Summary
I will be back here for the next chapter in the Bledisloe Cup rivalry, but for now I shall leave you with Angus Fontaine, Jack Snape and their thoughts from the final whistle in Perth.
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If that unbeaten run is to extend to seven matches the Wallabies will have to overcome the greatest of all rugby’s challenges: the All Blacks at Eden Park. That is a week on Saturday.
“You build good habits,” Kiss explains, when asked about a sixth match unbeaten. The Wallabies haven’t been on a run like this since 2017.
The first words Les Kiss tells the host broadcaster are words of praise for his coaching staff for keeping everyone calm. Then he moves on to hoping the fallout from the match focuses on the first 60 minutes, when Australia were dominant, than the crazy final 15 when mayhem ruled.
“Everyone’s stoked to be a part of Australian rugby,” beams Fraser McReight.
Suaalii is on Australian TV praising the impact of Les Kiss, complimenting the new coach’s calmness and man management.
That is the most points South Africa have conceded since 2017. Rassie Erasmus’ post-match comments will be fascinating.
The selection of Suaalii on the wing was the main talking point before kick-off, and it paid dividends for Les Kiss. Time and again Lonergan and Wright went to the skies for the the No 11 and his wing partner Jorgensen to collect mid-air like magnetic wrecking balls. The Springboks had no answer, and not only does it give the Wallabies a serious weapon, it has a knock on effect in open play with South Africa reluctant to engage in kicking exchanges for fear of being monstered overhead.
The stats back it up with Australia approaching 600 kick metres, South Africa just over 300.
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As Harry Wilson accepts the Nelson Mandela Plate, is it too soon to ask if the Wallabies are back? They’ve been away a while, and plumbed some depths, but the pack held its own against the very best, the backs were effervescent, the set-piece was solid, the kicking game was smart… and if they could find a No 10 they might even become contenders.
“Simply couldn’t have come at a better time for the Wallabies and Rugby Australia,” emails Marlon Maton. “Big ticket release for the World Cup coming up. That’s just massive.”
All of which occurred after Erasmus had emptied his entire interchange at the start of the second half – only to find the cupboard bare when he needed to withdraw the injured Etzebeth, and with the referee communicating to his TMO via a mobile phone after the radio communications repeatedly failed. Pure chaos.
The Wallabies were cruising at 42-17 with just 15 minutes remaining, coasting towards a statement victory over a weakened South African side, then the final quarter of an hour saw four yellow cards and the Springboks reduce the margin to just four points by the final whistle.
Nup. Absolutely no idea what that was all about. Absolutely crackers.
Full-time: Australia 42-38 South Africa
The Wallabies prevail in perhaps the craziest Test in rugby history.
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80 mins: Wilson and Lonergan return to the fray – it’s 15 v 13.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 42-38 South Africa (Nche, 80)
Australia overthrow the 10m lineout but South Africa can’t capitalise. The Wallabies regroup, milk the clock but then turn the ball over with one-out drives! The Sptingboks pour forward, surely they score this time – but it’s disjointed and they have to return to the penalty advantage. Marx taps and goes. He’s held up. Just seconds left. Nche! Yes! Is there time for the conversion? Yes! Is there time for the restart? Who knows!?
78 mins: South Africa kick to the right on the 22 and look certain to score on the left wing but Jorgensen makes a majestic tackle. Then the Springboks seem destined to score on the right edge through Marx but the defence is desperate and Wright toe pokes the ball clear!
77 mins: It is 42-31 by the way. 11 v 15.
Yellow Card! (Paisami, 77)
Australia are down to 11!
Not only does Wright’s try not count, the Wallabies are down to a football team!
76 mins: There was a high tackle earlier in the phase. Paisami on Feinberg-Mngomezulu. No. Oh no. Oh no no no…
76 mins: Hang on… Piardi’s on his cellphone again.
