A Classic Test!

Test rugby was once a dour tit-for-tat affair. Today's test was much closer to that mould than the festival rugby we often enjoy in the Southern hemisphere.

It was an exhausting game to watch as the Boks and Wallabies traded blows. Tactical appreciation was far more in evidence than during the Mandela Cup and the ball was kicked far more. But it seemed that the Boks believed they could win and never looked nervous when the Wallabies edged ahead.

It seemed that the Australians had done their homework this time and for some reason remembered that Monty was once suspect under the high ball. Indeed, the first two kicks he recieved were a disaster for the Boks - the first hit Montgomery on the head.

But as the Boks never panicked, neither did Monty and his return to strength seemed as natural as the Boks scoring when required.

The Boks turned it on with a well worked try where first Habana worked his hands above the tackle well, threw the pass to Montgomery who drew his opposition to put Breyton Paulse into space to score. It was typical of the South African fullback this season - he has worked to put his backline into space and kept the ball alive. Today both wings joined him and came off their positions to create attacking opportunities.

Valuable lessons were learnt today. The Boks did not look as well oiled with Fourie du Preez at scrumhalf and neither did the loose forwards look was menacing with the combination of Smith, Van Niekerk and Cronje. The difference was marked when Enrico Januarie and Schalk Burger came on.

If the Boks are going to give Gary Botha some game time, they will have to do better than making do with John Smit at loosehead. His move caused problems in the Bok scrum, allowing the Wallabies to create signficant pressure on the South African put in.

But today was an important match. It was one that the South Africans seemed to control, rather than run away with. Ultimately this is they poise that the Boks will need to demonstrate again if they are going to win the matches overseas - and against the All Blacks.