Rugby: McCaw lauds 100-game prop

Tony Woodcock.
Tony Woodcock.
All Black prop Tony Woodcock never thought he would play 100 tests when he began his test career 11 years ago.

The prop became the fourth All Black to bring up the century with a solid effort at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday night as the All Blacks clinched the Bledisloe Cup for another year.

Woodcock got through a solid hour's work before he was substituted by Wyatt Crockett. The veteran was presented with a special All Black silver cap after the game.

Reflecting on posting the ton, Woodcock said it was hard to believe he had got there.

''To think, whatever it was, eight years ago I think, Shag [coach Steve Hansen] said to me if you do things right, you'll be a 100 test All Black. I did not believe that.

''But I am pretty honoured to be part of that club.''

Hansen quipped he must have done something right and All Black captain Richie McCaw also paid tribute to the 32-year-old, and his quiet and efficient manner.

''It is a huge effort. Every time you turn up you rely on guys to go about their business every time and Woody [Woodcock] does that. He just goes and does that.

"When you have got him packing down the scrum, especially as a loose forward, you know the scrum is going to go pretty good,'' McCaw said.

''It is a great achievement. The excitement he has of being in the All Blacks comes through and he just loves being here. It just rubs off on everyone else.''

Woodcock was part of an All Black scrum which increasingly had it over their Australian counterparts as the game went on. The visiting side started much the better and had the run of the game for the first 20 minutes.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie questioned why referee Jaco Peyper did not go to the third match official when it appeared Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore got over the line in the opening quarter. He said that had a big affect on the game.

All the Australians had for their initial efforts were two penalties from Christian Leali'ifano.

Highlanders and Otago winger Ben Smith made it five tries in two games by grabbing a double, both scored down the right wing in the first half.

He was at the end of good hands for both tries as the All Blacks got in behind the Australian defence.

Up 15-6 at halftime, the match rather meandered in the second half as both teams tended to favour the kick and neither team could get through defences much.

Tom Taylor had a sound debut in the No 10 jersey for the All Blacks, although he later said it had been a whirlwind week, and he was still waiting for it to sink in.

He suffered some rib damage near the end of the game and was forced off.

Fullback Israel Dagg continued his good test form, while up front, lock Sam Whitelock was again prominent.

With the win, the last test in the Bledisloe Cup series in Dunedin, on October 19, is now being played strictly for pride.

South Africa faced a shock defeat before two late second half penalties from first five-eighth Morne Steyn gave it a 22-17 win over a vastly improved Argentina in a testy Rugby Championship clash in Mendoza, Argentina, yesterday.

The Springboks, who had scored nine tries in their 73-13 romp over the same opposition in Johannesburg the previous weekend, had to rely on Steyn's boot to get them over the line in a spite-tinged contest marred by accusations of eye-gouging and biting in the second half.

Argentina led for much of the encounter after tries from flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon and centre Marcelo Bosch, but indiscipline in the final 10 minutes allowed South Africa to edge ahead and hold on for victory.

''We've got mixed feelings ... We took a step forward with regard to last weekend since we radically changed our image and attitude,'' Leguizamon told reporters.

- Additional reporting by Reuters


Bledisloe Cup
The scores
All Blacks
27
Ben Smith 2 tries; Tom Taylor con, 4 pen, Israel Dagg pen
Australia 16
Israel Folau try; Christian Leali'ifano con, 3 pen
Halftime: All Blacks 15-6.
Crowd: 38,000

 

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