Australia inspired by Horan

The Australian Rugby Union made one of its better decisions recently when it decided to extend the contract of Tim Horan and prevent the Queenslander from earning his pension with Bob Dwyer's Bristol.

Horan seamlessly switched from centre to out-half in Brisbane on Saturday to orchestrate Australia's biggest win against the Springboks and put the Wallabies on top of the Tri-Nations table after the second weekend of the competition.

How Clive Woodward, who tried to solve his out-half drum recently by playing Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Catt there in the same match against the Australians, must have envied Horan's ability to give his side an attacking edge from No 10. And how Dwyer, the former Australia coach back in his homeland for his daughter's wedding, will regret that Horan will not be joining his moneybags multinational club.

There were worries that Horan might not have the range of kick to make it as an international outhalf. He solved that little problem by not kicking at all but instead running at the Springbok defence and using his exceptional strength and pace.

His try at the end of the first quarter set the tone for the match. The Australians won a series of rucks and the out-half's shimmy gave him the opportunity to batter over from 10 metres out.

The Wallabies' ability to recycle the ball and combine backs and forwards to move it at pace constantly outflanked the Springboks. A try from Matthew Burke before the interval and two from Joe Roff after it put the game beyond the Springboks.

If the millionaires reduced to hackers at Carnoustie thought they had had a bad week, spare a thought for the Springboks. In the space of eight days at Dunedin and Brisbane they have suffered the two worst defeats in their history and not scored a try.

A list of injuries that has made their dressing-room look like a MASH unit has not helped and the loss of their centre Pieter Muller with knee damage 14 minutes into the game added to their woes. "With an inexperienced team, injuries, youngsters, and players out of position you are on a hiding to nothing in the Tri-Nations," their coach Nick Mallett said.

But South Africa are a team in an alarming free fall. Their backs handled the ball as if they were playing pass the parcel. Once their ineptitude had been exposed they reverted to the Springbok style of old, attempting to batter their way through a resolute defence with their pack.

their pack. Mallett, who faces searching questions back home as the Springboks lick their wounds before their next game against New Zealand in Pretoria on August 7th, admitted the strength in depth does not exist in his country any more. More worryingly medical tests after the Super 12 competition showed that some Springbok players were not only mentally and physically exhausted, many were suffering from clinical depression.

Perhaps a month of travelling between South Africa, Cardiff, Dunedin and Brisbane has left a side that was the best in the world last year in permanent state of jet lag. Their journey home yesterday would have been a sombre one, whereas Australia travel to Auckland this week with their heads in the long white clouds.

Australia: Burke; Tune, Herbert, Grey, Roff; Horan, Gregan; Noriega, Paul (Kearns, 78min), Crowley (Panoho, 45), Welborn, Giffin, Cockbain (Connors, 60), Wilson (capt), Kefu (Strauss, 48).

South Africa: Mongomerie; Paulse (Rossouw, 60), Fleck (Van Hoesslin, 66), Muller (Kayser,14), Terblanche; Van Straaten, Swanepoel; Visagie, Drotske, Du Randt (Le Roux, 48, Meyer, 63), Otto, Boome, Erasmus (capt), Venter, Leonard.

Referee: P O'Brien (New Zealand).