PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, 26 June 2005 — Speedster Bryan Habana scored two tries as South Africa clinched a Test series win over France with a 27-13 victory yesterday.
Opportunist wing Habana scored in each half and his second six minutes after half-time — his ninth try in six Tests — closed out France, who had drawn the first of two Tests 30-30 in Durban last weekend with an experimental team.Wing Jean de Villers also crossed the line for South Africa and fullback Percy Montgomery converted the three tries and was successful with two of three penalty attempts before a capacity 35,000 crowd. Fly-half Frederic Michalak was credited with a late French pushover try which he converted and he and scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili kicked penalties for the off-form Tricolors who trailed 20-6 at half-time.
It was the first home Test series success for South Africa over France since 1975 and boosted confidence ahead of an away Test on July 9 against twice world champions Australia.
New Zealand Crush Lions 21-3 in First Test
In Christchurch, a rampant New Zealand destroyed the British and Irish Lions 21-3 yesterday as the tourists ended a black day with three players ruled out of the tour with injuries.
The All Blacks outplayed the Lions in every department, scoring two unanswered tries in a dominant display against visiting team who were up against it from the opening minute when they lost captain Brian O’Driscoll with a dislocated shoulder that has ended his tour.
Flanker Richard Hill is almost certainly also out, along with center Tom Shanklin, both with knee injuries.
Lock Ali Williams scored the opening try midway through the first half before Sitiveni Sivivatu, the latest in a long line of flying New Zealand wingers, finished off a wonderful 50-meter break early in the second. The Lions’ only score was a solitary penalty from Jonny Wilkinson, who was unable to impose himself after his controversial selection at center.
They now face a monumental task to become only the second Lions team to win a series here and to do so must win the second test in Wellington next Saturday and the third in Auckland a week later. The Lions were on the back foot even before O’Driscoll’s injury and were lucky to reach half-time only 11-0 down.
Australia Thrash Tired Italians 69-21
In Melbourne, winger Lote Tuqiri led Australia to a record 69-21 win over Italy in a one-off Test at Docklands Stadium, the Australians scoring 11 tries as they outclassed the tired Italians. Tuqiri scored four tries for the Wallabies, who have now crossed 23 times in their past two Tests after a 74-7 thrashing of Samoa two weeks ago to set themselves up well for next week’s Test against France in Brisbane.
Australia scored seven of their tries in the first half to take a 43-7 halftime lead.
