Australia down South Africa 24-20 with last minute try
BRISBANE, Australia, July 18, 2015 (AFP) - Wallaby centre Tevita Kuridrani scored with the last play of the match to give Australia a dramatic 24-20 win over South Africa in their Rugby Championship match in Brisbane Saturday.
South Africa looked like they would hang on to win a pulsating Test match as the Wallabies threw everything at the tiring Springboks.
But with the 80 minutes of time up, the powerful Kuridrani crashed over in the arms of two Springbok defenders.
Referee Nigel Owen sent the decision to television match official Ben Skeen, who ruled Kuridrani had just managed to ground the ball.
The Wallabies had looked second best for three-quarters of the match as the South African forwards dominated their Australian counterparts.
The visitors led 20-10 with six minutes to go but the longer the match went the more dangerous the Wallabies looked.
Flanker Michael Hooper scored in the 75th minute to narrow the gap to three points before Kuridrani's heroics following Moore's decision to take a line-out rather than a kickable penalty that would have tied the match.
South Africa shaded the first half and opened the scoring with two Handre Pollard penalties.
The Wallabies struck back six minutes before the break from a brilliantly worked move from the line-out, which saw Matt Giteau playing first receiver and passing to Quade Cooper, who found Adam Ashley-Cooper on his inside, the right winger crossing for his 31st Test try. Cooper converted to make it 7-6 to the home side.
But four minutes later South Africa were back in front when Eben Etzebeth crashed over in the corner after Brian Habana climbed high over Israel Folau to tap the ball back to fullback Willie le Roux, who then found the towering Springbok lock who crashed over in the corner.
The Boks went further ahead four minutes after the restart when outside centre Jesse Kriel, playing his first Test, stormed onto the ball 20 metres out and beat three Australian defenders to score. Pollard's conversion made it 20-7 to the visitors.
Wallaby coach Michael Cheika brought on Queensland forwards Greg Holmes and James Horwill with 25 minutes to go, and the Australian pack began to gain the upper hand.