Fourie's four-week ban rubs salt into South Africa's wounds

RUGBY TRI-NATIONS: Australia 30 South Africa 13:SPRINGBOK JAQUE Fourie has been banned for four weeks for a dangerous tackle in Saturday's defeat to Australia, dealing another blow to South Africa's defence of their Tri-Nations title. The outside centre will miss two domestic Curry Cup matches and their third Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand on August 21st after being cited for the spear tackle on Wallabies' number eight Richard Brown in the third minute of the Brisbane match.

Fourie was yellow carded for the offence as the world champions fell to their third defeat in three Tri-Nations matches. Australia outhalf Quade Cooper was also cited for a dangerous tackle and was handed a two-week ban.

Australia’s Matt Giteau kicked four of his five penalties before a Drew Mitchell try before half-time put the hosts 17-3 ahead.

The Springboks, who had Jaque Fourie and BJ Botha sin-binned, mounted a final-quarter fightback with tries from Fourie and Gurthro Steenkamp. But the Wallabies held their nerve and a late try from Will Genia put the seal on a solid opening to their campaign.

They move on to face unbeaten New Zealand in the first of this year’s Bledisloe Cup fixtures in Melbourne next Saturday.

The Springboks saw yellow as early as the third minute when Fourie was sin-binned for that dangerous tackle on Brown.

It seemed as if the visitors would survive not conceding in the 10 minutes that Fourie was off, but with the centre about to return to action the Springboks were penalised at ruck and Giteau landed the penalty from 45 metres.

But within a couple of minutes South Africa were awarded their own penalty which Steyn fired over from 40 metres.

Peter de Villiers side once again lost their composure. First winger Bryan Habana was caught offside to allow Giteau to land a second penalty from near the right touchline to give the Wallabies a 6-3 lead, before the Brumbies player took his tally to 12 with two more efforts.

Until then South Africa had gone closest to scoring a try when Australia flanker David Pocock produced a brilliant tackle to bring down Habana short of the line.

A minute from the break, Rocky Elsom stole ball at a Springboks lineout and stormed into the Boks’ 22. The ball eventually found it’s way to Giteau, who popped up a pass to Drew Mitchell, who juggled the ball several times before touching down.

With Australia 17-3 ahead, the Springboks knew they had to come out and score early in order for the momentum to swing their way, but openside flanker Ryan Kankowski played the ball off his feet. Giteau, who missed the earlier conversion, made it five out of five penalties.

Worse was to follow when Botha was shown yellow for slowing down the ball in the tackle. Giteau was on target again to extend his side’s lead to 23-3.

The numbers were then evened up when Cooper was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Steyn.

With Botha back on, the Springboks made the most of their man advantage when Ruan Pienaar elected to tap and go, finding captain John Smit who in turn found Fourie, who pirouetted out of two tackles to force his way over.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, the Springboks went over again after they drove from a Victor Matfield lineout take, the huge figure of prop Steenkamp going over. But the fightback was snuffed out five minutes from time by scrumhalf Genia, who darted over from the base of a ruck to seal victory.

AUSTRALIA: Ashley-Cooper, OConnor, Horne, Giteau, Mitchell, Cooper, Genia, Robinson, Faingaa, Ma'afu, Mumm, Sharpe, Elsom, Pocock, Brown. Replacements: Moore (for Faingaa, 55), Slipper (for Robinson, 58), Simmons, McCalman, Burgess, Barnes (for Giteau, 72), Beale. Sin-bin: Cooper (54)

SOUTH AFRICA: Kirchner, Aplon, Fourie, Olivier, Habana, Steyn, Pienaar; Steenkamp, Smit (captain), Botha, Rossouw, Matfield, Burger, Kankowski, Spies. Replacements: Ralepelle (for Smit, 73), Van der Linde, Van der Merwe, Potgieter, Hougaard (for Pienaar, 73), James (for Steyn, 54), De Jongh (for Olivier, 54). Sin-bin: Fourie (3), BJ Botha (46).

Referee: G Clancy (Ireland).