July 07, 2008

SOUTH Sydney mounted their second miraculous comeback in two weeks to pip the Bulldogs 34-30 in golden point extra time at ANZ Stadium.

With the sides locked at 30-30 after scoring five tries each in 80 entertaining minutes, full-back Luke Capewell scored his second try out wide to give the Rabbitohs victory over a Bulldogs side missing 11 regular first-graders.

The try came in the 87th minute after Dogs prop Jarrad Hickey made a shocking error taking a pass from the kick-off less than 10m from his own line.

Souths were down 24-6 after 45 minutes before mounting a similar comeback to when they were down 28-4 against North Queensland last weekend.

Souths' points came from two tries to Capewell, one each to David Fa'alogo, Craig Wing, Chris Sandow and Fetuli Talanoa while Sandow kicked four goals and Issac Luke one.

The Bulldogs scored tries through Arana Taumata, Brent Crisp, Andrew Ryan, Tim Winitana, and Heka Nanai while Hazem El Masri booted five goals.

The Rabbitohs have now won four straight games for the first time since 1994. This was their first over the Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium.

The Dogs led 18-6 at halftime courtesy of their greater enthusiasm and only needed to wait another three minutes to extend their lead to 24-6.

Capewell continued a horror night - which had also seen him contribute to two first half Dogs tries - by coming up with an error fielding a kick 10m from his own line and gifting Winitana a four-pointer.

The Rabbitohs' Lazarus act looked on, though, when they hit back with two tries in three minutes.

Capewell went some way to making amends by completing a bust from Wing and, after Beau Champion was held up in the 51st minute, Wing sliced through for his own four-pointer in the 52nd for 24-18.

The momentum stayed with Souths and when Sandow showed his immense potential by stepping and diving over in the 58th minute for 24-24, it was game on.

The Rabbitohs went ahead for the first time, 26-24, in the 61st minute when Sandow kicked a penalty goal before the Dogs were back in front in the 65th when Nanai grounded a Ben Roberts bomb for 30-26.

Talanoa was on hand to skid onto a John Sutton grubber in the 74th minute to tie the scores again at 30-30.

Souths coach Jason Taylor was still finding it hard to believe his side had done it again.

"When it got to 24-6 I felt, well, I suppose we would feel that we could do it again but you wouldn't think that you could do it two weeks in a row," he said.

But Taylor added he would not be allowing any thoughts of a finals appearance after the four consecutive wins.

"We've got a job right now and that's to learn to play from the start of the game because it would be nice to be able to continue to keep doing this, but the facts are that we aren't going to be able to and we need to play for 80 minutes."

Taylor admitted he'd considered replacing Capewell after his clangers, but paid tribute to his 19-year-old villain turned hero.

"In the games that he's played so far he's had some little moments where things haven't been so great but he just picks himself up and gets straight back into it, and in the end he scores the try to win the game.

"That's a great credit to a guy who's 19 years of age and played five first grade games."

Bulldogs captain Andrew Ryan played down scenes of star forward Sonny Bill Williams dressing down his teammates after a penalty for dissent had allowed Sandow to edge Souths ahead.

"Sonny sort of showed a little bit of his frustration as everyone was feeling but that's just things that happen out on the field," Ryan said.

"Sometimes you get a bit frustrated and say what's on your mind I guess but no-one thought too much more of it."