Australia v South Africa LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as dominant Springboks rout Wallabies
Australia 7-33 South Africa: The world champions showed their superiority at Suncorp Stadium to open their Rugby Championship campaign with a win
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
South Africa showed their strength in a dominant performance as they kicked off the Rugby Championship with a 33-7 win over Australia in Brisbane.
The Wallabies had been three wins from three under new head coach Joe Schmidt, but were comfortably second best at Suncorp Stadium, unable to match the world champions’ set-piece superiority and physical edge. The Springboks were in total control for the entire contest, scoring thrice before half time having won the territorial battle, and adding two more tries after the interval to make totally certain as hot-stepping wing Kurt-Lee Arendse capitalised with a couple of scores.
Australia had their chances in the second half, but will rue their profligacy inside the visitors’ 22, coughing up possession repeatedly in advanced areas. For a young side in rebuilding mode after Schmidt’s appointment, there were signs of encouragement defensively but the hosts’ kicking game and attacking accuracy was short of the standards required to match Rassie Erasmus’ fearsome side.
The pair will meet again in Perth next week with the Springboks seeking just a second Rugby Championship crown since Argentina’s addition to the competition as they look to unseat defending champions New Zealand.
Follow all the latest reaction from Suncorp Stadium below:
Australia 0-21 South Africa, 37 minutes
Nothing is clicking for Australia. Noah Lolesio makes a half-break and enters South Africa’s 22 for the first time, but the clearout crew are slow to get to him, and are penalised for eventually coming in at the side door.
It appears Andrew Kellaway’s card will remain a yellow - he’ll be back in a couple of minutes to restore the Wallabies to full complement.
TRY! Australia 0-21 SOUTH AFRICA (Kurt-Lee Arendse try, 35 minutes)
Kurt-Lee Arendse dances through the debris for a third South African score!
Quite magical footwork from Arendse but give the credit to the Springboks pack! The scrum detonates their Australian counterparts, blowing them to smithereens, gold jerseys strewn across the Suncorp Stadium surface. A loose pass leaves Arendse with plenty to do but he picks his route, finding spaces and soft spots as he beats about five would-be tacklers in quick succession to dot down underneath the posts.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has his third conversion of the half.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 33 minutes
Seven penalties against Australia. The Springboks scrum again.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 32 minutes
The relief is only temporary, though - Hunter Paisami makes an outstanding clearing carry to create space for a kick but a teammate goes off their feet resourcing the ruck. Six penalties against Australia now; South Africa opt for a scrum.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 32 minutes
The same set-piece routine from South Africa that brought joy earlier, though this time Siya Kolisi springs free and connects with Malcolm Marx. Jake Gordon gets in the way of the hooker and somehow stops him scoring - and a knock-on on the deck from Marx will allow Australia to breathe a sigh of relief.
YELLOW CARD! Andrew Kellaway is sent to the sin bin! Australia 0-14 South Africa, 30 minutes
It meets the yellow card threshold - Andrew Kellaway is off to the sin bin! He’d just twisted Cobus Reinach up into the air after the scrum half bent over to collect at the base of the ruck, and a dangerous landing will give the bunker official plenty to mull in the eight minutes he has to decide if the sanction should be upgraded to red.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 30 minutes
Noah Lolesio did take Le Roux early, but it’ll be nothing more than a penalty. TMO Ben Whitehouse’s work isn’t done, though - he’s spotted something else to take a look at.
A lifting tackle on Cobus Reinach. This will be interesting...
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 30 minutes
It’s one-way traffic. South Africa enter Australia’s 22 again and bash their way ever closer. Now, was that a tackle off the ball? It hits the deck as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Willie le Roux look to connect in close contact, and it appears the full-back may just have been taken too soon to force the spill...
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 29 minutes
Willie le Roux implores Luke Pearce to send his grounding upstairs for a check, the full-back believing he’d got a hand to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s kick before Tom Wright had shepherded it out of play. He hadn’t, as TMO Ben Whitehouse confirms quickly, though you can understand why Le Roux might have felt he had as he grasped blindly around Wright’s back.
Australia 0-14 South Africa, 27 minutes
Australia need to reset. They’ve lost wing Filipo Daugunu to injury, with Dylan Pietsch on, and there are a few anxious looks at one another as they search for a route into the contest. They’ve not even had 30% of the territory and are yet to make an entry into South Africa’s 22 - some of their defensive work has been strong, but the game is rumbling away from them.
An early change for the Springboks, with Bongi Mbonambi a little sore. His injury, which doesn’t look serious on first view, prompts the introduction of Malcolm Marx, a rather useful bench option.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments