There will be conjecture about the validity of the penalty that proved decisive. Stephen Ferris was called for a dangerous tackle but television replays suggest the decision was harsh. It was a shame that a match of this calibre was decided by a controversial call but it was an epic nonetheless.

The quality was as good and sometimes better than anything you’ll see in the Rugby Championship this season. The sides’ tries were excellent in their construction and execution, featuring the most sublime handling skills.

The first from Wales’ flyhalf Rhys Priestland, who committed two defenders and put Jonathan Davies away with a fine offload. Ireland’s was a collective effort from the back division, who shifted the ball through the hands sharply, Rory Best rounding off the move. Wales’ second came thanks to a superlative touch from big George North, the winger floating up a back-of-the-hand offload that put Davies clean through.

For Wales Priestland continues to impress as an international flyhalf, his cause aided by powerful and largely precise phase play from his forwards. However, his goal-kicking needs attention. He missed three from three, which wasn’t costly in the final analysis but could well have been on another day. Ireland’s pivot Jonathan Sexton had no such trouble and going into the final quarter his third penalty gave his side a narrow 16-15 lead.

Bradley Davies undermined Wales’ ambition when he was yellow carded for a horrific dump-tackle that should have earned him a stronger sanction. Two minutes later Ireland winger Tommy Bowe finished a multi-phase move that depleted Wales’ defensive line. Sexton missed the conversion and with four minutes to play Wales drew within a point with a try from North. Halfpenny missed the touchline conversion but held his nerve when it mattered to give the Dragons a famous win.

By Ryan Vrede

The visitors dominated much of the contest, with a superior performance at the lineout complementing their smart territorial approach. When they received an opportunity, they took it via Goosen’s boot. The young flyhalf finished the game with a flawless goal-kicking record.

While the Stormers turned in an improved scrumming showing, they were erratic at the lineout and battled at the collisions. Their lack of go-forward was exacerbated by poor decisions with ball-in-hand, and the high error-rate allowed the Cheetahs off the hook on more than one occasion.

Results don’t matter in the pre-season, with coaches preferring to focus on the quality of performance. Nevertheless, Stormers coach Allister Coetzee will consider this a failure on both counts, as the Cape side lost the match by playing poor rugby.

Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis struggled behind a losing pack. His goal-kicking was equally mediocre, as the Stormers missed out on nine possible points because of his wayward attempts.

When presented with a penalty five metres from the Cheetahs’ tryline in the 60th minute, the Stormers opted to kick for the touchline. The move backfired as the Cheetahs secured the lineout and duly cleared their lines.

As the clock wound down, the Cheetahs continued to control proceedings while the Stormers grew more desperate. Replacement flyhalf Sias Ebersohn nailed a late penalty to put the match beyond doubt.

The Scots went into the game as favourites having not lost to their arch-rivals at home since 2004. They also boasted the more experienced line-up, with 499 Test caps in their starting XV compared to new-look England’s 233.

England were fielding three debutants, including former Sharks centre Brad Barritt, who made a good start to his Test career when he won his side a penalty at the breakdown.

The visitors had 70% territory in the first quarter, thanks mainly to some poor tactical kicking from Scotland, who put boot to ball every 35 seconds. But it took England 23 minutes to get on the board when debutant No 12 Owen Farrell kicked a penalty having missed his first attempt earlier on.

Scotland, though, dominated the rest of the half and two penalties from flyhalf Dan Parks gave them a 6-3 lead. England made several basic errors during that period, losing possession through a forward pass from Barritt, a kick from scrumhalf Ben Youngs that went directly into touch, and then a lost lineout inside Scottish territory.

The pressure England were being put under was evident by the fact that they had to make 79 tackles in the first half compared to Scotland’s 32.

Neither side had scored a try in this fixture since 2004 but that drought finally ended in the first minute of the second half when England flyhalf Charlie Hodgson charged down Parks’ clearance kick to score.

They almost crossed the line again 10 minutes later when Hodgson’s cross-field kick found winger David Strettle, but Scotland’s Zimbabwean-born No 8 David Denton, who was named Man of the Match, made a try-saving tackle.

Both coaches turned to their bench in the final quarter, with the introduction of Scottish halfbacks Mike Blair and Greig Laidlaw followed shortly afterwards by that of Lee Dickson and Jordan Turner-Hall for England.

