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World Sport

South beats North in tsunami match


LONDON, England -- A southern hemisphere select team comprehensively outplayed their northern hemisphere counterparts to win the tsunami appeal charity match at Twickenham by 54-19 on Saturday.

A sharper and better prepared southern team crossed for eight tries to three to entertain a 40,000 crowd who helped raise over one million pounds ($1.9 million) for the appeal.

Australian fullback Chris Latham scored two tries for the South, as did Samoa's Semo Sititi, while flyhalf Andrew Mehrtens kicked six conversions from six attempts.

New Zealand center Tana Umaga opened the scoring for the South with a try, as Brian Lima, Schalk Burger and Jacques Fourie also chimed in for the victors.

Andy Titterrell, Pat Sanderson and Mirco Bergamasco were the try scorers for the Northern Hemisphere.

With the northern hemisphere being coached by England World Cup-winner Sir Clive Woodward, the man who will lead the British and Lions in New Zealand later this year, the game had been billed as a 'trial' match for that tour.

But both scratch teams treated the match like a Barbarians game, running and kicking to touch penalties they would otherwise have tried to strike between the posts had the game been a full international.

Inevitably, there were plenty of handling errors all round early on as the sides tried to run the ball from all angles although England center Ollie Smith, pushing for a Test starting place, showed glimpses of class,

The south took the lead in the 13th minute when veteran Samoa wing Brian Lima linked well with All Blacks captain and center Tana Umaga, who crossed for a try.

The north hit back to level the scores seven minutes later.

Uncapped Worcester prop Chris Horsman burst forward and found north skipper and former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio in support.

The veteran back-row almost crossed the line himself but he was hauled down a yard short by Latham.

However, Dallaglio's pop-up pass found England reserve hooker Andy Titterrell. His try was converted by Ireland fly-half David Humphreys.

But five minutes later the south, who put in by far the more crunching tackles throughout, went ahead when Lima sprinted clean through down the blindside.

The north though responded minutes later when Humphreys' towering cross-kick was palmed back short of the line by Italy right-wing Bergamasco and former England back-row Sanderson pounced for the try.

Humphreys, however, missed the conversion and the south were 14-12 ahead.

Two more converted tries then saw the south extend their lead to 28-12 at the break.

First Latham, following a pass from Samoa lock Opeta Palepoi sprinted clear for a try under the posts.

And just before half-time Springbok flanker Schalk Burger, the IRB's world player of the year, burst through off the back of a ruck with the north defence again flat-footed.

After some uninspired play at the start of the second period, the south went further ahead when replacement forward and Samoa skipper Semo Sititi was on the end of an overlap out on the left created by Fiji wing Sireli Bobo and Latham.

All Black Mehrtens converted and at 35-12 the south, coached by 1999 Australian World Cup-winning chief Rod Macqueen, had ended the match as a contest.

Woodward effectively conceded as much by bringing on all his remaining replacements in quick succession.

As space opened up, Bergamasco restored some northern pride with a try on the hour mark which Wales's Ceri Sweeney, the replacement fly-half converted.

But the south were far from finished and after Mehrtens's high kick landed over the goal-line, Latham touched down for his second try.

Springbok centre Fourie and Sititi again both added further tries before the finish.


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