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Rugby Union

Wallabies stutter to overcome 'Boks

07/07/2007

Australia have set up a final-match Tri-Nations showdown against New Zealand after recovering from an early South African blitz to record a 25-17 win in Sydney.

Jake White's second-string selection for this and next week's match against the All-Blacks has prompted many observers to accuse the Springboks' management of devaluing the tournament.

That criticism seemed to sting the visitors into a blistering start as they went 14-0 up inside eight minutes.

Wikus Van Heerden forced his way through a forest of legs on the Australian line to score the first try after four minutes.

Derik Hougaard duly added the extras and was called on to repeat the trick after Breyton Paulse pocketed a loose pass from Nathan Sharpe to gallop in shortly after.

A Hougaard penalty on 16 minutes prodded the scoreboard onto 17-0, but it proved to be the last points scored by South Africa.

Winger Mark Gerrard took a chunk out of the Springbok lead after latching onto fly-half Stephen Larkham's slipped pass.

A pair of penalties from Stirling Mortlock were all that the hosts could gather from a subsequent period of pressure but it was enough to cut the half-time deficit to 17-11.

The South Africans could only protect their advantage for another ten minutes after the restart though as Stephen Hoiles crossed before another Mortlock penalty attempt sailed through the uprights.

Matt Giteau signed off on the green-and-gold win with a fine try on 55 minutes as he gathered Gerrard's chip and slid in.

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