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.

The Zimbabwean-born flanker skippered the Force for the first time in this year’s Super Rugby, and has now been given the Wallabies captaincy ahead of Will Genia and Nathan Sharpe.

James O’Connor will start at pivot, with Berrick Barnes selected on his inside. This sees Adam Ashley-Cooper slot in at fullback.

Wallabies – 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock (c), 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Salesi Ma’afu, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 James Slipper.
Subs: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 James Horwill, 19 Dave Dennis, 20 Matt Hodgson, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Ben Tapuai.

With Quade Cooper sidelined with a serious knee injury until the halfway stage of Super Rugby, Berrick Barnes is expected to start in the Wallabies No 10 jumper which should see O’Connor slot in at inside centre. It’s a move that interests O’Connor, after playing wing and fullback for most of his career with the Wallabies and Western Force in Super Rugby.

‘That was one of the main reasons I wanted to move down to Melbourne [he'll play for the Rebels next season],’ O’Connor told smh.com.au. ‘I wanted to move to that front line and get some experience there, and I see a good fit with Kurtley [Beale] at 15 and with Danny [Cipriani] there at 10.

‘There’s no doubt Quade brings a certain thing that not many guys can, and Kurtley as well,’ he continued. ‘They’re game winners and game breakers as well, but we’ve got a different group and everyone’s going to bring a different game. Barnsey brings a different game and I’m looking forward to getting involved with him.’

O’Connor said he wants to cement a place in the midfield to be more involved as a playmaker.

‘Any Australian team always plays an attacking style of rugby,’ he said. ‘I want to get into that front line, ball-playing a little bit more and [getting] a few more touches. The last couple of days I’ve been in the mix in those positions. Hand-on-ball time, the amount of time you get with the ball and the time you get to decision-make.

‘I guess when you’re in the front line you make most of the decisions, and that’s what I want to be doing. Ball-playing as well, but ball-running and taking a few more hit-ups.’

Fullback Kurtley Beale (hamstring), wing Drew Mitchell (hamstring), centre Pat McCabe (shoulder), flyhalf Quade Cooper (knee), No 8 Wycliff Palu (hamstring), flanker Rocky Elsom (hamstring), lock Dan Vickerman (shoulder) and prop Sekope Kepu (eye) are all ruled out due to injury after the recent tournament in New Zealand. Scrumhalf Luke Burgess misses out on selection because of his move to France.

This sees three uncapped players called up in Reds backs Ben Tapuai and Ben Lucas, and Waratahs loose forward Dave Dennis. Western Force front rower Pek Cowan also returns to the Wallabies squad after missing the World Cup.

The Wallabies face the Barbarians at Twickenham on 26 November and Wales in Cardiff on 3 December.

Wallabies squad – Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Pek Cowan, Dave Dennis, Anthony Faingaa, Will Genia, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Rob Horne, James Horwill (c), Digby Ioane, Ben Lucas, Salesi Ma’afu, Ben McCalman, Stephen Moore, James O’Connor, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tatafu Polota Nau, Radike Samo, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Ben Tapuai, Lachie Turner.

The Boks won three from five matches, with their most emphatic result a 21-11 win against England. In the other matches they beat Ireland by two points, Wales by four points and lost to Scotland and the Barbarians by four and six points respectively.

De Villiers, in the last 18 months, has won nine out of 20 Bok matches, but in a media statement he said progress had been made in the last month.

‘Losing to Scotland remains very disappointing, but it shouldn’t totally overshadow the progress we have made,’ said De Villiers. ‘We left a large number of senior players at home and many commentators didn’t give us much chance.

‘But we showed in our wins against Ireland, Wales and England that when we properly execute our gameplan we make it very hard for the opposition.

‘We dominated England and Ireland – for the first 60 minutes – and turned around our game against Wales with some great play in the second half. Those were hard games in sometimes difficult conditions against fresh and motivated teams.’

De Villiers, the statement released on Sunday, said that there were other valuable outcomes of the tour.

‘We have been able to blood some new players in Test match rugby as well as give some young players an exposure to the Springbok environment that’ll stand our rugby in good stead in 2011 and beyond. The pool of capped Springboks in serious contention for selection next year has been widened by this tour, while the hidden benefit is that we have more than a dozen senior players who weren’t on tour and who have had the advantage of an extended rest period.

‘I think the senior players on this tour – such as Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha – also ended the debate about whether it’s time to retire the over 30s, as some people wanted to: they led and performed in great style.

‘Our scrum has continued to improve on this tour and we held our own and had periods of dominance in a region where they take scrumming very seriously. Overall I think our first phases were very good.

‘We were also able to work on the way we want to play and we’re very clear on that within the group. We have South African strengths and we will play to them and when we keep hold of the ball as we plan, and execute our plans with accuracy a Springbok team is very hard to beat.’

De Villiers added that the defeat by Scotland remained bitterly disappointing as it denied the team the opportunity to complete South Africa’s first Grand Slam in half a century.

De Villiers said that the performance of a new combination in the defeat by the Barbarians in the final match of the tour had been hampered by lack of preparation time in snow-bound England.

‘Obviously losing any match in a Springbok jersey is very disappointing and frustrating but, in the circumstances, supporters can be proud of the character and application showed by the players,’ said de Villiers.

‘The Barbarian squad had several hundred more caps than our team, which had only five players with more than ten caps to their name. We made a bad start with individual errors and by conceding several penalties.

‘But once we got back to our structures and our first phases started working we put them under pressure and outscored them, 17-7, in the last hour of the match.’

It would be worth noting the Boks scored an intercept try in the second half and their final try after the hooter and that the Baabaas, true to tradition, have to give every player at least 15 minutes game time.

It is also worth noting that 10 of the Baabaas starting XV against the Boks are not the first choice starting regulars for their country and that four of the Baabaas starting pack had not played since then end of October.

And it is worth noting that the same Australian and New Zealand backline attack that scored 22 tries against the Boks in six Tri Nations matches scored three against the Boks within 30 minutes at Twickenham.

Not that it will be noted by those who are paid to make decisions in South African rugby because 60 percent is an acceptable pass rate.

Defeat doesn’t bother Div – Springbok coach Peter de Villiers says his players were tired and that he doesn’t mind conceding defeat to a Barbarians side packed with international players.

‘The Barbarians side was full of world stars mainly from Australia and New Zealand. There’s no disgrace in losing to a team of that quality at the end of a long, hard season,’ he said.

The Boks played poorly, far worse than the 26-20 scoreline suggests. De Villiers, however, said that there were plenty of positives to emerge from the performance.

‘Today [Saturday] we lost the game but we won a lot in other respects. It wasn’t a Test match but it was a test to see how good we really are with our youngsters and our depth. We are really very happy where we stand.’

De Villiers added that the Boks are well placed ahead of the World Cup next year. He doesn’t feel the shocking showing in the 2010 Tri-Nations and the loss to Scotland are signs of a team in decline.

‘As everyone has seen over the past few weeks on this tour of the Northern Hemisphere, we have many exciting young players coming through who could certainly push for a World Cup place. We still have 10 months to go before the start in New Zealand and so much can happen between now and then. The team is still developing and, hopefully, will improve considerably between now and then.

‘Our victory over England showed what this team is capable of doing when it has to. No one connected with South African rugby has ever doubted the real quality and natural skill and strength we have.’

BaaBaas thrilled with world champ scalp – Barbarians captain Matt Giteau was elated with the win over the Boks, and highlighted the difficulty of coming together just a few days before the game.

‘You don’t have much time to prepare with the Barbarians but we enjoyed it. It’s a tough week because you don’t have time to prepare but our forwards made a lot of yards and as a captain that’s all you can ask.

‘When a national side gets beaten by an invitation team that’s a very important game. It’s got huge relevance,’ he said.

The result will be sweet for Nick Mallett and Alan Solomons, the South African duo that orchestrated a win over the All Blacks in 2009. It was also a massive occasion for the two South Africans in black and white hoops, Anton van Zyl producing a match-winning display at the lineout and Quintin Geldenhuys scoring an important second-half try.

The Barbarians were expected to spurn conservative tactics and hold true to expansive traditions. While they lived up to their expansive billing, their tactics suggested beating the world champions was more important that putting on a show.

The win was forged on a powerful set-piece, with the BaaBaas bossing the scrums and disrupting the Bok lineout. Van Zyl and Chris Jack used their experience of the South African game to make some important turnovers, and were often assisted by the tourists’ lack of precision.

The Boks struggled to keep possession, and when they did build through the phases, unforced errors stalled their momentum. The BaaBaas punished them through some penetrative counter-attacks and used the boot cleverly to further fracture the Bok defence.

Defence has been a problem for the Boks in 2010, one the new players at Twickenham failed to rectify. Barbarians centres Ma’a Nonu and Adam Ashley-Cooper racked up the linebreaks, breezing through the South African midfield with frightening ease.

While the Barbarians were expansive, they played with a lot of structure. Their first try was the product of a clinical build-up, Will Genia slipping a neat inside ball to Drew Mitchell. Their next two scores were achieved from turnover ball, a wayward Bok lineout and a breakdown steal culminating in tries for the make-up team.

Surprisingly, they opted to shoot for goal when awarded a penalty in the dying minutes of the first half. James O’Connor pushed the attempt wide, but the decision to kick said a lot for the desire to win, especially since they were 19-3 ahead.

Some great anticipation by Odwa Ndungane got South Africa back into the contest, an intercept try and subsequent conversion reducing the deficit to nine. The momentum began to swing in the tourists’ favour, although a number of attacking opportunities were wasted through breakdown mistakes.

They brought a physical attitude to Twickenham, but missed the accuracy that destroyed England last week. They battled to train in the build-up to this fixture, and their performance reflected the fact. Francois Hougaard produced a determined individual showing, but neither he nor Elton Jantjies had much ball to work with.

As the clock wound down, the Boks grew more frantic. Beast Mtawarira boosted the scrum when he replaced a disappointing Coenie Oosthuizen in the second half, while the Boks found some parity at the lineout. But turnovers at the tackle point were exacerbated by rolling punts downfield. If there was a stat for metres conceded, the Boks would have conceded plenty.

In the 57th minute, Jantjies missed his second penalty attempt of the night, pushing a relatively simple shot wide. He also missed a tackle on Neemia Tialata, which allowed the All Blacks prop to set-up a try for the South African-born lock, who currently plays for Mallett’s Italy, Qunitin Geldenhuys. It proved to be the telling blow.

Bakkies Botha and Bandise Maku scored late tries, but the final scoreline flattered the visitors. The fact that they missed four kicks at goal shouldn’t detract from the fact that they played poorly. The BaaBaas deserved to win, and even more disappointingly, little was learned about the fringe Boks in a match that was meant to serve as a great opportunity before a World Cup year.

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BaaBaas wary of Baby Boks – Barbarians coach Nick Mallett feels the young South African players entrusted with a starting responsibility at Twickenham this Saturday will be dangerous.

‘At the end of a long season, they [the Bok selectors] have taken the chance to have a look at some new faces. The England game completely turned around the South Africans’ tour after narrow wins to Ireland and Wales and the defeat to Scotland.

‘It would have been a poor tour if they’d lost to England, but now they’ve done the right thing by resting most of their big names.’

Mallett added that the fringe players will present their own unique threat. The fact that World Cup squad places are up for grabs will serve as further motivation.

‘Players like Willem Alberts, who is a really powerful guy and a very good ball-carrier, can make a further case for inclusion in that World Cup squad. Can the little wing, Lwazi Mvovo, confirm his good start at this level? For sure he’s got a lot of pace.

‘It will be interesting to see how new boys like Andries Strauss and Elton Jantjies cope at this level. These guys should be focused because there’s a lot to play for.’

Bakkies promises fierce showing – While the Test season has reached its conclusion, Bakkies Botha will still have a job to do this Saturday. The Bok lock aims to treat the exhibition game as a Test match.

‘If I am representing South Africa it means I am prepared to put my body on the line. I am as proud to play for the Springboks now as I was when I won my first cap all those years ago.

‘A lot has happened since then, but just putting on the jersey puts a smile on my face. That will be the case against the Barbarians. I will smile but I will also be very serious. That’s because I know the Barbarians forwards will be very pumped up to beat us.’

Botha will be joined by Alistair Hargreaves in the second row, and together they’ll face off against All Blacks’ lock Chris Jack and Stormers’ second row Anton van Zyl.

‘In Chris Jack and Anton Van Zyl they have two guys in the second row who know their business well. It will be a very good battle in the line-outs and all over the field. But the main thing is we win again, and end our season on another good note. Beating England has given everyone a big lift again and the guys just want to get out there and play.’

England beat Australia recently while Scotland shocked South Africa, but it’s been clear that southern-hemisphere rugby is streets ahead of the style embraced up north. Mallett, a former Bok coach who now coaches Italy, said the north has got a lot of catching up to do.

‘Even your international teams would struggle to beat the top four sides in Super 14 rugby,’ Mallett said. ‘There are far too many average games in northern-hemisphere rugby. You can lower your guard in any of the domestic games and even in the Heineken Cup.

‘There isn’t the same speed, intensity, precision of execution demanded as in the Super 14. There is no easy game in the Super 14 and the fact that they have to play over three months against high-quality teams every week, with perhaps seven or eight internationals in them, demands a really good effort just to win a game.

‘Okay, if you reach the semi-final of the Heineken Cup and have a match like Toulouse vs Munster, that starts getting up to that Super 14 level. But too many games aren’t at that standard at all.’

Mallett added that the top Super Rugby sides would run the European unions close should a fixture ever be organised.

‘A good Sharks or Stormers side would give a really good game to Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland or France. I’m not saying they would automatically beat them, but it would be a bloody close game. There is not a lot of difference between a well-drilled Super 14 side in the top four and the northern-hemisphere Test teams.’

Coach Peter de Villiers stuck with Morne Steyn at flyhalf for the four Tests, using Lambie sporadically as a substitute. You’d think he was grooming Lambie for a starting opportunity, and that if the youngster didn’t start against Scotland, he’d front the Barbarians.

But instead of using this opportunity to give Lambie an extended chance at No 10, he’s moved the Sharks prodigy to fullback and brought Jantjies in as a starting flyhalf. Starting Lambie at 10 may have been the safer bet given Andries Strauss in his 12 at the Sharks. And given his lack of game time, Jantjies will come in cold.

De Villiers, however, doesn’t see it as a problem.

‘They are exciting talents and this way they both get maximum opportunity in the match,’ said De Villiers. ‘But I’ve stressed to them and to all of the team that this match is not about personal performance but about performing as a team – if they do that they will all be successful.’

Strauss is rushed into the side despite his late arrival in London on Wednesday. It’s strange that De Villiers would make such a late call-up given the centre position was always going to be problematic. It’s a delayed move that suggests that if Zane Kirchner was fit, he may have worn the No 13 jersey for a second time on this tour.

De Villiers said he expects the BaaBaas to target the Boks’ backline.

‘The Barbarians have brought together a very exciting team that is definitely made to play rugby in the traditional Barbarian style,’ said De Villiers. ‘Nick [Mallett, Barbarians coach] will have taken note of what is an untried backline combination and there’s no doubt he’ll be focusing his attention there.

‘But Juan Smith [Springbok captain] and the players are determined to maintain the improvements of this tour and this game is set to be a fascinating contest.’

Bulls prop Werner Kruger has also been called up for this game and will play off the bench. Bismarck du Plessis was not considered, as the Bok management feels he needs a break.

Springboks – 15-Patrick Lambie; 14-Odwa Ndungane, 13-Adi Jacobs, 12-Andries Strauss, 11-Lwazi Mvovo; 10-Elton Jantjies, 9-Francois Hougaard; 8-Ryan Kankowski, 7-Juan Smith (c), 6-Willem Alberts, 5-Alistair Hargreaves, 4-Bakkies Botha, 3-CJ van der Linde, 2-Adriaan Strauss, 1-Coenie Oosthuizen.
Subs: 16-Bandise Maku, 17-Tendai Mtawarira, 18-Werner Kruger, 19-Flip van der Merwe, 20-Keegan Daniel, 21-Charl McLeod, 22-Gio Aplon.

Strauss jets in for Kirchner – Zane Kirchner has been ruled out of Saturday’s game at Twickenham and will be replaced by Sharks centre Andries Strauss.

Kirchner suffered a concussion and a mild elbow sprain in the 21-11 victory over England. Peter de Villiers said the injury presents an opportunity to bring another centre into the squad.

‘We have alternatives for fullback in the squad in Gio Aplon and Patrick Lambie but are short on centres,’ said De Villiers. ‘Andries had a great Currie Cup season for the Sharks and has played his way to this opportunity.’

The match 22 will be named on Wednesday.

Mallet questions management of Lambie – Nick Mallett says Pat Lambie should have been given a starting opportunity in the Tests if the Bok management wanted to truly test his aptitude for top-flight rugby.

The former Bok coach, who is coaching the Barbarians in the build-up to the one-off against South Africa, said Lambie is a rare talent, and needs opportunities.

‘Lambie had an outstanding Currie Cup final, but his forwards played a big role in that,’ he said. ‘The one try that he scored – the show and go, going by himself and handing off Schalk Burger was great flyhalf play.

‘They were clearly tempted to start him [in the Tests]. He was under a lot of pressure because the game is often still in the balance when you come on with about 20 minutes to go. You can’t weigh up a player’s worth in the last 20 minutes of a game.’

Mallett added that Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies is another great prospect.

‘I have seen Jantjies play in the Currie Cup. The way he attacks is very dangerous. He is an elusive flyhalf. Obviously there is a question about size and how he will defend that channel, but it’s actually your system that determines how good your defence is.

‘If he understands the system and his role in it, there is no reason that he cannot do very well.’

Giteau leads BaaBaas – Matt Giteau will captain the Barbarians in Saturday’s game against South Africa.

Giteau lines up at flyhalf in a backline that includes five Wallabies. Joe Rokocoko and Ma’a Nonu fill the remaining slots of what looks a potent unit.

Coach Nick Mallett has opted for the uncapped Colin Bourke at No 8 while Rodney So’oialo will pack down at No 6. Stormers lock Anton van Zyl is the other uncapped player in the starting side, while Welshman Martyn Williams and Italian Salvatore Perugini are the northern hemisphere representatives.

Barbarians - 15 James O’Connor, 14 Joe Rococoko, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau (c), 9 Will Genia, 8 Colin Bourke, 7 Martyn Williams, 6 Rodney So’oialo, 5 Chris Jack, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Salvatore Perugini.
Subs: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Yapp, 18 Quintin Geldenhuys, 19 Daniel Braid, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Seru Rabeni

Assistants not safe – While Peter de Villiers has been guaranteed a ticket to the 2011 World Cup, assistant coaches Gary Gold and Dick Muir may be replaced before next season.

According to The Times, Saru has made the budget available to pay off Muir and Gold for the remainder of their contracts from money saved by not having to pay team bonuses for five defeats in the Tri-Nations.

The decision to fire the assistants, however, still rests with De Villiers.

Gold could hardly be accused of failing in his job as forwards coach on the current tour. The set-pieces have been better, and last week’s victory against England was down to the might and accuracy of the pack.

The backline on the other hand has failed to produce, and backline coach Muir could be the man to get the sack.

The coaching team will be up for review after the tour, but Saru president Regan Hoskins has already said that De Villiers’ job is safe.

Andy Marinos, the Saru manager for national teams said these media reports, the latest in a series of allegations regarding the future of members of the Springbok management, are all untrue. Marinos also said there are no plans to form a technical committee to aid De Villiers in his World Cup quest.

Div happy with playing style – Peter de Villiers says the Springboks will utilise the same playing style that saw them beat England at next year’s World Cup.

‘I think we played a style of rugby alien to South African rugby in the Tri-Nations. We should not move away from our traditions,’ he said. ‘People do not want us to play like South Africans because they fear us. That is perhaps one of the biggest lessons we have learned.

‘It’s true that we don’t back ourselves enough. We did not play differently from the way we did against Ireland, Wales and Scotland. However, there was purpose in the way we took the ball up and defended against England. That is why I’m excited about the World Cup.’

De Villiers admitted there is plenty to do before next season. The Boks lost to Scotland, a team the All Blacks thumped the week before. There are a number of differences between the two sides, but arguably the biggest difference is that when the All Blacks come up against a minnow side, they punish them severely.

‘The one thing the All Blacks have got right is to pile up the points against teams that are not that strong. We prepare in our minds for a specific team and don’t give them a proper hiding. It’s the South African mindset – just to want to do what is necessary to win.’

Last week, Peter de Villiers spoke about laying down a marker against the English. De Villiers said the Boks wanted to make a statement that would allow them to win, travel back to South Africa with a three-from-four record, and ultimately enjoy Christmas.

What followed at Twickenham was a great result, and yet the performance and subsequent press conference offerings left you largely underwhelmed. Can anybody in the South African rugby community really enjoy Christmas after such a dire international season?

Yes, the Boks were back to their bruising best at Twickenham, bossing the set-pieces and dominating the collisions with sadomasochistic enthusiasm. Yes, their tactical kicking was better and allowed them to dictate play, and yes, it was a fantastic response filled with courage and resolve after a humiliating defeat to Scotland.

But it wasn’t enough to suggest the Boks are, once again, world beaters.

They smashed England by sticking to a traditional game, a game that requires little imagination and relies on opposition mistakes. It’s a game plan that’s proved flawed in the last 12 months, and a game plan that’s failed to acknowledge the evolution of the sport.

The Boks are still in a pit. They can make it back to ground zero before the 2011 World Cup, but there’s not much to suggest they’ll challenge the teams that embrace a total game. Under current management, ground zero may be their ceiling.

They finished the 2009 Tri-Nations at the zenith of world rugby, but the end-of-year tour marked the start of a decline. The physical hammering they endured in Toulouse and Dublin was replicated in the 2010 Tri-Nations. The Boks failed to adapt to the new law interpretations and adjust their tactics accordingly, and they paid a terrible price.

Whenever they’re met head on in the physical stakes, no amount of guts, pride or any other intangible can guarantee a win. The Bok were manhandled in Auckland, Wellington and Brisbane. They countered the All Blacks well in Soweto, but didn’t have the necessary class or variation to hurt their opponents where it mattered.

In each case, the opposition was better on the day, but it’s become a simple formula that seems to have no counter. If you can beat the Boks up physically, you’re likely to pick up a win.

England couldn’t produce the grit required to unsettle the Boks last Saturday, and so the visitors’ approach proved successful. Victor Matfield said in the aftermath that the performance proved that the Boks don’t need to copy other teams. It was a frightening admission of what is a lack of ambition within the South African set-up.

Peter de Villiers will survive the axe despite the abomination against Scotland, but there is a move to install a technical committee that will assist with rugby decisions. While the Boks’ kick-chase approach does still have value, the team needs to recognise the need for alternative strategies, and select players capable of switching between styles.

The All Blacks have been hailed for their running game in 2010, when in truth they have struck a balance between the conservative and attacking. They kicked more than any other team in the Tri-Nations, and they also finished with the best try-scoring stats.

They were aggressive in the forward exchanges, and took that dominance on their successful Grand Slam tour. They’re playing a total game, one that every team should be looking to replicate.

Unfortunately, the Boks are running out of time to get their house in order. De Villiers blew a series of opportunities on this tour, neglecting to trust Pat Lambie in a starting flyhalf capacity. Lambie displayed his tactical versatility in the Sharks’ successful Currie Cup campaign, and deserved an extended chance to ignite the Bok backline.

He’ll have very few opportunities in 2011. The Boks play four Tri-Nations Tests, two of which will exclude the frontline players as they rest up before the World Cup. It’s a shame that there hasn’t been the foresight to play Lambie behind the strongest Bok pack, and develop a game plan that allows for variation. Twickenham was a triumph in isolation, and shouldn’t hide the fact that the Boks are a limited force that refuses to evolve.

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The result caps off a mixed month for the Irish, but in terms of performance, they’ve showed a steady albeit uninspiring improvement.

After a diabolical display against the Springboks, they picked up a scratchy win over Samoa, and then tested the All Blacks with a determined but ultimately insufficient effort. Their first-half performance against Argentina was encouraging, although their consistency left a lot to be desired.

Ireland showed some resilience in the first 10 minutes when Argentina enjoyed terrific momentum through the rolling maul and scrum. Ireland conceded several penalties in the red zone as the Pumas attempted to scrum the ball over tryline. When they eventually secured the turnover, it signalled a shift in the game’s momentum.

While the Pumas started strongly at the scrum, their form in this discipline waned. Their lineouts were erratic, and Ireland’s aggressive defence at the breakdown ensured Argentina’s attack stuttered rather than surged. The Pumas’ backs were indecisive with ball in hand, but they had very little space to work with.

Jonny Sexton was in fantastic kicking form for the hosts, scoring 17 points in all. By contrast, Felipe Contepomi missed three shots at goal, and Argentina also failed to sink two drop-goal attempts.

With the momentum provided by the pack, the Irish runners produced several good touches. Stephen Ferris rounded off some sparkling interplay between forwards and backs in the 21st minute.

But just as they thrilled when they clicked, they frustrated when they misfired. Several opportunities went begging in the second stanza, and a more clinical display may have yielded even more points.

Both teams were guilty of fundamental errors and poor tactical kicking, while Ireland’s decision to kick rather retain possession often proved counterproductive. While their forward play was better, they still looked a side struggling for synergy.

The All Blacks never looked so poor this season. Wing Isaia Toeva and replacement prop John Afoa’s late tries complemented the score line, but Wales were only trailing 23-18 in the 60th minute as they were within touch for most parts of the match. But in the end, Graham Henry’s men got the job done and secured the Grand Slam, a feat the All Blacks have only achieved three times before (1978, 2005 and 2008).

The All Blacks enjoyed most of the possession, especially in the first half, but they weren’t clinical and lacked the attacking prowess they have shown whole year. On defence, they were below average and if Wales didn’t miss their try-scoring opportunities, which they should’ve converted, the visitors could’ve easily found themselves behind. Against a more composed team, they could’ve lost this one.

Pivot Dan Carter also had a poor performance with the boot. Despite breaking Jonny Wilkinson’s record for most Test points with a penalty in the eighth minute, he missed four of his nine kicks on the night.

However, the All Blacks made up for their own mistakes by capitalising on the home team’s errors. When Wales had ascendancy, their silly errors gifted the All Blacks scoring opportunities. Wales were also woeful on defence and the All Blacks found holes in their defensive lines as early as the fourth minute.

After Jones kicked an early penalty, inside centre Sonny Bill William’s sparked a chance with his trademark offload to Toeava and the latter passed to wing Hosea Gear, who dived in at the corner. Carter then added a penalty before setting up fullback Mils Muliaina, who slipped two tackles for an easy 40m run to the try line.

If Carter converted all of his kicks in the first half, the All Blacks would’ve been up 23-9 at break, but they only led 13-9 as the flyhalf only found the target once out of five attempts and Jones punished his opposite number’s inaccuracy with two penalties before half time.

Wales came out blazing after the restart and put the All Blacks were under pressure. This saw replacement flanker Daniel Braid sin binned in the 50-minute for frequent infringements at breakdown. Jones converted the resulting penalty to make it a one-point game.

Wales failed to take advantage with the All Blacks down to 14 men. Instead, the New Zealanders were allowed to build on their lead. Jones failed to find touch from a penalty inside his red zone and Gear completed his brace moments later. Carter and Jones then traded penalties before Braid returned with the All Blacks 23-18 ahead.

In the last quarter, the All Blacks went up a gear and sealed the win with Toeava and Afoa’s late scores. Wales managed a consolation try as fullback Lee Byrne touched down in the last minute of play.

The All Blacks will rue their loss to Australia in Hong Kong as it spoilt what would’ve been a perfect season. An undefeated Tri-Nations run followed by a successful Grand Slam tour – Graham Henry’s charges are in perfect form ahead of a big season next year that sees them host the World Cup in September. 2010 was their year. If they continue this momentum, 2011 could be theirs too.

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This was undoubtedly Australia’s best performance on tour, possibly even their best of the year. They scored seven tries to one, dominating every facet of play except the scrum. Ultimately their set phase failings weren’t terminal.

By the end of the match they were scoring for fun, like a group of professionals playing a French D3 outfit. It was embarrassing to watch a Test Nation of France’s calibre being schooled like they were. But oh did the Wallabies enjoy it.

Just 10 months from the World Cup France have some massive decisions to make about their coaching staff. The Wallabies, however, showed why so many rate them as serious contenders at the showpiece event in New Zealand. Consistency will be their greatest challenge.

The match shaped early as a battle of two contrasting attacking styles – the Wallabies seeking to strike with the rapier, while France brought a bludgeon to battle. Certainly the tourists were the more dexterous, consistently exposing structural flaws in France’s defence by patiently punching up through phases, then spreading the play to their outside backs, who always looked to have an edge over their counterparts.

The Wallabies were also potent from first phase, and their opening try – where James O’Connor sliced through the defensive line and offloaded to Adam Ashley-Cooper to score – suggested they were in the mood to thrill.

Equally they fronted brutally and accurately on defence, shooting off the line and cutting down the space and time of France’s primary strike runners, rendering the likes of Sebastien Chabal and Thierry Dusautoir anonymous. France looked decidedly clueless in the face of that incessant pressure, and were consigned to lateral, rudderless attacks.

However, they had clearly targeted the Wallabies’ scrum and became a seething, insatiable beast when packing down. Morgan Parra and O’Connor had traded penalties before a period of sustained scrum pressure that saw Wallabies tighthead Ben Alexander being manhandled. Five resets later Alexander was watching from the wood and Parra was converting a penalty try to level the scores at 13-all going down the tunnel.

The Wallabies had been the better side despite what the scoreline indicated, and the directive from coach Robbie Deans would surely have been to continue to trust their structured, multi-phase approach. If they could minimise the number of scrums in their red zone, they would have been confident of a victory as France had offered little resistance in defence and no threat in open play.

Replacement prop Benn Robinson (on for Alexander) did more than the holding job he had been deployed to do when he rounded off a 12-phase move, and Will Genia struck two minutes later to put the Wallabies in a commanding position. O’Connor banked both conversions then kicked a penalty for a 30-16 lead with 20 minutes to play.

France became increasingly disjointed on attack. This suited Wallabies openside flank David Pocock, who hunted down isolated Frenchmen with consummate skill. The Tricolores had no rebuttal to the Wallabies’ organised and physical defence, and their efforts to guard their tryline were capitulating rapidly, evident when a simple backline move culminated in Drew Mitchell scoring. O’Connor’s conversion took the tally to 40 points.

Mitchell’s brace followed shortly thereafter when he collected a deft Ashley-Cooper grubber and he grabbed his hat-trick only a minute later. O’Connor’s conversions ensured a record defeat for France versus Australia. Fittingly O’Connor, excellent all evening, ended France’s misery with a last minute try that elicited widespread jeering from the home crowd who had just witnessed a culling of immense proportions.

Samoa looked set to humble Andy Robinson’s charges, who beat the world champion Springboks at Murrayfield last weekend. However, Jackson kept his nerve to secure the result.

Flyhalf Dan Parks kicked two penalties a conversion and drop-goal, while Nikki Walker crossed the chalk for the hosts.

Kahn Fotuali’i scored for Samoa and Paul Williams banked three penalties to keep them in contention. However, his side’s ill-discipline cost them dearly throughout the match, never more so when Jackson landed the match-winner in the dying minutes.

With Fiji 16-9 ahead at half-time, it looked like Italy were going to suffer a winless November Test series as they had lost their two previous games against Argentina and Australia. However, Nick Mallett’s charges managed to turn things around in the second half as they dominated proceedings to keep Fiji scoreless while wing Mirco Bergamasco kicked five penalties to secure victory.

Fiji were the better team in the first half. They had Italy on the back foot in the opening minutes and went ahead after hooker Talemaitoga Taupati crossed the chalk in the ninth minute. Flyhalf Seremaia Bai added the extras.

Both teams were guilty of ill-discipline which saw Bai and Bergamasco trade penalties for the rest of the first stanza. The last points came from Bai’s boot after tighthead prop Martin Castrogiovanni received a yellow card for frequent infringements at the breakdown.

With a man down, Italy did well to restrict the visitors after the break and when Castrogiovanni returned to the field, the hosts gained ascendancy. Fiji were hammered at the scrum and breakdown as Bergamasco added 15 points to the nine he scored in the first half to seal the win.

Weather won’t stop Test – The Rugby Football Union has said Saturday’s Test at Twickenham will go ahead despite sub-zero temperatures.

‘Covers are being placed over the playing surface at Twickenham Stadium, which will ensure that it remains in excellent condition,’ the RFU said in a statement. The temperature is forecast to drop as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius.

Squad declared dope free – The Springboks tested after the recent match against Scotland have shown no signs of banned stimulants.

‘The samples collected during those target tests were analysed by a laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency,’ Six Nations Rugby said in a statement. ‘The laboratory informed Six Nations Rugby that none of the samples collected at the Scotland v South Africa match returned a positive result.’

Meanwhile, there has been no official word on the futures of banned Boks, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson, but rumours suggest the pair could be back in the rugby fold in the 2011 Super Rugby tournament.

Boks are missing genuine fetcher – All Blacks legend Zinzan Brooke says South Africa are hampered by the absence of a specialist openside flanker.

‘There is no-one like Richie McCaw in South Africa’s loose trio. Australia has David Pocock and England has Lewis Moody. South Africa doesn’t have a top openside flanker who can make his mark in contact situations on tour,’ Brooke told Die Burger.

Brooke suggested the Boks had missed a trick by leaving a player of Francois Louw’s talents at home. Heinrich Brussow and Schalk Burger are also unavailable because of injury.

‘Pocock offers the Aussies a good counterpart for McCaw. South Africa has the players but they aren’t on tour.’

Lawes keen on forward scrap – Coach Martin Johnson has favoured the 21-year-old Courtney Lawes over Lions hardman Simon Shaw. Despite his lack of experience, the youngster believes there’s nothing Bok enforcers like Bakkies Botha can do to intimidate or goad him this weekend.

‘What’s he going to do, have a fist fight there and then? I do like a bit of a scuffle now and again, but I’ve never thrown a punch. I’ll get my shots legally. I’m not fussed by any attempts to wind me up. I don’t get rattled,’ he told The Telegraph.

‘They might like to throw their weight around but I’m not scared. I’ve never taken a backward step. And even against bigger blokes, even if you know you’re going to go backwards, I’ll still throw myself in there.

‘We need to show that we’re here and going out to win the game from the first contact. We need to set the tempo and theme for the game.’

Carter plays down record – Dan Carter says that becoming rugby’s all-time leading points scorer is second to his ambition to take New Zealand to a Grand Slam. The All Blacks have breezed past England, Scotland and Ireland thus far, and a win against Wales will give them a home unions clean sweep.

‘It’s about putting the team first and doing my job to better the team and win the Grand Slam,’ Carter said. ‘That is more important than any record I can achieve.

‘If we score four tries and I miss the kicks but we still win I will be happy, although actually I’d be pretty annoyed if I missed four kicks.’

Carter requires just three points to surpass Jonny Wilkinson’s world record of 1,178.

‘I am not big on records but this is something very special and if I get the three points and get that record I will be very proud.’

‘Defence key to French victory’ – Matt Burke says blunting France’s halfback pair will be crucial to Australia’s cause.

The former Wallabies fullback identified Morgan Parra and Damien Traille as the key men at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald Burke said: ‘The French have a classic unpredictability about them. There will be moments on the field when they keep it tight and rumble their way upfield through the forwards.

‘Then, without warning, they will break and shift the ball when, by traditional thinking, it shouldn’t be allowed to do so. They see something and go for it. They possess structure to their game to get around the park, but many of their players have an innate penchant for having a go whenever they desire.

‘What lies in store for the Wallabies? If their defence is off at all, it will be a long night. Should they look after defence and trust their system, it will go a long way towards stifling the French attack.

‘The first point of call is the scrum. Halfback Morgan Parra will be the man to target. He is sharp around the base of the scrum, controls the rucks and mauls very much like Will Genia, but he will have a dart himself if given the chance.

‘Another is France’s decision to settle with Damien Traille at 10. He is a big man who has played nearly everywhere in the back line, and controls the game well. Dominant teams call for a dominant five-eighth, and Traille is proving adept.’

Burke also predicted that France would target the 10-12 channel. ‘Predictably, traffic will be directed at Quade Cooper and Berrick Barnes. Runners will be lining up outside Trialle to make the advantage line. Sebastien Chabal, Julien Bonnaire and the captain Thierry Dusautoir – all powerful runners – will target that channel and try to make inroads,’ he said.

‘Yours truly has played against Chabal, aka ”the Caveman” in the British premiership and, yes, he is as difficult to bring down as you would imagine. Is there a way of stopping him? You have to meet him nearly the same time as he gets the ball to cut down his time and space. The difficult thing is that he has speed, strength and great body height on contact, and gains momentum from that.’

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