sundayterritorian.com.au SPORT Wallabies clean sweep

WALLABIES 20 RUGBY UNION lead with six minutes left on The biggest rugby crowd a try to No. 8 Ryan Jones. front again, Horne’s try was the clock. ever seen at Allianz Stadium The Wallabies hit back al- crucial as the Wallabies re- WALES 19 IT WASN’T pretty, but the A fourth penalty kick from of 42,889 turned out on a most immediately, with mained undefeated against Wallabies secured a clean- Wales fullback Leigh Half- beautiful afternoon, but both centre Rob Horne the sole try- the Red Dragons in their past AUSTRALIA: Rob Horne try; sweep of the three-Test penny in the 70th minute put sides failed to take advantage scorer for Australia for the seven encounters. 5 pen rugby series against Wales the tourists up 19-17 but, like of the conditions in a second straight week. Returning Wallabies full- WALES: Ryan Jones try; with a tense 20-19 win in in Melbourne last week, Aust- stop-start, mistake-riddled Horne somehow held on to back showed Leigh Halfpenny con, 4 pen yesterday. ralia didn’t give up. performance. the ball to ground it, despite the effects of weeks on the Crowd: 42,889 at Allianz It was Australia’s second It was new dad Barnes’ turn After penalty goals were the attention of Jonathan sidelines, struggling with his Stadium in Sydney get-out-of-jail performance in to shine, as the NSW five- traded in the first half, the Davies who looked like he’d execution throughout. as many weeks, with five- eighth potted a tricky penalty match didn’t come alive until forced a mistake with a last- Australia led 12-9 at half- Referee: Craig Joubert (Rsa) eighth Berrick Barnes only from out wide to cap a man-of- the final 20 minutes, when ditch tackle. time after Barnes and Half- kicking the home side to the the-match performance. Wales took a 16-12 lead with Although Wales got back in penny traded penalty kicks.

Scotland edge Samoa

SCOTLAND’S Greig Laid- law converted a try by debuting flanker Rob Harley a minute from full- time to give the visitors a 17-16 win over Samoa yester- day and a clean sweep of matches on their southern hemisphere tour. Samoa seemed headed for its first win over Scotland when five-eighth Tusi Pisi, who provided all of his team’s points, scored a 61st minute try for a 16-10 lead. Scotland, who had pre- viously beaten Australia 9-6 and Fiji 37-25, applied pres- sure but were denied by a tenacious defence until the last play of the game. The Scots chose to tap and run a penalty near the Samoa goal-line and flyhalf Mike Blair ran wide before turning the ball back to Harley who scored near the posts.

Fiji too good for Tonga

FIJI fullback Metuisela Talebula scored two tries and winger Maikeli Mocetadra grabbed a try on debut as the hosts beat Tonga 29-17 yesterday to clinch second place in Casuarina’s Alex MacDonald tries to fend off the fierce tackling of South Darwin in last night’s NTRU match at Warren Park Picture: MICHAEL FRANCHI rugby’s Pacific Nations Cup. Samoa had already won the four-nation tournament with an unbeaten record Cougars survive scare to win thriller over Rabbitohs before Fiji and Tonga clashed at Churchill Park. By IAN BUTTERWORTH their 46th successive game the left side, it looked to be NTRU — SCORES ‘‘We knew they would take But the match was still without tasting defeat. how far Casuarina. it up to us and that is what vigorously contested. IT took Casuarina Cougars The match was much an- Souths playing coach Tim CASUARINA 24 (E Ericsson, E Skein, M they did,’’ said a relieved Tonga five-eighth Kurt until injury time in the ticipated and, as a spectacle, Atkinson (halfback) and out- Weyers, S Batty tries; S Kober 2 con) d Kober after the game. Morath kicked three second half to put a spirited it was right off the top shelf. standing centre Lepani SOUTH DARWIN 17 (L Nabuliwaqa, T ‘‘The pressure was great Atkinson tries; L Nabuliwaqa 2 con, penalties in 10 minutes to South Darwin down in the The game began with Cou- Nabuliwaqa began to take Billy Burn pen). out there tonight and both give his team a 9-7 lead at NTRU clash of the season at gar strong men Eric Ericsson charge and the Rabbits hit DARWIN DRAGONS 44 d teams made some fundamen- half-time and veteran Warren Park last night. and George Kupu paving the back through a Nabuliwaqa UNIVERSITY 5. tal errors — but it gives winger Alaska Taufa scored Locked 17-17 after 81 min- way for utility back Matt try and conversion. the coaches something to a try to expand the lead to utes of play, Cougars scrum- Weyers to score the first try And when fullback Billy came and it was the coach work on.’’ 14-7 in the third minute of half Sam Batty became the after seven minutes of Burn slotted a penalty who led the way, scoring be- In the other match played the second half. hero of the night for the blue crunching defence from on the half-time hooter, the side the uprights. last night, Dragons skipped to Fiji then rallied with tries and white fans by scoring the both sides. teams went to the break Massive hooker Ericsson, third place on the ladder after to Seremaia Ureure, game-breaking five pointer. When Batty chipped at 10-10. repeated the dose for Cou- turning a 32-0 half-time lead Talebula and Mocetadra to When co-captain Shaun cleverly to the advantage of The message by Atkinson gars, and the scores remained into an eight-tries-to-one rout seal victory and second Kober added the extras, it his open-side flanker Eddie at the huddle was to relax and level for the next 30 minutes, over University, winning 44-5 place in the Cup. was 24-17 to Casuarina, and Skein to touch down wide on take the chances when they until the Batty try. at Rugby Park. Crocs, H4H end Top End season in grand style PUB: TOUCH FOOTBALL off when the two top-flight In the women’s grand final, 8-3 at the half-time break. for the team, joined de la Cruz flight best and fairest award. NTNE-WS-24-J57KGE:MDA-TE: Y-C-CO-LO-R: By GREGOR MACTAGGART teams couldn’t be split after Hoops 4 Health made amends De la Cruz was named in the better players’ list. Talented teenager Sophie 40 minutes of play. for last season’s shock loss in player of the final, but was Darwin Touch Association Armistead capped a dream CROCS secured back-to-back Crocs opened the extra the big one with a fine 14-4 among a number of H4H also recognised their leading campaign, taking out the Darwin Touch Professionals period with a bang, scoring win over Titans. players to shine in the biggest performers of the completed women’s division one best Cup men’s premierships with on their first set and Dodgers The presence of all-round game of the season. season with two of the NT’s and fairest award just after a thrilling 8-7 grand final win were unable to produce a talent Bo de la Cruz proved a Skipper Tamara Duggan, emerging talents winning she featured in Hoops 4 over Dodgers at Fannie Bay necessary reply. welcome boost for the minor young gun Justine Schmidt top honours. Health’s premiership. on Friday night. Crocs’ star Ryan Whyte was premiers, who seized control and Mel Turner, who bowed Dodgers young gun Justin The next season starts The decider went to a drop- named player of the final. of proceedings early and led out a winner in her last game Costello won the men’s top- in August. www.sundayterritorian.com.au Sunday, June 24, 2012. Sunday Territorian. 57