2000 Tri Nations Series

The 2000 Tri Nations Series was the fifth Tri Nations Series, an annual rugby union competition contested by the national rugby union teams of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It was played from 15 July to 26 August 2000. Australia won the tournament for the first time after a 19–18 win over South Africa in Durban.

2000 Tri Nations Series

Final positions
Champions	Australia (1st title)
Bledisloe Cup	Australia
Tournament statistics
Matches played	6
Tries scored	29 (4.83 per match)
Attendance	63,609 (10,602 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Andrew Mehrtens (77)
Most tries	Christian Cullen (7)
← 1999 2001 →

The opening game of the tournament between Australia and New Zealand attracted a world record rugby union crowd of 109,874 to Stadium Australia.

Australia made it three wins in a row in the Bledisloe Cup, having taken it from New Zealand in 1998.

Table

Place	Nation	Games				Points			Try bonus	Losing bonus	Table points
		Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Diff
1	Australia	4	3	0	1	104	86	+18	1	1	14
2	New Zealand	4	2	0	2	127	117	+10	2	2	12
3	South Africa	4	1	0	3	82	110	−28	1	1	6

Results

Round 1

15 July 2000 20:00 AEST (UTC+10)

(2 BP) Australia	35–39	New Zealand (1 BP)
Try: Mortlock (2) Latham Roff Paul Con: Mortlock (2) Pen: Mortlock (2)		Try: Umaga Alatini Cullen Marshall Lomu Con: Mehrtens (4) Pen: Mehrtens (2)

Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 109,874 Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

FB 15 Chris Latham RW 14 Stirling Mortlock OC 13 Daniel Herbert IC 12 Jason Little LW 11 Joe Roff FH 10 Stephen Larkham SH 9 George Gregan N8 8 Jim Williams OF 7 David Wilson BF 6 Mark Connors RL 5 John Eales (c) LL 4 David Giffin TP 3 Fletcher Dyson HK 2 Michael Foley LP 1 Richard Harry Replacements: HK 16 Jeremy Paul PR 17 Glen Panoho LF 18 Troy Jaques N8 19 Toutai Kefu SH 20 Sam Cordingley FH 21 Rod Kafer WG 22 Andrew Walker Coach: Rod Macqueen

FB 15 Christian Cullen RW 14 Tana Umaga OC 13 Alama Ieremia IC 12 Pita Alatini LW 11 Jonah Lomu FH 10 Andrew Mehrtens SH 9 Justin Marshall N8 8 Ron Cribb OF 7 Scott Robertson BF 6 Taine Randell RL 5 Norm Maxwell LL 4 Todd Blackadder (c) TP 3 Kees Meeuws HK 2 Anton Oliver LP 1 Carl Hoeft Replacements: HK 16 Mark Hammett PR 17 Craig Dowd LK 18 Troy Flavell FL 19 Josh Kronfeld SH 20 Byron Kelleher FH 21 Tony Brown FB 22 Leon MacDonald Coach: Wayne Smith

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Round 2

22 July 2000 19:35 NZST (UTC+12)

New Zealand	25–12	South Africa
Try: Cullen (2) Pen: Mehrtens (3) Brown Drop: Mehrtens		Pen: Van Straaten (3) Drop: Montgomery

Lancaster Park, Christchurch Attendance: 49,000 Referee: Chris White (England)

FB 15 Christian Cullen RW 14 Tana Umaga OC 13 Mark Robinson IC 12 Pita Alatini LW 11 Jonah Lomu FH 10 Andrew Mehrtens SH 9 Justin Marshall N8 8 Ron Cribb OF 7 Josh Kronfeld BF 6 Taine Randell RL 5 Troy Flavell LL 4 Todd Blackadder (c) TP 3 Kees Meeuws HK 2 Anton Oliver LP 1 Carl Hoeft Replacements: HK 16 Mark Hammett PR 17 Craig Dowd LK 18 Norm Maxwell FL 19 Scott Robertson SH 20 Byron Kelleher FH 21 Tony Brown FB 22 Leon MacDonald Coach: Wayne Smith