Laidlaw made an immediate impact when he chased his own kick and only just failed to ground the ball over the tryline before Youngs dotted down. A minute later, Scotland butchered a certain try when flanker Ross Rennie broke through the defence but couldn’t find Laidlaw on his inside.

With six minutes to go, Farrell kicked another penalty to extend the lead to seven, and while Scotland finished the game on the attack they once again couldn’t make it count.

By Simon Borchardt

The game was over as a contest by the end of the first half with the Crusaders racing to a 35-0 lead. Crotty scored three tries in 26 minutes as the Highlanders’ defence battled to cope with Crusaders’ attack.

Highlanders assistant coach Simon Culhane agreed that the hit-out had revealed some defensive weaknesses.

‘We were sorry second in the first half – we didn’t get a lot of ball and they got pretty easy gainline and capitalised from it,’ Culhane said. ‘Our personnel changes in the second half helped. The guys needed to have a game.’

The Chiefs ran in six tries, impressing with their fluid attack against a disjointed defensive line. The Rebels’ new high-profile recruits James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale entered the match in the second quarter but failed to make any telling impact.

Chiefs coach Dave Rennie was pleased with the outcome. ‘It was good to give the whole squad a run with all the players getting at least thirty minutes on the field,’ Rennie said.

‘There was good competition within the squad and I really happy with the defence. There are always plenty of things to work on but it is a good start.’

Rebels coach Damien Hill was forthright in his assessment. ‘Overall it’s disappointing, you don’t like to be beaten by 36 points whether it’s a trial or not,’ Hill said. ‘It highlighted a few areas in attack and defence we need to work on which is what these trials are for.’

Coach Naka Drotske picked a number of fringe players for this encounter and would have been pleased with the comfortable victory. The Cheetahs scored six tries in all with flyhalf Sias Ebersohn racking up a personal points tally of 18.

Drotske is likely to select a stronger side for Saturday’s warm-up match against the Stormers at Newlands.

The Lions had the better of the territory initially and dominated the scrums for much of the contest, but struggled to use this platform to their advantage. Their lineout was also largely outplayed by that of the Stormers, and coach John Mitchell will be livid with the turnovers his side conceded in great attacking positions.

There were times when they excelled on defence, and Butch James brought his own brutish brand thereof to this warm-up fixture. Nevertheless, the Stormers managed to score three tries, the first via a patient build up through the phases. Gio Aplon struck soon after half-time with a breathtaking solo effort, and was on hand to finish a break by Gerhard van den Heever later in the match.

Typically, defence was the Stormers’ strongest attribute. They eventually conceded two yellow cards, one for De Kock Steenkamp and one for Aplon, and finished the game with 13 men, but still their defence managed to repel the Lions’ surge.

This match was always going to be more a glorified training exercise than anything else. The young and largely inexperienced Stormers side racked up seven tries in the 45-14 win in Wellington, but they battled for consistency in certain areas of the game.

Coach Allister Coetzee opted to start a team devoid of any current Springboks and very few established Super Rugby players, as he felt this match would give the players an opportunity to stake their claim as well as the coaches a chance to gauge the fringe players’ aptitude.

There were players that shone, like centre JP du Plessis who made some exciting breaks in midfield. However, these cameos needed to be viewed in context as for large parts of the game, the Boland defence was poor.

New Stormers recruits Gerhard van den Heever and Burton Francis did not have an especially memorable outing. Van den Heever battled to get involved from the fullback position while Francis looked very rusty at flyhalf.

Kurt Coleman, who made his Super Rugby debut last year, enjoyed more attacking success when he replaced Francis in the second half once the game had opened up. Unfortunately, Coleman’s goal-kicking was worryingly poor. It mattered little in the context of this match, but his poor striking of the ball requires remedying if he’s to be considered a realistic option for the Stormers.

Nizaam Carr shone when he was allowed the space to run, but generally the Stormers pack did not look particularly imposing at the breakdown. Their scrum also wobbled in the second half and it was veteran tighthead Brok Harris who was repeatedly penalised by the referee.

Coetzee is likely to play more of his best players in the next two warm-ups against the Lions and Cheetahs. These fixtures will witness more of a contest and be more indicative of the Cape franchise’s form, as both the Lions and Cheetahs boast players capable of competing at Super Rugby level.

The SA U20s held on to a 14-12 half-time advantage, and a good start to the second stanza saw them stretch their lead to 21-12 with 20 minutes left on the clock.

However, a defensive lapse allowed UCT score three tries during the final quarter to lead 29-24 at the death. The Varsity Cup defending champions couldn’t hold on though, as Baby Bok replacement lock Jacques du Plessis dotted down for a late try and flyhalf Tony Jantjies added the extras for the win.

‘There were numerous positives to take out of this game. We gave most of the players in our training squad some time on the field and I’m really satisfied with the way our structures came off in the match,’ said Baby Boks head coach Theron.

‘I’m also happy with the result, mainly because we had to dig deep towards the end. To do that, after a week where we trained extremely hard in very hot weather in Stellenbosch, is pleasing. We’re on the right track, but there is still a lot of work to be done.’

The SA U20s will play their final trial match against Maties on Friday before the players separate for their union/Varsity Cup commitments.

The hosts led 6-3 after 48 minutes but were reduced to 14 men when fullback Leigh Halfpenny was sent to the sin bin for a late tackle on James O’Connor, who had looked certain to score. Referee Jonathan Kaplan could perhaps have awarded a penalty try but it didn’t matter as Will Genia took a quick tap and after several phases the scrumhalf scored.

The Wallabies struck twice more while Halfpenny was off the field. O’Connor, starting his first Test at flyhalf, put Lachie Turner away for a try with an excellent double-skip pass. Five minutes later, Wales coughed up possession in midfield, Turner hacked the ball ahead, and Radike Samo gave the try-scoring pass to Berrick Barnes.

Wales hit back with a try from Rhys Priestland and another from Shane Williams in the final move of the game that nearly lifted the roof off the stadium. But the Welsh winger will be bitterly disappointed that his 87th and final Test ended with defeat.

If the second half of this match was absorbing then the first was entirely forgettable, with both sides making lots of handing errors and getting slow ruck ball.

The closest anyone came to scoring a try was when Adam Ashley-Cooper sliced through the Welsh defence and found David Pocock. The ball was quickly recycled to Barnes, who kicked into the corner for Turner. The winger appeared to have scored despite being tackled by Williams, but the TMO correctly ruled that he had gone into touch before grounding the ball.

Australia edged South Africa 11-9 in last month’s World Cup quarter-final, a result that stretched their record against the Springboks in 2011 to three from three. This Saturday’s fixture at Twickenham represented a final attempt at revenge for Matfield, but as much as he tried as an individual, he couldn’t lift the collective to the point where they could mount any real challenge.

The result sees the Baa Baas missing out on a hat-trick of wins against the Sanzar nations, having beaten New Zealand in 2009 and South Africa in 2010. It also sees Wallabies coach Robbie Deans getting one over the All Blacks’ Graham Henry and Steve Hansen, who took charge of the Barbarians for this particular encounter.

The Baa Baas looked a disinterested and disjointed bunch for much of the contest. They butchered two early try-scoring opportunites, and failed to make the Wallabies pay when Adam Ashley-Cooper and James Slipper were yellow-carded at separate intervals in the first half.

The visitors struggled to fire early on, but certainly looked the more structured and ambitious of the two teams. It finally came together in the 26th minute when flyhalf James O’Connor found Digby Ioane, who proceeded to expose some poor Barbarians defence.

This aspect of the Baa Baas’ game grew worse as the game progressed. They managed to keep the Wallabies in check in the first half thanks to the two yellow cards, but in the second stanza, there was no stopping the relentless green and gold wave.

The Wallabies’ bench provided the desired impetus, but the defensive effort of the Barbarians was nothing short of shocking. In a definitive period between the 40th and 70th minute, those wearing the black and white hoops ushered the Wallabies to the tryline no less than five times.

It will go down as the worst performance by a Barbarians side in recent times. Although they managed to score one consolatory try in injury time through young league star Sam Tomkins, it was the gutless defensive effort that will anger officials and members of an extremely proud and elite club.

After 12 years of silverware starvation, the Lions have finally fed.

The 26-point victory completed a dream campaign – which included a table-topping run throughout the league phase and an impressive 29-20 semi-final win over a WP side that had six World Cup Springboks in their match day squad. This result was also the Lions’ first Currie Cup final triumph at Ellis Park in 61 years.

The Lions wanted it more than their opposition. The Sharks, who struggled for momentum and lacked a clinical edge, looked second best for most parts of the match. The hosts ran faster, tackled harder and toiled tirelessly around the park. That determination – no – that hunger for victory influenced John Mitchell’s ‘no-name brands’ to thump a strong, Springbok-laden Sharks side.

Those who backed a win for the visitors pointed to the quality of their squad, which included seven World Cup Boks. But this match proved to be one game too much for the likes of Bismarck du Plessis and Beast Mtawarira, who struggled to make any trademark impact after long and tiring year. There was also a lack of cohesion, despite this group spending the past three weeks together.

The Lions, who’ve played generally the same side since day one of Super Rugby in February, worked like a well-oiled machine. But during this impressive team performance, the player who made the ultimate difference was flyhalf Elton Jantjies. The youngster showed Mitchell was correct in selecting him ahead of veteran Butch James during the play-off stages. After starring in the Lions’ semi-final win last Saturday, the 20-year-old displayed a Man of the Match performance as he kicked 24 points without missing one attempt.

The platform was set with a good showing in the first half. The Lions mixed moments of impressive attacking play with a resilient defence to hold a 19-6 half-time lead.

Jantjies and fullback Jaco Taute, who nailed a 57m penalty, traded penalties with flyhalf Frederic Michalak early on before wing Michael Killian scored the first try of the match. From a scrum in centre field, centre Doppies la Grange broke the Sharks defence through a set-piece move. His offload put Killian clear.

But it looked like the half would end badly for the Lions. Prop CJ van der Linde had a moment of madness in the 32-minute when he threw Sharks skipper Keegan Daniel over his shoulder whilst clearing a ruck. It earned him a yellow card. The Sharks built momentum with their one-player advantage and paid four visits to the Lions’ red zone. However, they couldn’t find a much-needed finish and the Lions escaped without conceding any points.

Then there was a controversial moment early in the second half when Willem Alberts scored a try that should not have been allowed. The Sharks flanker broke the Lions’ defensive line, but lost the ball forward in the process. However, the knock-on wasn’t sighted by the officials and referee Mark Lawrence, who seeked advice from his assistant, awarded the try. The Sharks were back in it as Michalak’s conversion made it 22-16. Game on.

The Lions, however, had other plans as that was the Sharks’ last score of the match. The following 31 minutes was arguably the best passage of play the Lions have showcased this year.

It was a strong performance that secured 20 points to seal the famous win. First, Pat Cilliers powered over from close range after the Lions attacked from deep. Jantjies added two penalties before Taute had the pace to finish another attacking move in the corner. The following conversion was the final nail in the Sharks’ coffin.

Follow Gareth on Twitter

Follow SA Rugby mag on Twitter

The visiting Bulls led 16-8 heading into the last 15 minutes of the match, but the hosts delivered a strong finish to claim a hard-fought, one-point triumph.

Flanker Stephan Nel dotted down in the 58th minute to put the Lions back into the contest. After Bulls flyhalf Tony Jantjies’ fourth penalty, Lions wing Tiaan Putter dived in at the corner to edge his team ahead with only a five minutes left on the clock. The Bulls had possession and momentum on attack at the death, but a stern defensive showing saw the Lions hold on for the win.

The Bulls were favourites heading into the U19 final, having beaten the Lions twice during the league phase (43-24 at Loftus and 37-25 at Ellis Park). However, it was a close contest in the opening 40 with Jantjies and fullback Marais Schmidt trading penalties for a 6-3 half-time scoreline in the visitors’ favour.

A try from flanker Wiaan Liebenberg gave the Bulls the perfect start to the second half. Wing Errol Jagger scored the Lions’ first five-pointer, but Jantjies’ boot gave the Bulls a comfortable buffer. The Lions then crossed the chalk twice in quick succession in the final quarter, with one of the tries converted by Schmidt, to seal the win.

By Gareth Duncan, at Ellis Park

Four million New Zealanders have had to endure 24 long years in between World Cup titles. On Sunday 23 October, they had to endure a further 80 agonising minutes as their beloved All Blacks edged slowly and, at times tentatively, towards the elusive gold.

The energy of a nation was channeled in the New Zealand national anthem, and the All Blacks played their part with a spirited rendition of Kapa o Pango. France responded through Thierry Dusautoir’s passionate gesture during the Tricolores’ call-to-arms, and through the team’s decision to advance towards the hosts while they laid down the traditional challenge.

The message was clear: France would not be intimidated by the All Blacks, their media or the New Zealand people’s pre-match assertion that they had no place in this final. Their march on the All Blacks would signify a collective up-yours to all the non-believers, and their efforts in this match would underscore their passion and belief that they could indeed upset the world’s top-ranked team.

It was this fiery attitude and physicality that had the All Blacks rattled at stages. Tony Woodcock scored a simple try for the hosts when a smart lineout move opened up the French defence, but Piri Weepu failed to make the conversion. In fact, Weepu would miss all three of his attempts at goal and the All Blacks would miss out on eight points as a result. It was this lack of composure that so nearly cost the hosts the game.

The All Blacks were resolute on defence, but then so were the French. They matched the hosts at the collisions which limited the All Blacks’ attacking platform. Morgan Parra stopped Ma’a Nonu from breaching the gain line early in the first half, and paid the price for his bravery. He was able to return to the field for a brief spell but was later pulled when he failed to recover from what was a big knock.

The All Blacks would lose their own flyhalf before the first period was through. Aaron Cruden was caught between two French defenders in the 34th minute, and proceeded to hyper-extend his knee. Suddenly the All Blacks were without Cruden, their third-choice pivot, and looking to Stephen Donald, a player who wasn’t even in the country until a couple of weeks previously. If the All Blacks were going to pull this one off, the forgotten man of New Zealand rugby would have to steer them home.

Donald relieved Weepu of the goal-kicking duties and took his first opportunity early in the second half. But the 8-0 deficit did little to dampen the spirits of the French, who continued to clatter into the collisions and breakdowns with masochistic intensity.

They also persisted with their ball-in-hand tactics, and their searing counter-attacks stretched the All Blacks on numerous occasions. It was one such counter-punch that would provide the spark for a massive moment, which Dusautoir took expertly to help close the gap to 8-7.

It was during this time that the All Blacks must have been thinking about the failures of the World Cup teams of yesteryear. Weepu had shown a lack of composure in the first half through his inability to convert three very kickable opportunities, and as the French swelled with confidence, the All Blacks grew frantic.

It was a situation tailor-made for the French, and undoubtedly a worse-case scenario for the hosts.

But as plucky as the French were, they were just as erratic as in previous matches at this tournament. Credit should go to the All Blacks defence, but had France shown more composure and patience with ball-in-hand, they may have taken the lead and inspired some real panic in the New Zealand ranks. Had they converted their own goal-kicking chances, they would have assumed control as the clock wound down.

Dimitri Yachvili missed a penalty attempt early in the second stanza, and Trinh-Duc pushed a long attempt wide in the 65th minute. The replacement flyhalf also made a telling mistake when he overcooked a garryowen late in the game. It marked the end of long spell where France had pinned the hosts deep in their own territory.

It was during the remaining minutes that the All Blacks, spurred on by the thousands of desperate but patriotic Kiwis in the crowd, showed their composure. Through the determined efforts of their forwards and the collective discipline on defence, they were able to douse the French flame.

France swept from side to side for several minutes in hope of milking the penalty that would win them the game, but the All Blacks stood firm. They won the turnover, and attempted to play for time, and when referee Craig Joubert handed them a penalty, it signified the beginning of the end.

The All Blacks won the ensuing lineout and another penalty after mauling the French back, and at this point, Eden Park erupted in celebration. It will not be remembered as the most convincing performance, but it will be remembered as the day the All Blacks ended a 24-year drought and assumed the mantle of undisputed champions of the world.

Follow JC on Twitter

Follow SA Rugby on Twitter

WP came into this game as favourites. They had five World Cup Springboks in their starting XV compared to the Lions’ one. This was their third consecutive appearance in the Currie Cup play-offs, while the Lions had not reached this stage since 2008.

Yet it was the young Lions side that played like experienced veterans, scoring two unanswered tries to reach their first final since 2007. WP looked disinterested for the first hour and by the time they woke up, the game was long gone.

Elton Jantjies was successful with all seven of his kicks at goal, which forced Province to play catch-up throughout. The Lions were the more threatening side on attack and were solid on defence, especially in the second half when they had just 40% of the ball (compared to 60% in the first half). Derick Minnie produced a big performance at the breakdown, while Franco van der Merwe impressed with ball in hand.

The Lions deservedly led 19-12 at the break, after Jantjies and Demetri Catrakilis each kicked four penalties, and Jaco Taute scored a try on the 35-minute mark after an inside pass from Deon van Rensburg.

WP weren’t helped by injuries to Siya Kolisi, whose head collided with Jantjies’ elbow during an attempted tackle, and Bryan Habana, who was replaced on the half-hour mark by Juan de Jongh (he went to centre with Jean de Villiers moving to the wing). However, the Province scrum did improve when Frans Malherbe came on at tighthead prop with Brok Harris moving to loosehead.

The Lions extended their lead to 14 early in the second half when a poor pass from Nicholas Groom was intercepted by Michael Killian, and the left wing went over in the corner. That prompted the surprise return of Habana, who until then had been sitting on the bench as if his match was over.

Catrakilis and Jantjies exchanged penalties to make it 29-15 going into the final quarter, as WP began to dominate possession and territory. They came close to scoring when Schalk Burger offloaded in the tackle to Harris, who was stopped inches short of the tryline. The Lions tackled courageously during this period but a double-skip pass from Burger eventually put De Jongh over with 10 minutes remaining.

Catrakilis, though, missed the crucial conversion that would have brought his side back to within striking range, and the Lions finished the match inside the WP half.

The Cheetahs capitalised on the Sharks’ poor first-half performance for their 10-point advantage at the break. Young pivot Johan Goosen proved to be the difference, slotting two difficult penalties (including a 54m kick) while his line break created the opportunity for the try that was scored shortly thereafter.

However, the hosts delivered a strong second-half showing – which included two converted tries in the third quarter. It was a scrappy contest in the final 20 minutes, but fullback Pat Lambie’s second penalty of the match was enough to seal victory.

The win finally sees the Sharks break their domestic play-off voodoo against the Cheetahs. It’s been 11 years since their last semi-final triumph over the Bloemfontein union, with the latter winning 30-14 in 2006 and 23-21 in 2009. And it seemed the Cheetahs were going to snatch their hat-trick on this occasion with the Springbok-laden Sharks looking stale from the outset.

Despite John Plumtree loading seven World Cup Springboks into his starting XV, there was no sign of cohesiveness (especially on defence), too much ill discipline while their goal kicking was poor. Lambie missed an early attempt from right in front before flyhalf Frederic Michalak pushed two sitters shortly after.

The Cheetahs only had 36% of possession in the first quarter, but they found themselves 13-0 ahead in the 23rd minute. After Goosen’s two goals, the Cheetahs broke into the Sharks’ red zone through the 19-year-old. The Sharks stole possession a phase later, but their decision not to clear the ball cost them a try. The Cheetahs managed to poach the pill back, and moved play wide for fullback Hennie Daniller to dot down near the posts.

Lambie’s 36-minute three-pointer was his team’s only points heading into half-time.

The Sharks then played to their potential in the second half, bossing possession in the third quarter and turning their ascendancy into points through loosehead prop Beast Mtawarira, who powered over from close range, and wing Odwa Ndungane, who crossed the chalk after a 12-phase attack. The Cheetahs couldn’t build much momentum against a ferocious defence and predictably folded in the last quarter.

It will be a win that the Sharks will celebrate – but one they also need to take into perspective as a similar first-half performance in the final will cost them back-to-back Currie Cup titles. With one of the strongest line-ups in the competition, Plumtree will demand a better display next weekend.

Follow Gareth on Twitter

Follow SA Rugby mag on Twitter

Naturally this contest lacked the intensity and compelling appeal of a match where the result was meaningful. Consequently it descended into a structureless, error-strewn and utterly unpalatable sideshow to Sunday’s final.

It would have been more bearable if either side had earned the right to play expansively by showing some appreciation for building a platform. Instead the strike runners in either pack were rarely deployed often enough to achieve this, with the showmen in the back division asked to enthral and entertain the 60 000 poor souls who paid to be punished.

Handling errors abound and Australia’s lethargy in sending cleaners into rucks often resulted in turnovers in the Welsh 22m. Their troubles were compounded and cause undermined when key play makers Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper were injured before 25 minutes had elapsed. The latter, did, however, craft a try for Berrick Barnes with a deft offload, before his exit.

Australia looked a better side than the impotent Welsh, whose struggles were rooted in their inability to impose themselves at the gainline. They also missed suspended captain Sam Warburton’s ability to stifle the opposition’s attacking flow through his breakdown work. Indeed Warren Gatland’s side played with the verve, accuracy and innovation that suggested they’d had spent their week working their way through Auckland’s pubs and nightclubs.

Wales missed three goalkicks but still trailed by just four points (7-3) with with 30 minutes to play, before scoring courtesy of a clear forward pass. On the evidence of that incorrect decision, it appeared referee Wayne Barnes and his assistant had been lulled into a slumber themselves.

James O’Connor kicked two penalties to regain the lead for the Wallabies before Barnes took the Wallabies eight points ahead with a drop goal. Stephen Jones set up a tense final 10 minutes with a three pointer.

Adam Ashley-Cooper should have sealed the result with six minutes to play, but he grassed the ball in a tackle a metre for the goal line. Ben McCalman, however, made no mistake shortly thereafter. Wales would score after the siren had sounded, but were undeserving of victory.

The Wallabies thus finish in third place, which is much like almost bagging the hottest girl at the party, then having to settle for her ugly friend.

Surely now. Surely the suffering will end. Surely the team that has so often betrayed the faithfulness of their long-suffering fans, nay, disciples, will claim the one prize they most covet.

France lie in wait in the final. On the evidence of their woeful performance in victory over Wales last night they will not live with this flawed but formidable team and its superlative players – Israel Dagg chief among those.

On current form Dagg is without peer in the game, possessing every technical gift on offer, and, more pertinently, the temperament for the biggest occasions. All those qualities were on show as he crafted their only try, beating three would-be tacklers then defying the laws of physics to offload a pass to Ma’a Nonu while plummeting into touch. Breathtaking is a word too liberally used to describe mediocre feats. It is inadequate for that inspired action.

Dagg was the headline act in a play with a range of compelling sub-plots, none more so than the vendetta against a son of New Zealand’s soil, Quade Cooper. It took 32 minutes for the flyhalf to do something right (a drop-goal), the preceding period being spent chastising himself for errors or peeling himself off the canvas from statement hits.

While Cooper’s star waned, his counterpart Aaron Cruden’s shone brightly. In the context of his Test career – its genesis seeing coach Graham Henry hailing him as the natural successor to Daniel Carter, and its nadir coming when he was unceremoniously dumped shortly thereafter, before being recently recalled – his was a mature effort, particularly in light of the magnitude of the occasion and the quality of the opposition.

But in a game shaped by the principle of cause and effect, Cruden’s ability to rock rested heavily on the shift put in by his roadies in shirts one through eight. Immovable at the gainline on defence and irresistible on attack, the Blacks’ heavies were mighty. Their spirit was encapsulated in the superb performance of Richie McCaw, who excelled despite his foot being held together by hope and some items found in a mechanic’s toolbox. ‘I know he will try to be modest and give credit to the tight five [for laying the platform], but he was just outstanding,’ coach Graham Henry said of McCaw.

Australia boast a player of Dagg’s calibre in openside flank David Pocock, who appears to possess the supernatural gift of omnipresence. But he was rendered a non-factor at the breakdown thanks to the efficiency of the Blacks’ strike runners and cleaners.

It would be remiss not to acknowledge the Wallabies’ unkillable spirit in the face of incessant pressure. It was the outstanding feature of their game against the Springboks last week, and they exhibited that again tonight. To restrict the Blacks to one try is a notable achievement given the hosts’ surfeit of territory and possession. However, they lacked a clinical edge in the 22m, which was decisive to their fortunes.

That they were in touch at half-time – trailing 14-6 – bore testament to their resolve as much as it did the Blacks’ frequent impatience on attack. But they did little more than survive, when reopening the psychological wounds the Blacks sport from previous failures in this tournament required considerably more.

Just after the restart Piri Weepu kicked his third penalty to go with a Cruden drop goal, extending the lead to 11 points. There was a observable change in focus from the Blacks thereafter, with panache giving way to pragmatism on attack and granitic defence being the bedrock of their resistance.

Australia succumbed, albeit not meekly, to a team who have no equal in the game. France are vastly inferior opponents. For the Blacks, ending their suffering will be more a test of exorcising their own demons than it will be about vanquishing Lievremont’s mad mob.

By Ryan Vrede, at Eden Park
Follow Ryan’s World Cup coverage on Twitter

With the Cheetahs achieving a 49-39 bonus-point victory over Griquas in Bloemfontein and boasting a superior points difference on the overall table, the Sharks needed a four-try win over a weakened Lions outfit at King’s Park to ensure they would host their play-off fixture next Saturday. And it mission accomplished for John Plumtree’s men, who demolished their opponents with an impressive all-round performance.

The Sharks scored their four tries by the 57th minute, with No 8 Ryan Kankowski grabbing a brace. With the Lions only managing three penalties up to that point, replacement wing JP Pietersen scored an interception try in the 65th minute to confirm the triumph. There was further assault with replacement flanker Jacques Botes and reserve centre Stefan Terblanche crossing the chalk for late scores at the death.

The Sharks’ defence also deserves credit as they kept the Lions try-less while flyhalf Frederic Michalak shone with the boot, converting all seven of his goal attempts.

With the Lions already confirmed top spot on the log prior to kickoff, head coach John Mitchell made seven changes to his starting line-up and named his only returning Springbok Butch James on the bench. Plumtree selected most of his returning Springboks amongst the reserves, with only wing Odwa Ndungane and fullback Pat Lambie making the run-on side.

The Sharks enjoyed a stronger first half showing, but it was still a close contest on the scoreboard in the first quarter as Michalak’s try was countered by opposite number Burton Francis’ two penalties. The turning point in the opening 40 was lock Michael Rhodes’ yellow card for a tip tackle, which saw the Sharks hold ascendancy with their one-man advantage. But despite creating several try-scoring opportunities thereafter, they could only profit through Kankowski for a 14-6 scoreline at the break.

It was all Sharks in the second stanza as Plumtree called the Du Plessis brothers and flanker Willem Alberts off the bench shortly after the restart. This saw the Sharks heavies dominate their couterparts and set the platform for the convincing win and the Lions’ third loss of their campaign.

The result sees the Sharks tackle the Cheetahs in Durban (14:30 k/o) and the Lions take on WP in Johannesburg (17:00 k/o). Both semi-finals will be played next Saturday.

Province needed to win by 13-plus points or win with a bonus point to leapfrog the Bulls into fourth place on the Currie Cup log and they were always more likely to achieve the latter having just welcomed back their World Cup Springboks.

The Boks made their presence felt early on with Bryan Habana, Juan de Jongh and Gio Aplon all having a hand in Jean de Villiers’s try.

Deon Fourie then barged over to make it 14-0 but the Pumas were competitive for the next 20 minutes and scored a well-deserved try through flanker Jaco Bouwer.

The two flyhalves, Demetri Catrakilis and Carl Bezuidenhout, exchanged penalties to make it 17-8, before WP’s Boks struck again on the half-hour mark, with the ball going wide to De Villiers, who gave the try-scoring pass back inside to De Jongh.

WP were poor in the third quarter, and Allister Coetzee turned to his bench for inspiration. Schalk Burger and Tiaan Liebenburg’s arrival was followed shortly after by that of Conrad Jantjes when a dazed Catrakilis was forced to leave the field. Aplon slotted in at flyhalf and was immediately involved in the attack that led to Siya Kolisi’s bonus-point try.

JJ Engelbrecht scored WP’s fifth with 15 minutes to go, but the Pumas, to their credit, refused to capitulate and crossed the line again through replacement RW Kember. Province, though, finished strongly, with Habana sealing the win with a try in the final minute.