76 mins: I see it, but I don’t believe it. The 12 man Wallabies have just sealed the most preposterous victory! South Africa take the restart on the 22 then the 15 set about the 12 along the left touchline. Play comes infield towards the acres of empty space – but Tom Wright reads it like a book, places himself in the road, intercepts, and canters over to send the crowd into delirium! Wow!
74 mins: Yet another delay for technical reasons, this time for the scoreboard malfunctioning. What a circus.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 42-31 South Africa (van den Berg, 74)
The scrum holds, van den Berg picks up the pieces and crashes over next to the left upright. The conversion is unmissable and we have six minutes of mayhem to go!
73 mins: Piardi is talking to the two skippers, trying to calm things down, figuring out how Australia can pack a scrum with just 12 men. Play will restart with the Springboks packing down 5m from the line.
Yellow Card! (Suaalii, 73)
Australia are down to 12! I have no idea what is happening any more.
72 mins: IT IS ON! South Africa hammer downfield from the restart, carving through the undermanned defence. They reach the left corner in no time, then kick crossfield for van der Merwe to collect and touchdown – but he knocks on! Massive let-off for Australia – but hang on…
Yellow Card! (Lonergan, 71)
Australia’s scrum-half has to join his skipper in the bin. No arguments. Australia defending with 13 for the final nine minutes.
PENALTY TRY! Australia 42-24 South Africa
The scrum is unstoppable, the try is inevitable, but Australia try to spoil it on the line with Lonergan miles offside. That is as clear a penalty try as you could design… and…
71 mins: Another 5m scrum it is. What could possibly go wrong?
70 mins: Finally the scrum is fed. South Africa get the shove on, and they appear to be over the line, but Piardi is on the blindside so he has to call on his TMO for eyes in the sky. Replays show a knock-on over the line so play is called back for an earlier penalty.
The past couple of minutes of game time have taken about 15 minutes of actual time. Sometimes rugby is its own worst enemy. Piardi is back on the blower. Deary me this is a shemozzle.
Yellow Card! (Wilson, 70)
After review, Australia’s skipper has been sent to the bin for his part coming second man in and dropping his shoulder into the falling Marx. The Wallabies will have to defend with just 14 for the final ten minutes.
70 mins: The radio comms are down again, so Piardi is on an iPhone in the middle of Optus Stadium.
70 mins: The delay allows the referee to be instructed by his TMO to review that earlier Suaalii/Wilson double team.
70 mins: The scrum has to be reset, chewing up the seconds.
69 mins: Play resumes with Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicking to the right corner. Of course it’s then Etzebeth who accepts the lineout throw and sets up the maul. It’s destined for the right corner but Australia do well to hold it up. The ball comes out and two runners hit the line at searing pace – the second of whom, Marx - is clotheslined by Suaalii and finished off by Wilson’s shoulder. 5m scrum penalty under the posts.
68 mins: Discussions continue but officials seem unmoved. Etzebeth has to continue.
68 mins: There’s a delay while officials figure out what to do with Etzebeth. South Africa have emptied their bench but the big lock forward doesn’t look right. The Springboks seem to be trying to lobby for a head injury replacement.
68 mins: South Africa are stung. They up the intensity as they go through phases on the right but when they come infield Suaalii is quick at the breakdown. Play is called back to an earlier advantage near halfway. “Working Class Man” by Jimmy Barnes blares through the PA system, presumably ironically.
TRY! Australia 42-17 South Africa (Jorgensen, 66)
What is happening out there!? South Africa are imploding! For the third passage in succession a straightforward attacking play ends in calamity. This time it’s disjointed in midfield, Moodie spills a mistimed pass, and Jorgensen is first to the loose ball. He scoops up the loose pill, and hares off at warp speed, covering the 60m to the right corner in a flash, much to the delight and disbelief of the Optus Stadium crowd. This is staggering.
Lonergan finally misses from the right touchline.
