Australia led 42-17 with ten minutes left, lost four players to yellow cards, and still held off a late Springbok surge to beat the world champions.
Half-time: Australia 24-17. Referee: Andrea Piardi.
- Australia scored five tries, including two from centre Len Ikitau, and led 42-17 at one stage.
- Captain Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Hunter Paisami were all yellow-carded in the closing stages.
- South Africa scored 21 unanswered points, including a penalty try, but ran out of time.
- Australia are unbeaten in six straight Tests for the first time since 2017, and new coach Les Kiss's perfect record continues.
Scoring summary
| Team | Tries | Conversions | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Len Ikitau (2), Ben Donaldson, Harry Wilson, Max Jorgensen | Ryan Lonergan (4) | Ryan Lonergan (3) |
| South Africa | Johan Grobbelaar, Edwill van der Merwe, Morné van den Berg, Ox Nché, penalty try | Handré Pollard (2), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2) | Handré Pollard (1) |
How the match unfolded
A fast start and a level first half
Pollard kicked South Africa in front after four minutes, and Lonergan levelled from 43 metres. Hooker Johan Grobbelaar then finished a driving maul to make it 10-3. Australia responded with two Ikitau tries (24' and 27'), the second from a Lonergan box kick that Suaalii chased and Ikitau gathered. Van der Merwe scored on the right wing to level at 17-17 before Ben Donaldson's try after 14 phases sent Australia in at 24-17.
Australia break away
Wilson and Max Jorgensen added second-half tries to push the lead to 42-17 with the Springboks' full-strength bench already on the field.
Four yellow cards and a wild finish
Wilson was sin-binned for a high tackle on Malcolm Marx around the 70th minute, and South Africa took a five-metre scrum to win a penalty try after a further infringement. Lonergan, Suaalii and Paisami then all saw yellow, leaving Australia with 11 players by the 76th minute. The Springboks scored through Morné van den Berg and, in the 80th minute, Ox Nché, but Australia's 11 defended the final phases to win. The final 20 minutes stretched to almost 35 because of the cards, communication issues between the officials, and an illegal attempt by South Africa to replace Eben Etzebeth, according to AP.
Analysis
Wallabies: The first 70 minutes were the story for Kiss, who said the bizarre finish should not overshadow how well his side controlled the Test. Australia scored tries from set-piece pressure, from kicking in behind, and from patient multi-phase attack. The four cards are the clear concern, and they nearly turned a 25-point lead into a defeat. With the Bledisloe Cup against New Zealand next, Kiss will want to tidy up the breakdown penalties and high tackles.
Springboks: Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes from the side that beat the All Blacks in Baltimore, and captain André Esterhuizen led the team for the first time. The Springboks made handling errors and conceded penalties early, and they were still 24-17 down at half-time. Erasmus said they “rolled the dice” but refused to use the changes as an excuse and said Australia were the stronger side on the night. The scrum and the bench, including Marx, Nché, Wilco Louw, Jasper Wiese, Lood de Jager and Feinberg-Mngomezulu, drove the late comeback.
Players who stood out
- Len Ikitau (Australia): Two first-half tries, both from patient pressure and a smart bounce.
- Ryan Lonergan (Australia): Kicked 17 points and controlled the game plan until his yellow card.
- Harry Wilson (Australia): Scored a try and captained well, then was sin-binned for a high tackle.
- Ben Donaldson (Australia): His try after 14 phases gave Australia the half-time lead.
- Edwill van der Merwe (South Africa): Scored a quick try to level the score at 17-17.
- Ox Nché and Morné van den Berg (South Africa): Scored late tries as the Springboks chased the game.
What is next
Australia face the All Blacks in Auckland on 10 October and again in Sydney on 17 October in the two-match Bledisloe Cup. The Wallabies were awarded the Mandela Challenge Plate for the first time since 2022. South Africa's next fixtures should be confirmed with the SA Rugby fixture list before you publish.
Sources
- ABC News: Wallabies vs Springboks Test, live updates from Perth
- Stuff / AP: 11-man Wallabies beat Springboks in extraordinary upset
- News24: Wallabies hold on to edge Springboks in Perth
- Washington Times / AP: Erasmus says Springboks can't blame 13 changes
- RugbyPass: Les Kiss reacts to ‘bizarre’ finish
- RugbyPass: Rassie Erasmus on the Perth chaos
- Planet Rugby: Winners and losers from the Perth Test
- Rugby Australia: Wallabies v Springboks live blog and match report
