A fast start from the Springboks that saw them roar into a 22-0 lead in less than 20 minutes came to nought as a superb fightback by Australia carried them to a 38-22 victory in the opening Rugby Championship match of the season at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Springboks scored three unanswered tries in a sparkling opening stanza, but a mounting penalty count and an impressively resilient performance by the Wallabies saw them score six tries to record their first win at the famous old ground in 63 years.
The Springboks had looked set to record a comfortable victory in the opening period as they surged into a commanding lead and although they frequently found themselves in the red zone, they were unable to add to the powerful start.
Heaviest defeat
Instead, the Wallabies ended a run of four successive defeats by the Springboks at the same time as inflicting the heaviest defeat on the Springboks since Rassie Erasmus returned to lead the coaching team in 2018.
In the super-charged atmosphere in front of 51 327 spectators at Ellis Park, the Springboks made a super-charged start with flawless rugby from the kick-off into their own 22 ending in a try for Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing) at the opposite end of the field in just 96 seconds.
The Springboks secured the restart through Lood de Jager; the box kick from the ruck was lost forward by Aussie fullback Tom Wright and the Springboks recycled possession through multiple phases first right and then left for the wing to trot over untouched.
Manie Libbok converted from 10 metres in from the left touchline and then added a penalty goal from 40 metres – straight in front – for a ‘not releasing’ penalty to take the led to 10-0 in as many minutes.
Relentless
The pace, precision and urgency from the Springboks in possession was relentless in the opening quarter and two minutes later Andre Esterhuizen scored his first Test try in his 21st Test.
The strapping centre cantered in after running an inside line after a surging incursion down the right-hand touchline and slick offloading between Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel and finally Pieter-Steph du Toit, who made the scoring pass.
Libbok’s conversion came back off the pole but he was successful from in front five minutes later when No 8 Siya Kolisi scored his 13th Test try after the Wallaby defence ran out of numbers and energy after a succession of powerful carries left a hole for the captain to pick up at a ruck and go in unopposed.
The Wallabies found a way back into the game, however.
Over-eagerness at the breakdown led to four successive penalties against the Boks and although the Wallabies were thwarted several times, left wing Dylan Pietsch scored in his corner as slick Wallaby handling from broken play found a way around the home defence.
Dance with doom
The Springboks resumed control towards end of the half but couldn’t add to their 22-5 lead, but the Wallabies struck first after the break when No 8 Harry Wilson surged onto a flat pass from Angus Bell 30 metres out to gallop in within three minutes of the restart.
What had looked to be a walk-in-the-Ellis Park turned into a dance with doom when the Wallabies got back to within one score with a quarter remaining when centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii picked off a long Libbok pass in midfield to take his team and outsprint the cover to put his team to win one score (22-19).
Six minutes later the Wallabies led through Wilson’s second try close to the poles – after a break from halfway by fullback Tom Wright – and then Max Jorgensen scored the visitors’ fifth try when he sprinted down the right touchline to score.
Wright finished in the same corner after another long-range breakout – when the Boks had looked on the point of scoring at the other end – for a fifth try the half.
When the final siren sounded the Wallabies were again on the attack. It summed up much of the last hour of the match.
SCORERS
South Africa
Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen, Siya Kolisi
Conversions: Manie Libbok (2)
Penalty: Libbok
Australia
Tries: Dylan Pietsch, Harry Wilson (2), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright
Conversions: James O’Connor (4)
TEAMS
South Africa
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit , 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse
Australia
15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 22 Tate McDermott, 23 Andrew Kellaway
Where did it all go wrong for the Springboks?
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