64 mins: Better lineout from the Springboks this time, looping the ball long out the back and the support runners hit the 22 – but then de Jager spills in contact! Who is this team in green, and what have they done with South Africa?
62 mins: For the second time tonight a South African restart has Australia in all sorts but Wright scrambles well and the ball is cleared to the 22 – where the Springbok lineout is spoiled and a gold jersey gathers the shrapnel on the deck. This has been an uncharacteristic half from the World Cup holders.
61 mins: Are the Wallabies a proper international rugby team again?
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 37-17 South Africa (Wilson, 60)
Wilson will not be denied twice! The 5m tap and go penalty sets up another passage of manic pick-and-go grunt and shunt work and this time Wilson is too quick and strong for the South African defence.
Lonergan extends the lead to 20 (twenty) points!
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58 mins: The set-piece holds allowing Suaalii to hit the line at speed off the back. Inches from the line it’s frenzied pick and go. There’s an offside penalty advantage on the play. Gold and green jerseys mass around the line like eels wriggling in a rock pool. Can Australia find the out ball again? Yes! It’s Wilson on the left wing and he spins and rolls over in the corner! But did he creep into touch? Just! Agonising for the Wallaby skipper but play returns to the penalty advantage.
57 mins: Lonergan feeds the scrum 30m out then invites Paisami nto the line. Wilson has a smash, then it’s out to the backs for Wright to bring Potter into the fray on the left touchline. He’s hauled down just 5m from home so it’s back to the big lads. Tupou inches closer, Salakaia-Loto throws his weight around, the left corner looks inevitable – but then the whistle blows and there’s a knock-on… against green! Australia with the 5m scrum.
55 mins: Ikitau has succumbed to his pain so Potter comes on and Suaalii will shift into the centres. From the restart Australia are secure, control play for a few phases then Lonergan launches another towering box kick that Lonergan steams onto like a border collie catching a frisbee at the beach. That skill is becoming a serious weapon for the Wallabies. Play moves from right to left and scrambling on the back foot the Springboks concede their latest breakdown penalty. The No 1 side in the world are being seriously tested here. And they won’t want to see Etzebeth chugging painkillers with the bench already emptied.
Penalty! Australia 30-17 South Africa (Lonergan, 54)
Lonergan makes it six from six! Australia 13 ahead!
52 mins: More scrappy play from both sides that ends with a South Africa knock-on, then Etzebeth is penalised for an incorrect clearout. Things not going the Springboks’ way at the moment. Meanwhile Ikitau doesn’t look great, limping away from the physio after heavy contact on the ground.
50 mins: Australia’s set piece holds firm, Valetini to the fore yet again, and Lonergan clears miles downfield.
It had escaped me, but Erasmus has used his entire interchange with over half an hour to go. That is a serious bomb going off.
49 mins: This is as controlled and disciplined Australia have played against a top tier nation in a long time. And the good times continue with Jorgensen winning the clearing box kick from the restart. The Wallabies go through hands from right to left but Suaalii is stopped in his tracks and possession is kicked away. The Springboks enjoy some slow phase play on halfway before van den berg hoists a garryowen that comes down in green hands. With the home defence backtracking there’s space in behind for a kick to the left corner and a chance to execute a squeeze.
Penalty! Australia 27-17 South Africa (Lonergan, 48)
From 30m out, just to the right of the posts, Lonergan kicks Australia 10 points in front.
46 mins: Not for long though with a spilled carry and a couple of kicks ahead earning the Wallabies some ugly metres. Etzebeth tries to establish some order in his red zone but the clearing kick only reaches the 22. Australia can’t get any fluidity in their attack but South Africa are too desperate in defence with a hand in the ruck inviting Lonergan an opportunity to extend the lead.
44 mins: Williams steals the lineout! What a couple of minutes from the big second rower. Australia attack from left to right but it’s all very flat. Then they reverse direction and Suaalii gets too cute with his no-look pass and the ball is knocked on. Both teams try to counter in broken field as structure goes out of the window. For South Africa it’s Hooker tearing down the left wing, but he runs into Wilson, gets stopped in his tracks and Australia can settle things down.
43 mins: The home scrum holds allowing Donaldson to belt clear to halfway on the left.
42 mins: South Africa get the first opportunity of the half with Suaalii penalised on halfway allowing the Springboks to kick to the 22. But the lineout doesn’t go anywhere and Williams wins a massive turnover penalty. That was a big win for the Australian pack.
41 mins: The teams are back out for the second half as the warm Perth evening bleeds into a mild floodlit night.
While I find some lollies, here’s Jack Snape to get you through half-time.
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Half-time: Australia 24-17 South Africa
The Wallabies take a hard earned seven point lead into the break.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 24-17 South Africa (Donaldson, 39)
The lineout is contested but it comes down gold. Australia go through hands from left to right then Wright dabs a Messi-like through-ball to Jorgensen on the right touchline. The winger just remains infield and with momentum almost crosses the try-line. The Wallabies recycle infield then get into some serious grind, going to-to-toe with the Springboks one-out. 14 phases – then they strike! Lonergan is quick at the ruck, then it’s crisp catch and pass with precise execution to allow Suaalii to offload to Donaldson on his outside and cruise over in the left corner. That is the second magnificent try of the half from the hosts that demonstrates patience in sight of a score, decision making, and execution to go with it.
Lonergan remains 100% off the tee.
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37 mins: Donaldson pumps the ball from halfway inside the 22 on the left to set up what should be the final attacking play of the half.
37 mins: Now there’s a delay while the TMO takes a look at something. It’s a clash of heads between Hooker on Donaldson as the Australian took possession of a high ball. The tackle is fierce – and legal to begin with – but then there’s head-on-head contact so a penalty to the Wallabies; nothing more.
37 mins: Australia go from 22 to 22 from the scrum with Ikitau bursting downfield. He’s hunted down by green jerseys allowing the Wallabies to go through the phases with attacking territory but yet again it’s poor connection in midfield and the ball is knocked on. The Springboks respond by kicking behind and chasing hard, winning the ball back on the ground. Fassie senses chaos equals opportunity and dashes on the outside down the left, kicks ahead but Jorgensen is well placed and claims the mark. Breathless stuff. Brilliant running rugby from Ikitau and Fassie, superb collective defensive from the Springboks, excellent scrambling from the hosts.
35 mins: From the resulting scrum, 30m out, there’s room to the left but Fassi can’t pull in a pass that’s a fraction behind him. Ikitau’s eyes light up at the possibility of a 70m counter but he fumbles the loose ball.
33 mins: South Africa kick to halfway after Alaalatoa is penalised for head-to-head contact in the tackle. The Springboks mount a scruffy attack that is resisted powerfully by Valetini. Bell then looks to have secured clean turnover ball, only to spill it forward after doing all the hard work.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 17-17 South Africa (Van der Merwe, 30)
It’s a shootout in Perth! South Africa secure turnover ball on halfway, create a maul, and from a penalty advantage launch two beautiful passes out to the right, first from Pollard, then Moodie, splitting the Australian defence apart, then it’s textbook timing catch and pass to allow Van der Merwe to show his pace and streak into the corner.
Pollard is as consistent as Lonergan and we’re tied once more.
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CONVERTED TRY! Australia 17-10 South Africa (Ikitau, 28)
Ikitau has two in the blink of an eye! The Wallabies scrum holds and there’s a break down the right. With penalty advantage Bell and Wilson hit the line hard allowing Lonergan time to pick his spot with his boot – and that spot is 15m in front of the charging Suaalii – who leaps, spoils Fassi in the air – and Ikitau is front and square to pick up the crumbs and scamper over the line. That was very rugby league areas from the former Rooster, and also AFL at the home of the Eagles and Dockers, with the big forward bringing the ball to ground for the little fella to do his work.
