Sloppy Boks pay the penalty against clinical Wallabies

A high-paced, high-powered start from the Springboks that saw them soar into a 22-0 lead in less than 20 minutes came to nought as a superb fightback by Australia carried them to a 38-22 victory (half-time 22-5) in the opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match of the campaign at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The Boks scored three unanswered tries in a sparkling opening stanza but a mounting penalty county and an impressively resilient performance by the Wallabies saw them score six tries to record their first win at the famous old ground for more than half a century.

The Springboks had looked set to record a comfortable victory in the opening period as they surged into a commanding lead and although they frequently found themselves in the red zone, they were unable to add to the powerful start.

Instead, the Wallabies ended a run of four successive defeats by the Boks at the same time as inflicting the heaviest defeat on the Springboks since Rassie Erasmus returned to lead the coaching team in 2018.

In the super-charged atmosphere of Ellis Park (that was nowhere near full), the Springboks made a super-charged start with flawless rugby from the kick-off into their own 22 ending in a try for Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing) at the opposite end of the field in just 96 seconds.

The Boks secured the restart through Lood de Jager; the box kick from the ruck was lost forward by Aussie fullback Tom Wright and the Boks recycled possession through multiple phases first right and then left for the wing to trot over untouched.

Manie Libbok converted from 10 metres in from the left touchline and then added a penalty goal from 40 metres – straight in front – for a ‘not releasing’ penalty to take the led to 10-0 in as many minutes.

The pace, precision and urgency from the Springboks in possession was relentless in the opening quarter and two minutes later Andre Esterhuizen scored his first Test try in his 21st Test.

The strapping centre cantered in after running an inside line after a surging incursion down the right-hand touchline and slick offloading between Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel and finally Pieter Steph du Toit, who made the scoring pass.

Libbok’s conversion came back off the post but he was successful from in front five minutes later when No 8 Siya Kolisi scored his 13th Test try after the Wallaby defence ran out of numbers and energy after a succession of powerful carries left a hole for the captain to pick up at a ruck and go in unopposed.

The Wallabies found a way back into the game, however.

Over-eagerness at the breakdown led to four successive penalties against the Boks and although the Wallabies were thwarted several times, left wing Dylan Pietsch scored in his corner as slick Wallaby handling from broken play found a way around the home defence.

The Boks resumed control towards end of the half but couldn’t add to their 22-5 lead but the Wallabies struck first after the break when No 8 Harry Wilson surged onto a flat pass from Angus Bell 30 metres out to gallop in within three minutes of the restart.

What had looked to be a walk-in-the-(Ellis) Park turned into a dance with doom when the Wallabies got back to within one score with a quarter remaining when centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii picked off a long Libbok pass in midfield to take his team and outsprint the cover to put his team to win one score (22-19).

Six minutes later the Wallabies led through Wilson’s second try close to the poles – after a break from halfway by Wright – and then Max Jorgensen scored the visitors’ fifth try when he sprinted down the right touchline to score.

Wright finished in the same corner after another long-range breakout – when the Boks had looked on the point of scoring at the other end – for a fifth try the half.

When the final siren sounded the Wallabies were again on the attack. It summed up much of the last hour of the match.

Score

Springboks 22 (22) – Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen, Siya Kolisi. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2). Penalty: Libbok.

Australia 38 (5) – Tries: Dylan Pietsch, Harry Wilson (2), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright. Conversions: James O’Connor (4).