'I'm not sure if big contact is a penalty these days but that's the wrong decision' - Michael Cheika blasts Taniela Tupou sin binning
Two bombed tries and a controversial yellow card resulted in the Wallabies again leaving Ellis Park empty-handed after a 35-17 loss to South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener.
Australia were looking for their first win in Johannesburg since 1963 and had a golden opportunity, with the Springboks fielding a weakened side on Saturday night.
However, livewire halfback Herschel Jantjies scored a try in each half in a memorable Test debut for South Africa.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika slammed a decision to yellow card prop Taniela Tupou for a late, no-arms tackle; with the Springboks scoring 14 points in his absence.
“I make it as the wrong call,” Cheika said.
“The other guy [Springbok] should have been sent to the sin-bin for a shoulder charge.
“The fourth official [should have] focused on the green guy who came in with a shoulder charge and then Taniela came in after that to get him, with his arms wrapped at the right height.
“I’m not sure if big contact is a penalty these days but that’s the wrong decision.”
The Wallabies were in the hunt early but two blown tries in the first half proved crucial.
Australia trailed 14-10 at halftime after a try by backrower Lukhan Salakaia-Loto was denied after the last pass from Samu Kerevi was ruled forward by the television match official.
Winger Dane Hayley-Petty, who scored Australia’s opening try, could have added a second and given his team the lead but knocked the ball on as he dived on it over the line.
Skipper Michael Hooper left a further three points on the field when he turned down an easy penalty shot to chase a try just before the main break.
The Wallabies’ second half didn’t go to plan.
In addition to the yellow card, they lost veteran prop James Slipper to a head knock nine minutes in, which gave rookie Harry Johnson-Holmes his first cap.
Although behind on the scoreboard, there was a lot to like about the Wallabies, particularly in the first half, with some excellent defence and creative attack that challenged the Springboks, when they went wide.
Halfback Nic White, in his first Test in four years, was sharp, Tom Banks impressed in his first start replacing Israel Folau at fullback while backrower Isi Naisarani also looked strong.
Cheika believes there’s plenty to build on and their ball in hand attack would continue to improve.
“I was happy with a lot of the things we had been working on,” Cheika said.
“I know it was five tries (conceded), but our defence was good.
“But in that second half when we didn’t have a lot of the ball, we were just a bit loose with it when we did have it and that gave the momentum back to the other team.”
Cheika was pleased with the chances his men were able to create despite the Springboks’ rush defence.
“We knew they would come with that hard defence but we still made a significant number of line-breaks,” he said.
“When teams rush on you like that, you are going to get slammed sometimes, it’s the nature of the beast, but sometimes you can pick it apart and we did that.
“There is a commitment to playing that way, both in attack and in defence, and it will build as the season goes on.”
Australia host Argentina, who lost to New Zealand 20-16, in Brisbane next Saturday.
AAP
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Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments