|
|
 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS CENTERS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Super fly Merceron cuts down Springboks in Johannesburg
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- Flyhalf Gerald Merceron scored 27 points to help France pull off a huge upset in a 32-23 victory over South Africa in the first test Saturday. Merceron scored a try and kicked two conversions and six penalties to confound all expectations and the bookmakers who had predicted a South African win by 25 points. Coach Bernard Laporte's side was without several leading players and had had little time to prepare following the conclusion of the French season earlier this month. But superb defense, the boot of Merceron and an unconvincing display from South Africa allowed France to end a run of five successive defeats by the Springboks. It had been rocked on its heels within the first minute by a brilliant Springbok try by right wing Breyton Paulse. Fullback Percy Montgomery missed the conversion but a penalty shortly afterwards gave his side an 8-0 lead. It was to be the Springboks' high point, however, as first a Merceron penalty and then a superb converted try by French right wing Christophe Dominici gave France the lead. France won lineout position on the left and moved the ball swiftly through several pairs of hands to create an overlap for Dominici to score his 10th test try. Montgomery's second penalty edged South Africa back into the lead at 11-10 but two Merceron penalties reopened France's advantage to 16-11 at the interval. Decisive moment The second half continued as a war of attrition with the lead changing hands three times as Merceron and Montgomery traded penalties. The decisive moment came from the French flyhalf however. With his side trailing 20-19 he ghosted through some hesitant tackling from five meters out to score by the posts. He converted his own try to make it 26-20 and although Montgomery closed the gap once again with his sixth penalty, Merceron landed two more of his own to earn the victory and the man-of-the-match award. South Africa: 15-Percy Montgomery; 14-Breyton Paulse, 13-De Wet Barry (Robbie Fleck, 71), 12-Japie Mulder, 11-Dean Hall; 10-Butch James, 9-Joost van der Westhuizen; 8-Andre Vos (captain), 7-Corne Krige (Bob Skinstad, 68), 6-Rassie Erasmus, 5-Mark Andrews (Albert van den Berg, 53), 4-Andre Venter, 3-Etienne Fynn (Willie Meyer, 40), 2-John Smit, 1-Robbie Kempson (Ollie le Roux, 53). France: 15-Nicolas Jeanjean; 14-David Bory, 13-Yannick Jauzion, 12-Stephane Glas, 11-Christophe Dominici; 10-Gerald Merceron, 9-Fabien Galthie (captain); 8-Patrick Tabacco, 7-Olivier Magne, 6-Sebastien Chabal (Elvis Vermeulen, 53), 5-Olivier Brouzet (Lionel Nallet, 74), 4-David Auradou, 3-Pieter de Villiers (Christian Califano, 74), 2-Raphael Ibanez, 1-Jean Jacques Crenca.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
