Just finished watching the game for the third time. I watched live last night, replayed it this morning and then stop-go on the recording while making some notes just now. I was curious to find out if my earlier thoughts were completely wrong as I just couldn't see how the Giteau / QC (Quade Cooper) criticism could be justified. I am not sure if anyone is interested in reading all of this, but I made a note to the critical points in the match (good & bad) and who was involved in each moment). I was surprised to see how often some of the players who supposedly had a great game last might came up short, and how little impact the errors of the highly criticized players had on the overall result. I did my best to note ea.ch moment and remain as unbiased as I could...so have at it if you wish.
0.33 missed tackle by Higgenbotham
0.45 dominant tackle by Hooper on Berger
1.00 QC (Quade Cooper) fields clearing kick and return with nice kick toward sideline fielded by le rueux who then kicks the ball out on the full.
2.08 Giteau takes the ball to line but Simmons & Moore completelty ineffectual at cleaning out BDP - turnover SA
2.23 SA clearing to kick to Folau who then kicks the ball ouut on the full
3.50 Skelton off-side at the ruck - penalty SA - penalty shot off the post
5.00 Genia fields bomb, QC (Quade Cooper) with nice kick into touch on SA 22 - 45m gain
5.47 Folau drops high ball - scrum to SA
7.12 Giteau sweeping and picks up intercept - turnover AUS
7.45 Giteau sweeping picks up offload in contact from Skelton, nice wide pass to put Folau into space.
8.18 Skelton over the adline but no support, Simmons and TK pathetic cleanout - FL pilfer - turnover SA
10.45 Genia knock on at the base of ruck
11.59 Horne rushes up & in - defensive error and SA make big yards down the far side before QC (Quade Cooper) & Giteau combine to bring down de allende
13.42 AUS scrum monstered underneath post but good work by Higgers to get the ball to Genia who clears to touch
14.16 Hooper offside from lineout - penalty SA -shot at goal successful
AUS 0 - SA 3
17.14 Giteau sweeping collects loose ball from slipper, lovely pass to Higgers in space who then kicks the ball dead
20.12 ACC takes short ball from Genia but is isolated, Hooper ineffectual cleanout - penalty SA
21.52 Folau fields midfield bomb, breaks defensive line but runs away from support and play breaks down.
22.08 Giteau floats long pass to unmarked Horne but ball into touch.
22.59 Cooper knock-on from high ball - turnover SA - Genia tackle to put BDP into touch - lineout AUS
22.43 dominant scrum SA - scrum penalty to SA - shot at goal successful
AUS 0 - SA 6
27.13 BDP offside at ruck - penalty AUS - shot at goal missed by QC (Quade Cooper)
30.00 QC (Quade Cooper), TK, Horne combine well to make god meters before plays breaking down at ruck with Higgers playing ball in offside position - penalty SA
31.51 AUS hot on attack, skelton gets over ad-line but isolated, Simmons completely ineffective in cleaning out BDP - turnover SA
32.56 Beautiful set piece try - Giteau to QC (Quade Cooper) inside to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - QC (Quade Cooper) converts
AUS 7 - SA 6
35.12 Higgers lineout win on SA throw - turnover AUS
36.46 Hooper dominant tackle
36.58 Folau missed tackle inside 22
37.28 Folau fails to secure pollard chip kick - SA try in the corner - Pollard converts
AUS 7 - SA 13
39.37 poor restart from QC (Quade Cooper) fails to go 10, Moore, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) & Genia all fail to tackle Etzebeth. QC (Quade Cooper) tackles etzebeth.
40.05 TK drops off de allende before Giteau makes the tackle
40.23 Moore poor attempted tackle on BDP - easy yards for SA follow
40.48 Giteau good tackle - skelton missed tackle
41.54 AUS counter inside 22, Cooper hail-mary behind the back pass, turnover to SA
42.40 with SA pressuring the line QC (Quade Cooper) strips BDP over the line - turnover AUS - ball kicked dead
SECOND HALF - Phipps on for Genia
40.20 Folau nice take from box kick
41.00 Phipps pass to nobody goes to ground
41.19 Slipper driven back in tackle, Moore & Kepu zero support before Etzebeth & BDP turnover - penalty to SA
43.36 Moore slips FF (Folau Fainga'a) tackle
43.40 Skelton missed tackle
43.59 Slipper, Folau & Phipps all miss Kriel - try to SA (shocking defense) - Pollard converts
AUS 7 - SA 20
46.00 Pocock on for Higgenbotham
46.49 Good run from Giteau over the ad-line
47.20 Fardy got hit up to within 7m of try line but Simmons is ineffective at cleanout and BDP pilfers
47.21 BDP clearing kick charged down by Pocock, who cahse BH and tackles him in goal - 5M scrum AUS feed - Pocock brilliant
48.37 TK knocks on short ball from QC (Quade Cooper) right on line - pressure off.
49.02 BDP & Beast off - Strauss and VDM on (SA all new front row, also minus VM & FL at this point)
49.23 Scrum penatly to SA (Skelton off - Horwill on)
50.51 SA offside at ruck - penalty AUS - QC (Quade Cooper) kick penalty
AUS 10 - SA 20
55.15 Pocock great tackle on VLR and forces penalty - brilliant
57.34 Giteau takes the ball to the line but is held up - scrum SA (Horne off - Mitchell on)
59.33 Penalty to AUS at scrum (SA collapsing) QC (Quade Cooper) bad misses very kickable goal - 22 restart
61.58 QC (Quade Cooper) runs to the line before passing to Giteau who slices through the line but pops poor pass to Folau and play breaks down
63.26 Slipper misses the hit at scru - free kick to SA
63.25 Folau takes high ball but Moore, Simmon & Fardy are unable to support at ruck - turnover to SA
64.16 Simmons & Fardy offside - penalty to SA who failed to find touch (Mitchell keeps it in, Hooper to QC (Quade Cooper) who clear with a solid kick taking play back to halfway line)
65.42 To'omua on for QC (Quade Cooper)
66.13 To'omua inside ball to Giteau who get smashed (rib / chest injury from this tackle)
66.36 To'omua to tline before throwing lovely ball to Folau in space, Mitchel does well to stay in field of play.
67.09 Fardy hits ball up but FOlau and To'omua unable to cleanout Pollard who wins penalty - Fardy not releasing.
67.35 Giteau to blood bin - Cooper back on (Pollard off - Lambie on)
68.44 Folau to the line but gets isolated - SA pilfer but Owens penalizes for going off feet (lucky) - AUS kick to corner for lineout
69.50 AUS pressuring SA try line before Simmons drops the ball in contact - scrum SA feed.
70.50 Brilliant scrum by AUS - Hooper drives Berger back over the line (brilliant) 5m scrum AUS feed.
72.22 Solid Aussie scrum wins penalty - Moore takes scrum option
73.30 Phipps great short ball to Hooper who crosses the line - QC (Quade Cooper) converts try (QC (Quade Cooper) off - Giteau bacck from blood bin)
AUS 17 - SA 20
75.49 To'omua trys grubber through but hooks it into touch (poor option)
76.30 Folau great high ball take in traffic
77.02 SA offside - Giteau misses shot at goal - 22m restart
79.14 AUS pressuring inside SA half but Moore is isolated, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) & Hooper can't clear out SA - turnover SA (30 sec remaining)
79.37 SA going off feet - penalty AUS - kick to corner
81.41 TK goes over for try - Giteau converts
AUS 24 - SA 20
Moore & Simmons were both very poor at the ruck, both failing on numerous times to secure our own ball when we were hot on attack.
Folau was excellent under the high ball but he did make a few errors, a couple of which led directly to SA trys.
Phipps had a positive impact in terms of lifting the game tempo but made quite of few errors not to mention a pathetic attempt to stop Kriel on his way to scoring.
QC (Quade Cooper) made very few mistakes (restart & hail mary the worst) but hassled hard immediately after to make amends. He was actually quite strong in defense making some great tackles at critical times but I am sure that will paid no mind by his detractors.
The much lauded To'omua & TK both made a couple of blunders at critical times in the match.