Lonergan continues his great night off the boot.
26 mins: A bunch of Boks are offside from the restart so we’ll have a scrum on halfway. A chance to praise Wilson for his decision to go for the try instead of the penalty a few moments ago. It has become a feature of his captaincy.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 10-10 South Africa (Ikitau, 25)
The lineout is superb! Wilson takes it off the top and the support runners are there in a flash. Paisami is among them and looks destined to score but he’s held up on the line. Australia recycle the ball quickly and instead of repeatedly picking and going they build a short maul, draw bodies in, then shift two passes out to Ikitau to force his way over the line near the posts. Superb control and clear thinking from the Australian forwards. Lonergan completes the formalities.
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22 mins: Australia kick to the 22 on the right and begin their most promising attack of the game. Jorgensen is busy on the blindside, Wilson finds him with a lovely tap pass, then with an advantage on the play they come inside, but to no avail, and the penalty is taken. Donaldson dabs it into the corner.
20 mins: Australia continue to butcher front foot ball with Donaldson doing nothing to ease concerns the gold No 10 jersey is cursed. As play slows and one-out drives become more frenzied Lonergan box kicks high into the Perth sky for Pollard to mark spectacularly, but he is pinged very quickly after hitting the deck for holding on (see James’ recent email).
18 mins: Scrappy from both sides for a few passages, including South Africa spilling a lineout on halfway and Paenga-Amosa steaming through to earn the turnover. Australia try to go through hands but the execution is lacking again allowing the Springboks an opportunity to counter. And they go for it, sending the ball immediately out to the left wing where Valetini is required to make a despairing ankle tap to halt the momentum.
17 mins: “This ref is very quick to call a jackal penalty,” emails James in Wellington. “If I was Aussie I’d feel hard done by for that penalty leading to the try. But I’m a Kiwi so enjoying the schadenfreude.”
15 mins: The Springboks do just that, winning lineout ball, resetting, and clearing 40m. From near halfway the Wallabies try to find some combinations to wrongfoot the visiting defence but it’s all a bit too cute for Paenga-Amosa who knocks on.
13 mins: The first scrum of the match is fed by the Wallabies. It remains even, allowing Australia to attack from right touchline to left but there’s no penetration through a well marshalled defensive line. Wright dinks a kick over the back and into the right corner to force South Africa to reply from deep in their own territory.
CONVERTED TRY! Australia 3-10 South Africa (Grobbelaar, 10)
Textbook Springbok rugby! The 5m lineout is solid, the maul forms quickly, and despite Australia’s best efforts South Africa retain control, swing inside and Grobbelaar crashes over. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first XV, second, or third, the set piece DNA is irresistible.
Pollard clips over the extras.
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8 mins: Once that’s resolved South Africa create a little panic from the restart but the Wallabies regroup and Lonergan box kicks to halfway on the right. The Springboks nail the lineout and de Villiers hits the line hard. There’s quick ball for a series of short phases as the attack reaches the 22, whereupon Pollard dabs a little grubber through that is swallowed up by the home defence, but Lonergan is isolated on the ground and there’s another turnover penalty. South Africa kick to the left corner.
7 mins: Now there’s a delay to fix a breakdown in communication between Piardi and the TMO.
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Penalty! Australia 3-3 South Africa (Lonergan, 7)
Australia’s scrum-half kicks truly and the scores are level.
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5 mins: Australia get their hands on the ball on halfway off a lineout. With penalty advantage they break down the short side, the left, with Wilson crossing the gainline. Bell is in support, as is Suaalii, but South Africa get back in numbers and play is recalled for a long-range shot at goal. Can Lonergan match Pollard from near halfway? He has more of an angle to contend with.
Penalty! Australia 0-3 South Africa (Pollard, 4)
And superboot Pollard strokes over a mighty penalty from near halfway. What a weapon his goal-kicking is.
2 mins: South Africa settle things down on the left hand side, make ground with a well positioned kick, but as they try to recycle on the 22 they are penalised at the breakdown. Australia kick to halfway, win the lineout easily but as they try to expand infield Donaldson is absolutely dumped by Moodie – that was huge! The Wallabies try to keep the attack moving but they are on the backfoot and it’s no surprise when the Springboks force the turnover on the ground. It’s 50m from the posts but it looks like Pollard is going for three early points.
1 min: … and straight away the flying Suaalii leaps and claims a spectacular mark! But he’s immediately penalised on the ground. Nonetheless that was an eyecatching opening.
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Kick-off!
Ben Donaldson kicks us under way…
There are plenty of South African fans in the stands singing along to Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika. There is a healthy South African diaspora in Western Australia.
Kick-off is imminent.
Both sides are wearing their traditional jerseys this evening, Australia in gold, South Africa green. And the two sets of players are met with muted applause as they jog into the middle of Optus Stadium.
Tonight’s referee is Andrea Piardi. The Italian did not endear himself to Wallaby fans last year when he featured prominently in narrow Australian defeats to the All Blacks and British & Irish Lions. I’m sure the cheerleaders former internationals on Australian television coverage won’t be reminding us of that every time a decision goes South Africa’s way.
It’s a massive opportunity to challenge a fantastic team that is second to none in the world. An opportunity to challenge ourselves too. We won’t shy away; we’ll take it on. This 80 minutes will be a representation of where we’re at – and who we are.
That’s Wallabies coach Les Kiss, who had a chat with our own Angus Fontaine last week.
“The focus for us is physicality,” puffs Rob Valetini as he makes his way down the tunnel after the warm-up. He also suggested new winger Suaalii would be used as an aerial target.
The individual under the most scrutiny today will be Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. The 23 year old rugby league recruit has been Australia’s poster boy since his high profile code switch in 2024, performing solidly in the centres in 22 internationals without setting the world alight. He lines up on the wing today, with Hunter Paisami partnering John Eales Medal winner Len Ikitau in the midfield.
The Australian camp have been keen to stress this isn’t a demotion but an opportunity to get the powerful runner into the action in areas where he has more room to express himself. Michael Hooper on TV says he expects Suaalii to swing off his wing at times to provide attacking impetus, especially on the counter when he isn’t required to hold width as an aerial target.
Competition for places in the Wallaby backline is fierce – and that’s before the returning Mark Nawaqanitawase comes into the equation – with Jordan Petaia and Zac Lomax also looming as possible World Cup wildcards.
Evening conditions in Perth are fine. Temperatures are in the high teens, there’s little wind, and despite a few showers blowing through during the day there should be no concerns over the playing surface. It is an oval stadium designed for cricket and Australian Rules football so the crowd is a little way back from the touchlines.
The Wallabies are enjoying their first five-match unbeaten streak since 2021, a run that includes a morale boosting series victory in Argentina.
The Springboks are coming off a monumental four match series against the All Blacks. Their 3-1 victory further cemented their status as World Cup favourites.
Team News
Australia: The Wallabies’ travails at No 10 continue with Carter Gordon breaking his leg against the Pumas last time out. Les Kiss considered veterans James O’Connor and Bernard Foley as replacements but opted instead for Ben Donaldson. There is no replacement five-eighth on the bench with Kiss opting for a 6-2 interchange split.
Those younger guys, we’re trying to make sure we get them upskilled, [have] them understand how they can lead the game and drive it forward.
Part of the thinking was ensuring that those guys can have a bit of blue sky and make sure they take the team and the game forward the way that we’d like to. And we know that we can always, always lean back into the experience if we need to.
Donaldson will be invited to organise an increasingly settled and formidable looking squad. The only experiment to the starting XV tonight sees regular centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii starting on the wing.
In-form lock Josh Canham was named in the original run-on side but was ruled out yesterday with a minor hamstring strain. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto takes the No 4 jersey with Lachie Shaw coming onto the bench.
