Boks leave Wallabies pondering on future

PERTH – A jubilant South Africa left Perth yesterday with a Tri-Nations clean sweep firmly in their sights, leaving behind a defeated Australian team which coach Eddie Jones hinted would need to begin rebuilding.

The Springboks, 22-19 victors at Subiaco Oval on Saturday, inflicted the fourth successive Test defeat on the Australians – the first time for almost 25 years a Wallaby team has endured such a fate. It also left them facing their first Tri-Nations rout, after losing all three of their matches to date and only the daunting prospect of a final game against New Zealand in Auckland two weeks from now to avoid such humiliation.Only New Zealand, in 1998, have lost all four matches in the series since it began in 1996.The Wallabies, plagued with injuries to key players going into the match, dominated play against South Africa to the extent that even Springbok coach Jake White conceded his opponents were unlucky to lose.”I am sure that they had to dig deep, those Australian players, it wasn’t through lack of commitment, it wasn’t through lack of trying,” he said.”They threw everything they could at us and we just got away with a win.But Jones, although pleased with the effort of his players, was not prepared to make excuses for the final result.When asked if he would start experimenting with the team for upcoming matches he said the World Cup in 2007 was a priority.”There is no doubt we have got to improve the side so the changes that we make have got to be in terms of (a) getting improvement in the side now and (b) looking towards 2007,” Jones said.”Certainly if we feel there are guys who will improve the side, or potentially improve the side in the future, ‘yes’, the answer to that is definitely ‘yes’.”Jones said his forwards had performed well and his backline against the Springboks were young players full of potential.The Australians had lost playmaker Stephen Larkham, winger Wendell Sailor, centre Stirling Mortlock and fullback Chris Latham from their backline through injury.Hooker Jeremy Paul was also ruled out while replacement flyhalf Elton Flatley was a last minute withdrawal after suffering blurred vision during the warm-up for the match.But stand-in fullback Drew Mitchell again distinguished himself as did incoming players Mat Rogers and Clyde Rathbone.The Springboks, victors in their last three Tests over Australia, flew to Sydney yesterday before heading to Dunedin today.The Springboks have 12 points from three wins but have not yet secured any bonus points which could prove decisive should they lose to New Zealand.- Nampa-AFPIt also left them facing their first Tri-Nations rout, after losing all three of their matches to date and only the daunting prospect of a final game against New Zealand in Auckland two weeks from now to avoid such humiliation.Only New Zealand, in 1998, have lost all four matches in the series since it began in 1996.The Wallabies, plagued with injuries to key players going into the match, dominated play against South Africa to the extent that even Springbok coach Jake White conceded his opponents were unlucky to lose.”I am sure that they had to dig deep, those Australian players, it wasn’t through lack of commitment, it wasn’t through lack of trying,” he said.”They threw everything they could at us and we just got away with a win.But Jones, although pleased with the effort of his players, was not prepared to make excuses for the final result.When asked if he would start experimenting with the team for upcoming matches he said the World Cup in 2007 was a priority.”There is no doubt we have got to improve the side so the changes that we make have got to be in terms of (a) getting improvement in the side now and (b) looking towards 2007,” Jones said.”Certainly if we feel there are guys who will improve the side, or potentially improve the side in the future, ‘yes’, the answer to that is definitely ‘yes’.”Jones said his forwards had performed well and his backline against the Springboks were young players full of potential.The Australians had lost playmaker Stephen Larkham, winger Wendell Sailor, centre Stirling Mortlock and fullback Chris Latham from their backline through injury.Hooker Jeremy Paul was also ruled out while replacement flyhalf Elton Flatley was a last minute withdrawal after suffering blurred vision during the warm-up for the match.But stand-in fullback Drew Mitchell again distinguished himself as did incoming players Mat Rogers and Clyde Rathbone.The Springboks, victors in their last three Tests over Australia, flew to Sydney yesterday before heading to Dunedin today.The Springboks have 12 points from three wins but have not yet secured any bonus points which could prove decisive should they lose to New Zealand.- Nampa-AFP