Rugby Union: Late burst dents Springbok hopes

SOUTH AFRICA's Australian honeymoon was painfully curtailed when they lost to New South Wales in Sydney yesterday.

Three huge victories over minor teams had boosted Springbok hopes early in their first tour of Australia for 22 years, but the powerful state side scored two late tries to win 29-28, and enjoyed a much greater degree of superiority than that scoreline suggests.

The tourists led 21-15 with 10 minutes left before New South Wales, whose forwards enjoyed set-piece dominance throughout, swept to 29-21 with two converted tries in the space of three minutes.

A converted try in the final minute from the full-back Theo van Rensburg took the Springboks back to within one point, but at four tries to three NSW were clearly dominant.

With a week to the opening Test of the three-match series, the Springbok coach, Ian McIntosh, acknowledged the challenge his team faces, having won once, drawn once and lost five of the seven Tests they have played since their much-heralded return to international rugby last year.

'We actually got a lesson today from the opposition as to what ball retention is all about and how to play this game,' said McIntosh.

'Make no mistake, we're on a learning curve and it's not nice to lose, and we're disappointed with that, but by the same token it can only be there to teach us a lesson. What you have to appreciate is that Australia and New Zealand play a different type of rugby, and as far as I am concerned it is the correct form of rugby. We are cottoning on to it, but you can't change your tradition overnight.'

The New South Wales wing Alastair Murdoch staked a claim for a place in next Saturday's first Test with two tries, and their full-back, Paul Kelaher, kicked 14 points. For South Africa, Joost van der Westhuizen, Hennie le Roux and Van Rensburg scored tries, with the last kicking 13 points.

New South Wales: T Kelaher; D Campese, M Burke, R Tombs, A Murdoch; S Bowen, N Farr-Jones (S Payne); T Gavin, T Dempsey, M Brial, W Waugh, T Kava, E McKenzie, P Kearns (captain), T Daly.

South Africa: T van Rensburg; J Small, P Muller (H Honiball), H Fuls, J Olivier; H le Roux, J van der Westhuizen; T Strauss, D Lotter, F Pienaar (captain), H Strydom, N Wegner, B Swart, U Schmidt, W Hills.