Springboks: The bruising four match clash against New Zealand included a deciding contest in Baltimore just a fortnight ago, so it came as little surprise when Rassie Erasmus named a virtual second XV for this standalone fixture, making 13 changes to his starting XV. Among the big names watching from home or in the Optus Stadium stands will be Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Thomas du Toit.
We rolled the dice a little bit against the All Blacks by [selecting] consistently the same team. We obviously were getting some momentum as [the series went] on longer, but if we keep on doing that, how would we know when we get to the Nations Championship at the end of the year, or at the World Cup next year, what can the next guy do?
South Africa XV
Springboks: 15. Aphelele Fassi, 14. Edwill van der Merwe, 13. Canan Moodie, 12. Andre Esterhuizen (c), 11. Ethan Hooker, 10. Handre Pollard, 9. Herschel Jantjies, 8. Marco van Staden, 7. Elrigh Louw, 6. Paul de Villiers, 5. Franco Mostert, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Zachary Porthen, 2. Johan Grobbelaar, 1. Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Replacements: 16. Malcolm Marx, 17. Ox Nche, 18. Wilco Louw, 19. Lood de Jager, 20. Jasper Wiese, 21. Morne van den Berg, 22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23. Quan Horn.
Australia XV
Wallabies: 1. Angus Bell 2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa 3. Allan Alaalatoa 4. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 5. Jeremy Williams 6. Rob Valetini 7. Fraser McReight 8. Harry Wilson (c) 9. Ryan Lonergan 10. Ben Donaldson 11. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 12. Hunter Paisami 13. Len Ikitau 14. Max Jorgensen 15. Tom Wright.
Interchange: 16. Billy Pollard 17. Aidan Ross 18. Taniela Tupou 19. Lachie Shaw, 20. Tom Hooper 21. Carlo Tizzano 22. Tate McDermott 23. Harry Potter
With The Rugby Championship on hiatus and this fixture falling outside the Nations Championship windows, the prize on offer tonight is the Mandela Challenge Plate. First fought over in 2000, the Springboks have held the trophy since 2023.
Sunday night’s clash between the Wallabies and South Africa in Perth marks a year from the start of the home World Cup, which will kick off with the Wallabies playing at the same venue.
The date with the mighty Springboks is also the first match under Wallabies coach Les Kiss against one of the traditional rugby powers.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Australia v South Africa from Perth. Kick-off at Optus Stadium is scheduled for 5.45pm local time (7.45pm AEST).
On paper this is a mismatch: the Springboks, the standout side in the sport, against the seventh-ranked Wallabies, a team with just one win against either South Africa or New Zealand in four years. But on the field the Boks will be showcasing their second string, and they will be facing an Australian team on a rare five-game unbeaten run under the stewardship of new coach Les Kiss.
After years in the doldrums the Wallabies are on an upward trajectory with Kiss building on the foundations laid by predecessor, Joe Schmidt. There is now Test quality all over the park, an abundance of weapons, and plenty of depth. Albeit with one significant caveat: the absence of a leading fly-half.
After putting 50 points on Italy and Japan over the winter, Australia found their level with a narrow victory and a draw away to Argentina. They will take confidence into a spring program featuring the Springboks in Perth and a Bledisloe Cup double header, before rounding off the year with a four game tour of the northern hemisphere.
While the Wallabies might be on their way up, the Springboks are already at the very summit. Their World Rugby rating is second only to the 2016 All Blacks and they’ve tuned up by defeating New Zealand 3-1 in a blockbuster series.
But the Greatest Rivalry™️ took its toll and in its aftermath Rassie Erasmus has decided to rest a host of star names. Will that mean a demonstration of his side’s fearsome strength in depth? Or will it allow Australia the chance to put the rugby world on notice?
I’ll be back with final team lists and more shortly. Please send me your emails and keep me company throughout the evening. The address is [email protected].
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