Australia squueze past Springboks

Australia kick-started their Tri-Nations campaign with a 16-9 victory over South Africa at Subiaco Oval.

The Wallabies triumphed by two tries to nil from Stirling Mortlock and Lote Tuqiri to join the Springboks and New Zealand on one win apiece in the early stages of the competition.

Australia held a narrow 5-3 lead at the break and maintained their advantage throughout the second period, but it took a last-minute drop goal from Berrick Barnes to finally kill off the South African challenge.

Rocky Elsom, Lote Tuqiri and Peter Hynes were the stand-out performers for the Wallabies in front of a crowd of 41,838, with Elsom getting the nod for man of the match.

The first half try came from Tuqiri after a terrific team set-up from a line out, with captain Stirling Mortlock carrying three Springboks on his back to score the only try of the second half.

He soon went off with concussion after a knock to the head, leaving George Smith to take over the captaincy and lead the team to victory as he became the most capped Wallabies forward of all time.

The Springboks were well led by Juan Smith and Jean de Villiers, but the lack of a try on their last Tri-Nations Test of this trip was costly.

Two penalties from Francois Steyn and one from Butch James still left them seven points short.

The Wallabies scored the only try of the first half when a line-out fell into the arms of Smith who was waiting out back and after terrific passes from Elsom, Nathan Sharp, Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tuqiri crossed in the corner.