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
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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 0-33 South Africa, 73 minutes
Come on, Australia - surely you have to get off the mark here? A knock-on from South Africa will grant them stable set-piece ball as Bongi Mbonambi re-emerges to ensure that South Africa have a suitably qualified hooker on the park.
YELLOW CARD! Marco van Staden is sent to the sin bin! Australia 0-33 South Africa, 72 minutes
The Springboks lose another man! Marco van Staden had failed to roll away at a ruck and Luke Pearce rushes to his pocket, South Africa having failed to heed his warning.
Van Staden will not return, barring a long period with the clock in the red. Malcolm Marx will, though - his yellow card stands on review and is not upgraded.
Australia 0-33 South Africa, 71 minutes
Cheslin Kolbe is the stand-in thrower for South Africa, showing off skills honed on the sevens circuit early in his career with Malcolm Marx in the bin. Bongi Mbonambi limbers up in case he is required to fill the void at a scrum as the Springboks clear to about 30 metres from their own line.
Australia 0-33 South Africa, 70 minutes
A strong finish is a must now for Australia with another meeting in Perth to come next week. Another penalty against the Springboks brings a warning from referee Luke Pearce for Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has taken on the captaincy with Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi and Eben Etzebeth off.
Ah, yet more frustration for Australia inside the South Africa 22. The maul first stalls and then crabs left, and Hollie Davidson spots a boot on the touchline. Up goes the assistant’s flag with another opportunity gone.
YELLOW CARD! Malcom Marx is sent to the sin bin! Australia 0-33 South Africa, 68 minutes
Rob Valetini is bent as he comes into contact but there’s a relatively forceful shoulder to the head of the Australian. Malcolm Marx couldn’t have got that much lower, but it meets the yellow card threshold and thus merits further review.
Off he goes for the next ten minutes at least.
Australia 0-33 South Africa, 68 minutes
Cheslin Kolbe tries to rub salt in the Wallabies’ wound with an entirely needless drop goal. No dice - sliced to the right.
And TMO Ben Whitehouse has picked out some foul play. Is Malcolm Marx in trouble fo a tackle on Rob Valetini?
Australia 0-33 South Africa, 67 minutes
Luke Reimer makes his Australia debut - these aren’t ideal circumstances for an openside to be introduced for his first cap, but a proud moment for the Brumbies back row, sparky off the bench for much of the season in Super Rugby Pacific. It feels like damage limitation mode now for the Wallabies.
TRY! Australia 0-33 SOUTH AFRICA (Kurt-Lee Arendse, 64 minutes)
Two tries in two minutes and it’s turning into a rout!
You always feared this might be coming after those missed Wallabies chances. They are cut quickly by Jesse Kriel, exploiting two tight five forwads on the edge, stepping inside Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and outside a tumbling James Slipper. Kriel has the speed to break away and the calmness of thought to slot his pass across to Kurt-Lee Arendse, who does the rest untouched.
TRY! Australia 0-28 SOUTH AFRICA (Kwagga Smith, 62 minutes)
Too much punch, too much power - four scores for the Springboks as they re-assert their authority!
The inexorable march of mean, massive men around the corner leaves Australia desperately hunting a turnover, knowing they won’t be able to resist for long. As it is, the bigger blokes do the damage and allow the muscle-bound Kwagga Smith - comparably small, though still larger than most mortals - to dart between bodies to the line.
Australia 0-21 South Africa, 60 minutes
Tate McDermott replaces Jake Gordon at scrum half as his forwards concede a lineout penalty. Marco van Staden and fellow back-row replacement Kwagga Smith punch forward with menace, and there are three advantages being played as South Africa use the hands to the left.
Has Kurt-Lee Arendse somehow tightroped the touchline and scored? No, a toe on the chalk denies him, but the Springboks have their pick of the penalties. They take the left-most of them and will set a scrum five metres out.
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