Mortlock full of praise for Wallaby heroes
Posted
Mortlock: 'All 22 guys showed great spirit and determination out there'. (Getty Images: David Rogers)
Captain Stirling Mortlock praised "spirited" Australia after Sunday morning's 27-15 victory over the Springboks, the Wallabies first win in South Africa in eight years.
The victory has taken Australia to within touching distance of Tri-Nations log leaders New Zealand, but Mortlock's men still have two games to play.
They face South Africa again next weekend in Johannesburg, before returning to Brisbane to take on New Zealand in Brisbane in what is shaping up to be a title-deciding match.
"All 22 guys showed great spirit and determination out there," said Mortlock after his side had run in three tries to the Boks' two.
Asked to compare the current Wallaby side to the one of 2000, when Mortlock struck a last-gasp penalty to record Australia's last win on these shores, the Australian captain said: "It's like chalk and cheese really.
"That side won every trophy it competed for, but this group of players is only in the beginning of the next phase for Australian rugby."
Coach Robbie Deans said he was happy with the result, if not the performance.
"We let them back into the game with two soft tries at the end, but then, I must say, we showed character and good composure to see it through.
"The big question now is whether we can back this up next week."
Meanwhile South Africa coach Peter de Villiers said he still backed his new plan that revolves around keeping ball in hand and allowing the players to play what is in front of them.
"We again created enough chances, but just didn't finish off. Our execution was again a disappointment," said De Villiers.
"The decision-making was also not there tonight, but I think it could be due to the fact many of the players are a bit flat. They're out on their feet after a long season. But we're on the right track."
Both De Villiers and captain Victor Matfield were booed off the field following television interviews afterwards - something both said was understandable.
"It's not nice to be booed", said De Villiers, "but we must live with it".
Matfield said: "We're world champions and we've lost two in a row, so it's understandable how the fans feel. But it doesn't make it acceptable - this is our job, our passion. We have to go and fix it."
The teams meet again this weekend sat Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
With just five points from five matches, South Africa will be playing for pride, while a second consecutive victory for Australia will see them go top of the log with one match to play, against New Zealand.
Duo cited
Meanwhile South Africa's prop CJ van der Linde and Australian flanker Rocky Elsom were cited after the match.
Van der Linde was penalised by New Zealand referee Lyndon Bray eight minutes into the match after he dived head first into an opponent in a reckless attempt to clear him from a ruck.
Elsom was penalised four minutes into the second half when he pulled Springbok captain Victor Matfield down in a line-out.
South Africa Rugby spokesman Andy Colquhoun said the pair had been summoned to a disciplinary hearing on Monday.
-AFP/Reuters
