The Sports Corner

Wallabies triumph over ferocious Barbarians

The Australian Wallabies took an 18-11 victory away from Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night after defeating the Barbarians in what proved to be a ferocious and at times brutal game.

The match was marred by several scuffles between the teams and two serious injuries to Wallabies starting props Matt Dunning and Sekope Kepu. Both props were injured minutes apart with Dunning’s torn Achilles tendon requiring a stretcher and Kepu’s seriously torn pectoral muscle needing immediate attention.

The Wallabies who were facing a class lineup of some of the world’s best players from New Zealand, South Africa, France, Italy, England and two former Wallabies in George Gregan and Rodney Blake opted to dress some of their lesser experienced players.

The games was organized to celebrate Australia’s gold medal win at the 1908 London Olympics when rugby was an Olympic sport. Australia beat Great Britian 32-3 at those Olympics, with the British team being represented by the amateur team from Cornwall.

In honour of the Cornwall side, the Barbarians broke with the usual tradition of wearing the socks of their respective club sides and wore Cornwall’s yellow socks.

English referee Chris White struggled to keep control of tensions which finally spilled over in the 30th minute when Italian prop Federico Pucciariello took exception to a hard hit by Wallabies five eighth Quade Cooper on Fourie du Preez. Pucciariello tackled Cooper into the sidelines, knocking down advertising signage as a scuffle broke out nearby between a Barbarian and Wallaby scrum half Brett Sheehan, seeing his first action on the tour.

Several players gathered around and a melee threatened to erupt. Former Springboks coach Jake White who coached the Barbarians made the immediate decision to take Pucciariello off the field before anything further happened.

The game started with a display of skill and pace as Wallaby centre Ryan Cross palmed Jean de Villiers and broke free from his own half kicking across field for winger Lote Tuqiri to score a fantastic try. Teenage Wallaby James O’Connor slotted the conversion and two more penalty kicks in the first half. Percy Mongomery could only manage two penalty goals of his own as the Wallabies when into the sheds at half time ahead 13-6.

After the second half the Barbarians mounted several attacking raids but were twice denied tries by the video referee on review. In the 61st minute former All Blacks enforcer Jerry Collins crossed the line to make the score 13-11. South African super boot Francois Steyn was surprisingly off target missing the resulting conversion and both a penalty kick and drop goal attempt which would have put the Barbarians in the lead.

Two minutes from full time the Wallabies iced the game with a breakaway try to winger Lachie Turner who ran 75 metres to score. It was to prove to be the last scoring play of the game.

“The spectators got their money’s worth and to battle for the whole 80 minutes was a good step in the right direction,” said Wallabies flanker George Smith who captaining Australia in the absence of the injured Stirling Mortlock.

Barbarians captain John Smit said: “It was an awesome experience, spending three days with players who are usually your opponents. That was as intense as any Test.”