Australia vs South Africa LIVE: Rugby Championship result and final score as Wallabies beat Springboks
The Wallabies and Springboks met in Adelaide looking to bounce back from defeats last time out
Australia bounced back from a humiliating loss in their last outing to beat world champions South Africa 25-17 at Adelaide Oval on Saturday to move to the top of the Rugby Championship standings.
Flanker Fraser McReight scored two tries and Man of the Match Marika Koroibete also crossed, with Noah Lolesio adding 10 points from the kicking tee in an assured performance at flyhalf.
The Springboks, looking for a first win over the Wallabies in Australia since 2013, besieged the home try line for lengthy periods, but Handre Pollard’s penalty was their only reward until Kwagga Smith scored two tries in the last five minutes.
Argentina, who topped the standings after thrashing Australia 48-17 in San Juan two weeks ago, take on the All Blacks in Christchurch in the second match of the round later on Saturday.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 38 minutes
That is some cover tackle from Marika Koroibete! South Africa’s maul transfer goes wrong but there is a load of room on the far side with Tom Wright still in the bin.
Lukhanyo Am produces a delicious pass to put Makazole Mapimpi into space, and the rapid wing looks set to score as Reece Hodge strains in vain to get across.
But as Mapimpi leaps for the line, Koroibete arrives like a freight train having tracked across on a long-haul service from the opposite wing. He thumps into Mapimpi, sending both ball and man spilling into touch.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 37 minutes
Australia collapse the maul, and receive another warning about their discipline. South Africa fancy another go.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 35 minutes
The crowd begins to get excited as a South African mishandle is hacked ahead by an Australian toe with Fraser McReight in hot pursuit, but the flanker had been offside in rushing up to shut down the space. Another penalty - another five-metre lineout.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 34 minutes
The sloppiness continues - Folau Fainga’a’s lineout is not straight.
And South Africa’s scrum gets revenge. Handre Pollard prods into the hosts’ 22.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 32 minutes
South Africa spot an unsecured ball at the base of an Australian ruck, and have it back.
There should be space in open pasture with the Wallabies shorn of Tom Wright, but South Africa just get a little condensed in the wide channels. Pieter-Steph du Toit shifts it on with little delay as he nears the touchline but Warrick Gelant had stalled his run to try and bite back on a switch, and the pass sails harmlessly into touch.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 31 minutes
Australia whoop - penalty awarded their way! I thought James Slipper was a touch unlucky to be penalised at the last scrum, with Frans Malherbe appearing to slip his bind and drive on the angle, but this time the Wallabies’ skipper gets the call as he and his tight five show their steel at a crucial juncture.
Yellow card! Tom Wright is sent to the sin bin! Australia 10-3 South Africa, 30 minutes
Cynical stuff from the Wallabies wing, nary a metre back from Vermeulen as he taps and targets the line. Off he will go for a ten-minute sit down after his teammates somehow hold South Africa up.
The Springboks will take a scrum and attempt to again turn the screw, with Australia now a man short in the backline.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 29 minutes
The battle between Frans Malherbe and James Slipper is a right mess, with the South Africa tighthead eventually rewarded.
Duane Vermeulen taps and darts for the line - surely Tom Wright isn’t back ten!...
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 28 minutes
The first attempt at a stable scrum spins on its axis. Reset.
Australia 10-3 South Africa, 27 minutes
Tapped back by Australia and Eben Etzebeth nearly gets his great paw on it! Etzebeth showed an impressive turn of speed to nearly beat Nic White to the bouncing ball, his longer arm reaching through White’s hands but not quite getting there first.
Carried back and grounded in-goal, so it will be a South Africa scrum five metres out.
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