when McReight ran in for his second try of the game. The flanker was on hand to take a pass from his flyhalf after a clever inside pass to score next to the sticks and with Lolesio adding the extras, the Boks were left with a mountain to climb at 22-3 and only 20 minutes of play remaining.
Jantjies was then unfortunately pinned on the wrong side of a ruck after having made a tackle, and Lolesio hit the mark with his second penalty goal attempt as he took the Wallabies’ advantage to 25-3.
The Boks looked for a strong finish and finally scored their first try, initiated by Kitshoff and fellow front-ranker Koch, who sent replacement No 8 Smith over for a try converted by Jantjies.
The South Africans kept on going and when Wallaby No 8 Rob Valetini was yellow carded for a cynical foul towards the end, Smith took a quick tap penalty to dive over for his second try of the game, which Jaden Hendrikse converted.
However the fightback came too late as the Wallabies left the pitch as 25-17 winners, and South Africa now must go back to the drawing board for next week’s rematch in Sydney.
Scorers:
Australia 25 (10) – Tries: Fraser McReight (2), Marika Koroibete. Conversions: Noah Lolesio (2). Penalty goals: Lolesio (2).
Springboks 17 (3) – Tries: Kwagga Smith (2). Conversions: Elton Jantjies, Jaden Hendrikse. Penalty goal: Handre Pollard.
Content & Images from – South Africa Rugby
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Jordan signs for Bristol Bears
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
