2010 Tri Nations Series

Background

New Zealand, South Africa and Australia were ranked first, second, and third in the IRB World Rankings, but this changed due to Australia's 21–20 loss to England on 16 June 2010. This game moved Australia down to fourth in the IRB World Rankings but they returned to third in rankings a week later, after France's heavy defeat to Argentina and Australia's win against Ireland in the last week of the 2010 mid-year rugby test series.

The final match of the Bledisloe Cup series between Australia and New Zealand took place after the Tri-Nations, on 30 October (the first 3 matches of the series were part of the Tri-Nations).

Standings

Fixtures

All times are local

Round 1

Nonu 35' c Read 56' c Woodcock 79' m

|} Touch judges:

Alain Rolland (Ireland)

Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

Television match official:

Ben Skeen (New Zealand)

• Following the match, Bakkies Botha was handed a nine-week suspension for headbutting Jimmy Cowan in the first minute of the match, an offence missed by referee Alan Lewis. The suspension sidelined Botha for the remainder of the Tri Nations.

Round 2

Muliaina 11' m Ranger 45' m Dagg 65' c Weepu (1/1) 51' Burger 74' c

|} Touch judges:

Alan Lewis (Ireland)

Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

Television match official:

Glenn Newman (New Zealand)

• During this match the All Blacks became the highest point scorers in international rugby, passing France.
• Following the match, Jean de Villiers was handed a two-week suspension for a lifting tackle against Rene Ranger. De Villiers' previously good disciplinary record was cited as a mitigating factor with regard to the length of suspension. The suspension sidelined de Villiers for the Springboks' next match against Australia.

Round 3

Genia 75' c O'Connor (1/1) 46' Steenlamp 71' m

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• Following the match, two players, one from each team, were handed suspensions:
  • Jaque Fourie was suspended for four weeks for a spear tackle of Richard Brown. He will miss the Springboks' next Test against the All Blacks.
  • Quade Cooper was suspended for two weeks for a spear tackle of Morné Steyn. As in the case of Jean de Villiers last week, Cooper's previously good disciplinary history was cited as a mitigating factor. The Australian Rugby Union appealed the length of the ban, presumably because the suspensions of Fourie and de Villiers kept them out of only one Test, but was denied. Cooper was sidelined for the first two Bledisloe Cup Tests in Melbourne and Christchurch.

Round 4

Ashley-Cooper 55' c Elsom 69' c Barnes 17' Muliaina 12' m, 46' c McCaw 24' c Jane 35' c Rokocoko 58' m Flynn 79' m

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• Following the match, IRB referee chief Paddy O'Brien announced that Cobus Wessels would be dropped as a touch judge for the upcoming New Zealand–Australia Test because of a number of key errors, most notably Wessels' recommendation that Wallabies wing Drew Mitchell receive the first of his two yellow cards for what O'Brien deemed a marginal penalty. As a result, the IRB made a one-off exception to its standard policy of requiring neutral touch judges and referees for international matches, assigning New Zealander Keith Brown to take Wessels' place.

Round 5

Smith 13' c

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Round 6

McCaw 77' m Dagg 79' c

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• Springboks captain John Smit became the second Springbok to earn 100 Test caps, after Percy Montgomery.
• The result of this match meant that the All Blacks took the 2010 Tri-Nations title with one match remaining, as well as the Freedom Cup.
• This game also marked the All Blacks' 1000th win in international rugby, including non-Test matches.

Round 7

Steenkamp 13' c Spies 31' c F. Steyn 49' c Pietersen 79' c James (1/1) F. Steyn (1/1) 67' O'Connor (2) 5' c, 10' c Mumm 25' c

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• For the second straight week, a Springbok earned his 100th Test cap, with Victor Matfield reaching this milestone.

Round 8

Steenkamp 45' de Villiers 53' O'Connor 13' Moore 20' Elsom 24' Mitchell 71' O'Connor (1/1) 72' Beale (1/1) 79'

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• This was the Wallabies' first win on the Highveld since 1963.
• John Smit earned his 102nd Test cap, equalling the South Africa record of Percy Montgomery.
• Morné Steyn extended his personal streak of successful kicks at goal in Tests to 38. Statistics on success rates of goal kickers were not kept until the late 1980s, but it is very likely that Steyn has set an all-time record. Steyn surpassed the previous (recorded) best of Scotland's Chris Paterson at 36.

Round 9

Ashley-Cooper 46' Beale (1/1) 59' Read 73'

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:Source: Tri Nations Web{{cite web |url-status=dead

• This test was a milestone for Richie McCaw, who surpassed Sean Fitzpatrick as the most-capped New Zealand captain.
• The win is the 10th win in a row for New Zealand over Australia, a new record.
• New Zealand are the first team in the Tri Nations series to win undefeated since 2003, and set records for the most points (184) and tries scored (22).

Player statistics

Leading try scorers

Source: scrum.com

Leading point scorers

Source: scrum.com

References

References

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2. "Magic McCaw adds more milestones with All Blacks". Stuff NZ.
3. (10 July 2010). "New Zealand 32–12 South Africa". BBC.
4. (19 August 2010). "SANZAR release the draw for the shortened 2011 Tri Nations tournament". Fox News.
5. (10 July 2010). "New Zealand 32-12 South Africa". BBC News.
6. "Rampant All Blacks lay down a marker , Rugby Union , Tri-Nations 2010 , Rugby Match Pack". Scrum.com.
7. (11 July 2010). "Bakkies Botha handed nine-week suspension for headbutt". BBC Sport.
8. (17 July 2010). "New Zealand 31-17 South Africa". BBC News.
9. (18 July 2010). "All Blacks close in on pointscoring record". stuff.co.nz.
10. (18 July 2010). "Springbok Jean de Villiers banned for dangerous tackle". BBC Sport.
11. (24 July 2010). "Australia 30-13 South Africa". BBC News.
12. (25 July 2010). "South Africa centre Jaque Fourie handed four-week ban". BBC Sport.
13. (28 July 2010). "Australia lose appeal against Quade Cooper suspension". BBC Sport.
14. (31 July 2010). "Australia 28-49 New Zealand". BBC News.
15. (4 August 2010). "Linesman dropped for Mitchell yellow card call". The Independent.
16. (7 August 2010). "New Zealand 20-10 Australia". BBC News.
17. (21 August 2010). "South Africa 22-29 New Zealand". BBC News.
18. {{SA Rugby Match Centre. (24 June 2016)
19. (21 August 2010). "New Zealand clinch Tri-Nations title – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source". Mg.co.za.
20. Long, David. "All Blacks claim Tri-Nations in Soweto". Stuff.co.nz.
21. (21 August 2010). "South Africa 22–29 New Zealand". BBC Sport.
22. (28 August 2010). "South Africa 44-31 Australia". BBC News.
23. (29 August 2010). "Wallabies implode again at altitude " The Roar – Your Sports Opinion". The Roar.
24. (28 August 2010). "South Africa 44–31 Australia". BBC Sport.
25. (4 September 2010). "South Africa 39-41 Australia". BBC News.
26. (4 September 2010). "Wallabies cling on to win a classic". ESPNScrum.
27. Griffiths, John. (13 September 2010). "Morné Steyn's goal-kicking record, Tri-Nations clean-sweeps, Scottish captains and Shane Sullivan". ESPNScrum.
28. (11 September 2010). "Australia 22-23 New Zealand". BBC News.
29. (10 July 2010). "Richierecord". BBC.