December 04, 2008

AUSTRALIA have ended their six-match tour with a hard-fought 18-11 win over the Barbarians in the Olympic Centenary match at Wembley Stadium.

Victory was sealed two minutes from time by replacement Lachie Turner's breakaway try after South Africa's Francois Steyn, who missed two goalkicks, turned the ball over.

The result meant Australia had won four of their six tour matches, also beating Italy, England and France but losing to New Zealand, in Hong Kong, and Wales last weekend in Cardiff.

But worryingly for Australia, props Matt Dunning, who exited on a stretcher, and Sekope Kepu both went off early in the second-half after the Barbarians demolished the Wallaby scrum.

This match was organised as part of the British Olympic Association's celebrations of the centenary of the first Olympics in London, where the Games will return in four years' time.

Australia took the rugby union gold medal in 1908 with a 32-3 victory over Great Britain, represented by the south-west English county of Cornwall.

The Barbarians, in honour of that match, all wore yellow Cornwall socks as they departed from their usual tradition of players wearing their club socks.

Baa-Baas try-scorer Jerry Collins, who last year played for Cornish side Barnstaple, even dyed his hair yellow.

The Barbarians were 13-6 behind with just under 30 minutes left when they got back into the game with a superb try.

Australia full-back James O'Connor’s poor kick out of defence gave possession back to the Barbarians and Steyn, playing at outside-half, threw a long cut-out pass to Wales wing Shane Williams, the newly-crowned International Rugby Board player of the year.

Williams, on as a half-time replacement for Percy Montgomery, sprinted clear down the touchline.

And the flyer, who scored against the Wallabies last weekend, then took several Australians out of the game with a well-timed pass inside to All Black flanker Collins, who went over for the try.

Steyn missed the conversion but Australia's lead was now 13-11. Then, with eight minutes left, Steyn pushed a penalty wide of the posts.

In the ninth minute, Springbok wing Bryan Habana, one of seven members of South Africa's World Cup-winning side in the Barbarians' starting XV, broke clear and chipped ahead.

But his kick was fielded near Australia's line by Lote Tuqiri who, despite pressure from New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, grounded the ball for a five-metre scrum.

Minutes later Tuqiri, making his first start since knee surgery after this year's Tri-Nations, opened the scoring.

Australia wing Ryan Cross burst down the right touchline from deep in his own half and his clever cross-kick inside was gathered up by Tuqiri who strolled in under the posts for a try.

O'Connor added the conversion on what was his first start for the Wallabies.

And the 18-year-old soon stretched Australia's lead to 13-0 with a couple of penalties.

The Barbarians, with South Africa lock Bakkies Botha a powerful presence, did start to gain ground.

They were rewarded with two penalties from Montgomery, the Springboks' record points scorer, and at half-time Australia's lead had been cut to 13-6.

Habana and All Black wing Joe Rokocoko caught the Wallabies cold with a neat exchange of passes which took the Barbarians to within sight of the try-line.

Samoa prop Census Johnston and Botha both went close and White called on the video referee. But, with the pictures inconclusive, no try was awarded and instead the Barbarians had a five-metre scrum.

Off the back of that, former Wallaby prop Rodney Blake almost got over the line but again the replay couldn't offer firm evidence of a try.

On the hour, former Australia captain George Gregan came off the Barbarians bench to face his compatriots but there was no fairytale finish for the scrum-half.