Ma'a Nonu of the All Blacks scores a try as Robert Kearney tackles during the Guinness Series match between Ireland and New Zealand at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland. (Ross Land/Getty Images)
New Zealand in scrappy win over Irish
DUBLIN—New Zealand kept their grand slam tour ambitions on track with a 22-3 win over Ireland in a scrappy and ill-disciplined game at Croke Park on Saturday, preserving their unbeaten record against the hosts.The All Blacks, who beat Scotland 32-6 last week, wrested control in first half stoppage time thanks to a controversially awarded penalty try, before tries from Ma'a Nonu and Brad Thorn put the tourists out of sight.
Ireland lost Tommy Bowe to the sin bin and their early momentum when the winger was adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball out of bounds to prevent New Zealand captain Richie McCaw from touching down in the corner.
New Zealand were temporarily reduced to 14 men early on in a poor second period when Tony Woodcock was yellow carded for throwing a punch only for Nonu to coast through and Thorn to barge over during the prop's ten minutes absence.
"We never managed to get a foothold in their half," Ireland coach Declan Kidney told RTE television.
"In the first 30 minutes, we allowed a lot of our own energy to be soaked up and spent a lot of time in our own half.
"You run away with things that happened in the second half, probably the foundation for those were laid in the first half, especially those first 30 minutes."
Unable to respond
After an open first quarter, New Zealand took the lead on 26 minutes when flyhalf Dan Carter slotted over a penalty having uncharacteristically missing two earlier simple efforts.
Carter's opposite number Ronan O'Gara, nervy kicking from hand early on, drew the sides level two minutes from halftime by landing a penalty from distance before Bowe's goal-line intrusion swung the game. Woodcock's transgression evened the numbers at 14 each three minutes into the second half but the home side were unable to respond.
First the ever-threatening Nonu slipped through a hole in the Ireland defence caused by the limping Paul O'Connell, who was later substituted, to exchange passes with wing Joe Rokocoko and give Carter the easiest opportunity to add the conversion.
Then Thorn, one of only a handful to impress in a below-par All Black side, collected a Sitiveni Sivivatu pass out wide to smash through the returning Bowe and kill the game off.
The tourists, undefeated in 22 matches against the Irish, had opportunities to stretch their lead towards the 45-7 winning scoreline of their last visit three years ago but the game disintegrated desperately into a forgettable final half hour.
"They attacked us from everywhere, we had to be at our best to come away with that victory," New Zealand lock Ali Williams said.
Ireland, who beat Canada 55-0 in Kidney's first game in charge last week, host Argentina next weekend while New Zealand face Wales.
"With the way the results have gone now, in the same way we didn't let ourselves get carried away last week it's important we don't get too disappointed this week," Kidney added.
"Next week's game is just so important for us. The boys are well battered and bruised so the next 24 hours is going to be very important to get as many of them back as possible."
South Africa survive scare to edge out Scotland
EDINBURGH—South Africa survived a scare to come back from a 10-point halftime deficit to narrowly edge out Scotland 14-10 at Murrayfield on Saturday.The world champions made it two wins from two on their tour of the home nations after last week's win in Wales thanks to Jaque Fourie's well worked second half try and three Ruan Pienaar penalties.
Scotland, who were delivered a blow early in the first half when goal kicker Chris Paterson left the field injured, also temporarily lost Phil Godman to a blood injury but the flyhalf returned to convert Nathan Hines' try and add a penalty.
The Scots had chances to win at the end but can be buoyed by a hugely improved performance from last weekend 32-6 loss to New Zealand.
Hugo Southwell of Scotland can not stop Jaque Fourie of South Africa from scoring a try during the rugby match between Scotland and South Africa at Murrayfield in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
"The game was there for the taking," Scotland coach Frank Hadden told a news conference.
"What disappointed me about our performance was the five free kicks or penalties at the beginning of the second half. We definitely lost momentum as a result.
"I was also disappointed that in the last ten minutes we had opportunities to close the game out and we failed to do so."
Costly loss
Arguably it was the early loss of Paterson that cost Scotland the match. In the Edinburgh man's absence Dan Parks and Godman missed four kicks at goal which in the end proved crucial.
After Parks twice shot wide early on, Godman opened the scoring with a 26th minute penalty but South Africa immediately showed their menace when a breakout from defence by Jean de Villiers almost resulted a try.
From the fiver-metre scrum that followed, the Springboks opted to move the ball wide but a brave tackle from Godman on winger JP Pietersen prevented a try.
Scotland replied when a sniping break from Mike Blair and side-stepping run from Godman brought them to within two metres of their opponents' line.
The Scots forwards then battered the South Africa line, ending with Hines barging over for a close range score converted by Godman and a 10-0 interval lead.
South Africa came straight back at the beginning of the second half with Pienaar making amends for an earlier penalty miss to register South Africa's first points, followed by a second ten minutes later.
The pressure quickly told as the Springboks shipped the ball left with finger-tip passing for replacement Fourie to squeeze in at the corner for an unconverted try, giving the visitors the lead for the first time in the match.
Godman had a chance to regain it but pulled his goal kick wide before Pienaar extended South Africa's advantage.
An audacious Scottish move from their own goal line allowed Godman another shot at goal but he was again off target much to the relief of the world champions.
South Africa visit England in a rematch of last year's World Cup final next week while Scotland host Canada.
"We can take a lot out of this match going into our next game especially after going into halftime 10-0 down," South Africa coach Pieter de Villiers said.
"We're confident about next week."
Australia punish error-strewn England
LONDON—Australia gave error-strewn England a lesson in rugby basics on Saturday as assured flyhalf Matt Giteau kicked 20 points to help them to a 28-14 victory at Twickenham.The flyhalf landed six penalties and converted Adam Ashley-Cooper's late try while captain Stirling Mortlock weighed in with a 50-metre penalty.
That shot came after England had been shoved backwards in a scrum-the area they were expected to dominate but which was littered with re-sets, free kicks and penalties and eventually went the Wallabies' way.
"I don't know what goes on in there but the forwards really stood up today," Giteau told Sky Sports.
England had plenty of ball but were too often static and crossed the line only once when number eight Nick Easter finished off a forward shove late in the first half.
"They've won away by 14 points but ultimately we let them off far too often, we took the pressure off them with our errors," England manager Martin Johnson said.
Switched on
Australia were switched on from the start while England's ragged play allowed Giteau to notch two early penalties.
The flyhalf showed his defensive talents when he hauled down Mears in the corner after a sharp Danny Cipriani break, then slotted another two kicks to make it 12-3 after half an hour as England's indiscipline was heavily punished.
England scraped onto the scoreboard with an unexpected drop goal from fullback Delon Armitage but they were finding Australia's well-drilled defence a much harder nut to crack than the scratch collection of the Pacific Islanders last week.
They eventually got their forwards into the action with a drive after 34 minutes, though they fell foul of the video referee when Andrew Sheridan thought he had driven over.
Moments later they did score when they pounded the line for two minutes before Easter forced his way through.
Adam Ashley-Cooper of Australia dives over to score the winning try during the Investec Challenge match between England and Australia at Twickenham in London, England. (David Rogers/Getty Images )
Cipriani, who was badly off beam with his first two goalkicks, eventually slotted one and there was a point in it at 12-11 to the visitors at halftime after Giteau missed from wide out after another daft offence by the home side.
More errors
England briefly nosed in front with a Cipriani penalty four minutes into the second half but despite enjoying plenty of possession in the Australian half, they rarely looked dangerous.
More errors allowed Giteau to restore the lead and Mortlock landed his long pot after Sheridan, who struggled all day, was penalised at a scrum.
Australia then cut loose from deep to score the match-clinching try. England, ragged in defence, were stretched when quick passing set up fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper to dive over in the corner.
"The stats are there in terms of posssesion and territory but we didn't score the points-we got a bit frantic," Johnson said.
"They didn't have to do a lot to score, they didn't break us particularly. We made breaks and made the errors afterwards.
"When you are in test rugby you may only have three or four opportunities to score a try and you've got to take one or two of them. Ultimately we let them off far too often."
England face South Africa in a rematch of last year's World Cup final next week while Australia visit France.
France overcome 14-man Pacific Islanders
PARIS—France beat the Pacific Islanders 42-17 in Sochaux on Saturday after the tourists were reduced to 14 men for much of the match.Referee Nigel Owens sent off winger Napolioni Nalaga in the 18th minute after the Fijian powerhouse, who plays club rugby in France with Clermont Auvergne, knocked out scrumhalf Jean-Baptiste Elissalde with a late and high tackle.
Elissalde left the field on a stretcher but regained consciousness in the dressing room.
"I wasn't seriously hurt but it was frightening," he told television channel France 2.
When Nalaga was sent off, the Islanders were leading 6-3 thanks to two penalties from flyhalf Seremaia Bai, who also plays club rugby with Clermont, against one converted by France number 10 David Skrela.
Seven minutes later, the French scored their first try from hooker Dimitri Szarzewski after wing Julien Malzieu broke through the Islanders' defence.
Skrela converted and France took the lead 10-6, then increased it to 17-6 three minutes later when replacement scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Bordes crossed after Cedric Heymans sidestepped and delivered a well-timed pass.
The Islanders reduced the gap to 17-12 before the break thanks to two more penalties by Bai but the French capitalised on their numerical advantage in the second half.
They ran in three more tries by Heymans, Louis Picamoles and fullback Maxime Medard. Skrela added two more conversions and scored three penalties.
The Islanders scored a face-saving try by Harlequins centre Epi Taione three minutes from time.
Italy 14 Argentina 22
Argentina beat Italy 22-14 (halftime 9-3)in a test in Turin, Italy on Saturday.
Italy - Try: Andrea Masi; Penalties: Andrea Marcato (2);
Drop goal: Marcato
Argentina - Try: Rafael Carballo; Penalties: Felipe
Contepomi (5); Conversion: Contepomi
Wales 34 Canada 13
Wales beat Canada 34-13 (halftime 10-6)at the Millennium stadium on Friday.
Wales - Tries: Morgan Stoddart, Leigh Halfpenny (2); Penalty
tries (2); Conversions: Dan Biggar (3); Penalty: Biggar
Canada - Try: Ryan Smith; Conversion: James Pritchard;
Penalties: Pritchard (2)