FB 15 Percy Montgomery RW 14 Breyton Paulse OC 13 Robbie Fleck IC 12 De Wet Barry LW 11 Thinus Delport FH 10 Braam van Straaten SH 9 Werner Swanepoel N8 8 André Vos (c) BF 7 Rassie Erasmus OF 6 Corné Krige RL 5 André Venter LL 4 Albert van den Berg TP 3 Cobus Visagie HK 2 Charl Marais LP 1 Robbi Kempson Replacements: HK 16 John Smit PR 17 Willie Meyer LK 18 Jannes Labuschagne FL 19 Warren Brosnihan SH 20 Joost van der Westhuizen CE 21 Grant Esterhuizen WG 22 Chester Williams Coach: Nick Mallett

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Round 3

29 July 2000 20:00 AEST (UTC+10)

Australia	26–6	South Africa
Try: Mortlock Paul Con: Mortlock (2) Pen: Mortlock (4)		Pen: Van Straaten (2)

Stadium Australia, Sydney Attendance: 77,048 Referee: Ed Morrison (England)

FB 15 Chris Latham RW 14 Stirling Mortlock OC 13 Daniel Herbert IC 12 Jason Little LW 11 Joe Roff FH 10 Stephen Larkham SH 9 George Gregan N8 8 Jim Williams OF 7 David Wilson BF 6 Mark Connors RL 5 John Eales (c) LL 4 David Giffin TP 3 Fletcher Dyson HK 2 Michael Foley LP 1 Richard Harry Replacements: HK 16 Jeremy Paul PR 17 Glen Panoho LK 18 Matt Cockbain N8 19 Toutai Kefu SH 20 Sam Cordingley FH 21 Rod Kafer WG 22 Ben Tune Coach: Rod Macqueen

FB 15 Thinus Delport RW 14 Breyton Paulse OC 13 Robbie Fleck IC 12 De Wet Barry LW 11 Pieter Rossouw FH 10 Braam van Straaten SH 9 Werner Swanepoel N8 8 André Vos (c) BF 7 André Venter OF 6 Corné Krige RL 5 Mark Andrews LL 4 Albert van den Berg TP 3 Cobus Visagie HK 2 Charl Marais LP 1 Robbi Kempson Replacements: HK 16 John Smit PR 17 Ollie le Roux LK 18 Jannes Labuschagne FL 19 Warren Brosnihan SH 20 Joost van der Westhuizen FB 21 Percy Montgomery WG 22 Chester Williams Coach: Nick Mallett

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Round 4

5 August 2000 19:35 NZST (UTC+12)

(1 BP) New Zealand	23–24	Australia
Try: Cullen (2) Con: Mehrtens (2) Pen: Mehrtens (3)		Try: Mortlock Roff Con: Mortlock Pen: Eales Mortlock (3)

Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington Attendance: 36,500 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

FB 15 Christian Cullen RW 14 Tana Umaga OC 13 Alama Ieremia IC 12 Pita Alatini LW 11 Jonah Lomu FH 10 Andrew Mehrtens SH 9 Justin Marshall N8 8 Ron Cribb OF 7 Josh Kronfeld BF 6 Taine Randell RL 5 Norm Maxwell LL 4 Todd Blackadder (c) TP 3 Kees Meeuws HK 2 Anton Oliver LP 1 Carl Hoeft Replacements: HK 16 Mark Hammett PR 17 Craig Dowd LK 18 Troy Flavell FL 19 Reuben Thorne SH 20 Byron Kelleher FH 21 Tony Brown FB 22 Leon MacDonald Coach: Wayne Smith

FB 15 Chris Latham RW 14 Stirling Mortlock OC 13 Daniel Herbert IC 12 Jason Little LW 11 Joe Roff FH 10 Stephen Larkham SH 9 George Gregan N8 8 Jim Williams OF 7 David Wilson BF 6 Toutai Kefu RL 5 John Eales (c) LL 4 David Giffin TP 3 Fletcher Dyson HK 2 Michael Foley LP 1 Richard Harry Replacements: HK 16 Jeremy Paul PR 17 Glen Panoho LK 18 Matt Cockbain FL 19 Mark Connors SH 20 Sam Cordingley FH 21 Rod Kafer WG 22 Ben Tune Coach: Rod Macqueen

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Round 5

19 August 2000 15:00 SAST (UTC+02)

(1 BP) South Africa	46–40	New Zealand (2 BP)
Try: Delport Fleck (2) Swanepoel (2) Williams Con: Van Straaten (5) Pen: Van Straaten (2)		Try: Cullen (2) Umaga (2) Con: Mehrtens (4) Pen: Mehrtens (3) Drop: Mehrtens

Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 57,233 Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia)

FB 15 Thinus Delport RW 14 Breyton Paulse OC 13 Grant Esterhuizen IC 12 Robbie Fleck LW 11 Chester Williams FH 10 Braam van Straaten SH 9 Werner Swanepoel N8 8 André Vos (c) BF 7 Rassie Erasmus OF 6 Corné Krige RL 5 André Venter LL 4 Mark Andrews TP 3 Cobus Visagie HK 2 Charl Marais LP 1 Ollie le Roux Replacements: HK 16 John Smit PR 17 Willie Meyer LK 18 Albert van den Berg FL 19 Warren Brosnihan SH 20 Joost van der Westhuizen FH 21 Jaco van der Westhuyzen FB 22 Percy Montgomery Coach: Nick Mallett

FB 15 Christian Cullen RW 14 Tana Umaga OC 13 Alama Ieremia IC 12 Pita Alatini LW 11 Jonah Lomu FH 10 Andrew Mehrtens SH 9 Justin Marshall N8 8 Ron Cribb OF 7 Josh Kronfeld BF 6 Taine Randell RL 5 Norm Maxwell LL 4 Todd Blackadder (c) TP 3 Kees Meeuws HK 2 Anton Oliver LP 1 Carl Hoeft Replacements: HK 16 Mark Hammett PR 17 Greg Somerville LK 18 Troy Flavell FL 19 Scott Robertson SH 20 Byron Kelleher FH 21 Tony Brown FB 22 Leon MacDonald Coach: Wayne Smith

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Round 6

26 August 2000 15:00 SAST (UTC+02)

(1 BP) South Africa	18–19	Australia
Pen: Van Straaten (6)		Try: Latham Con: Mortlock Pen: Mortlock (4)

Kings Park Stadium, Durban Attendance: 52,000 Referee: Paul Honiss (New Zealand)

FB 15 Thinus Delport RW 14 Chester Williams OC 13 Grant Esterhuizen IC 12 Robbie Fleck LW 11 Breyton Paulse FH 10 Braam van Straaten SH 9 Werner Swanepoel N8 8 André Vos (c) BF 7 Corné Krige OF 6 Rassie Erasmus RL 5 Mark Andrews LL 4 André Venter TP 3 Cobus Visagie HK 2 Charl Marais LP 1 Robbi Kempson Replacements: HK 16 John Smit PR 17 Ollie le Roux LK 18 Albert van den Berg FL 19 Warren Brosnihan SH 20 Joost van der Westhuizen FH 21 Jaco van der Westhuyzen FB 22 Percy Montgomery Coach: Nick Mallett

FB 15 Chris Latham RW 14 Stirling Mortlock OC 13 Daniel Herbert IC 12 Jason Little LW 11 Joe Roff FH 10 Stephen Larkham SH 9 George Gregan N8 8 Jim Williams OF 7 David Wilson BF 6 Mark Connors RL 5 John Eales (c) LL 4 David Giffin TP 3 Fletcher Dyson HK 2 Michael Foley LP 1 Richard Harry Replacements: HK 16 Jeremy Paul PR 17 Glen Panoho LK 18 Matt Cockbain FL 19 Toutai Kefu SH 20 Sam Cordingley FH 21 Rod Kafer WG 22 Ben Tune Coach: Rod Macqueen

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External links

• Tri Nations at Rugby.com.au