***
Nelson Mandela Challenge Trophy
Stephen Moore of the Wallabies forces his way over the tryline to score the third Wallaby try during the 2010 Tri-Nations match between the South African Springboks and the Australian Wallabies at Vodacom Park on September 4, 2010 in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
(September 3, 2010 -All Photos by David Rogers/Getty Images Europe)
**
Beale wins it for Wallabies
Australia full-back Kurtley Beale kicked a 50m penalty in injury time to beat South Africa 41-39 in a dramatic Tri-Nations battle in Bloemfontein.
The last-gasp victory allowed the Wallabies to break a 47-year losing streak on the Highveld that goes all the way back to 1963, and will now finish the tournament in second place - avoiding the dreaded wooden spoon.
Not even 38,000 booing South Africans could deter Beale in the dying seconds of the match, as the man of the moment showed some deep steel by nailing the match-winning penalty from a difficult angle on the halfway line.
The raised flags behind the posts consigned the Springboks to their fifth defeat of a forgettable 2010 campaign, completing their spiralling journey to rock bottom. Since the start of this year's tournament, they've surrendered the Tri-Nations title, the Freedom Cup, and now the Mandela Plate.
***
Rocky Elsom, the Wallaby captain races away to score the fourth Wallaby try
**
Wallabies cling on to win a classic
Australia held their nerve to win a classic Tri-Nations battle with South Africa 41-39 at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday, sealing the Mandela Challenge Plate in the process.
*
The visitors, who slumped to defeat in Pretoria last weekend after similarly quick start, scored five tries to the hosts' three, with Beale, James O'Connor, Stephen Moore, Rocky Elsom and Drew Mitchell all breaching the South African defence. The bonus-point was wrapped up before 25 minutes had passed but from there on in it was a South African onslaught, with Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers and Gurthro Steenkamp scoring tries to complement 24 points from the masterful boot of Morne Steyn.
*
As they did at Loftus Versfeld, the Wallabies hit the ground running. The Springboks had no answer to the pace of the visitors' offence or their continuity, which allowed them to seamlessly change the point of attack against leaden-footed defenders. Beale rounded off a superb team move for the opening try and benefited from precision work by Quade Cooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper and O'Connor. Cooper's long pass stretched the defence and with space in front of them the Wallabies' 13-14 combination made quick work of sending Beale over under the posts.
*
The Springboks showed heart to claw themselves back onto an even keel. Moments before the break Victor Matfield had the crowd in raptures as he broke from a ruck before collecting his own chip and chase. The finishing touches were expertly laid on as his offload was collected by Fourie, who scored his 30th Test try unopposed.
The wave of good feeling generated by Matfield's grandstand moment continued after the break. Steenkamp again showed his nose for a try by barging over from close range, the TMO awarding the score before Steyn landed a third penalty to bring his side within eight points.
*
A calamitous rebound off the face of Beale as Cooper looked to spread the ball wide led to Steyn's next shot at goal and the fly-half held his nerve to apparently hammer the final nail into the Wallabies' coffin. Van der Merwe could not keep his hands to himself at a last minute ruck however and Beale smashed over the winning points in the grandest tradition of John Eales and Stirling Mortlock. Next up is another shot at the All Blacks in Sydney, with another hoodoo to be broken.
***
Luke Burgess of the Wallabies is brought down by Victor Matfield
**
Wallabies triumph in thriller
By David Beniuk
In perhaps one of the greatest Test matches ever played, which the Wallabies led by a huge margin for the second straight week, Beale turned from villain to hero after two glaring errors had almost cost his side victory.
The Wallabies led 31-6 after 25 minutes and 31-13 after a stellar first half before threatening to implode again in a poor second half.
*
Australia were under the pump for a second straight week and their errors were mounting.
***
The Wallabies celebrate after winning the Nelson Mandela Challenge Trophy
**
next test:
Australia v All Blacks
Sept 11
Sydney
***
