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Springboks maul Wallabies in Brisbane to set up Rugby Championship title challenge

Springboks maul Wallabies in Brisbane to set up Rugby Championship title challenge
Pieter-Steph du Toit pinches a Wallaby lineout Lukhan Salakaia-Loto during the Rugby Championship at Suncorp Stadium on 10 August 2024. (Photo: Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
Craig Ray
By Craig Ray
10 Aug 2024
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The Boks scored five tries on their way to a resounding 33-7 win over Australia in Brisbane.

Not even losing two key players before kickoff, and three yellow cards in the match, could derail a good, at times even excellent, Springbok performance in Brisbane, as they thrashed the Wallabies 33-7 at Lang Park. 

Lock RG Snyman had been under an unspecified “injury niggle” despite being named in the squad. Coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed that Ruan Nortje was on standby to start. 

By Friday, it emerged that Snyman would not make the team and Nortje was elevated to the starting lineup, only to suffer injury in the captain’s run. 

With lock stocks dwindling, Pieter-Steph du Toit was asked to start at No 5, with Salmaan Moerat coming on to the bench and Ben-Jason Dixon starting at blindside flank.

The disruptions made no noticeable negative impact. The Bok scrum smashed the hapless Wallaby eight and the rejigged lineout still produced some smart variations that led to the opening try of the match for Siya Kolisi. The value of a larger 45-man squad was plain to see. 

Bok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit on the charge against the Wallabies in Brisbane. The Boks won 33-7. (Photo: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images)



In all, the Boks scored five tries and equalled their biggest winning margin — 26 points — in Brisbane, matching the 38-12 win at Lang Park in 2013.  

 It gave the Boks a bonus point victory and ensures that they will keep the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate. 

Read more: Time is right for Boks to end Rugby Championship title drought

Most importantly, it has set them up to win the Rugby Championship for the first time in five years. 

As Kolisi said in the build-up: “We can’t win the title here [Brisbane], but we can lose it.”

They are off to a fast start and are in the hunt now, with a rematch against the Wallabies in Perth next week to come.

Room for improvement 


While a massive win in Australia is not to be taken lightly, the Boks will feel like there is room for improvement.

They lost a couple of lineouts and squandered some try-scoring chances — especially in the first half — while their discipline also wilted. 

There were yellow cards for hooker Malcolm Marx after he hit Wallaby flank Rob Valetini high, one for flank Marco van Staden for repeated infringements and another for Jesse Kriel, who was accused of a deliberate knock-on. 

All those cards were issued by referee Luke Pearce in the final quarter and it allowed the Wallabies the chance to avoid the embarrassment of a shut out, thanks to a late Hunter Paisami try when the Bok defence simply ran out of numbers. 

No 6 Siya Kolisi celebrates the Boks' opening try during the Rugby Championship match against Australia at Lang Park on 10 August 2024 in Brisbane. (Photo: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images)



But between Australia’s minor flourish at the end and the kickoff, it was pretty much all the Springboks.

The Wallabies scarcely escaped their own territory in a claustrophobic first half. Their inexperienced team found out first-hand what Springbok pressure, with and without the ball, feels like. 

Kolisi’s ninth-minute try was the least the Boks deserved from the opening salvos as they piled on set piece pressure and gratefully gobbled up the Wallabies’ inaccurate kicking. 

It was a mystery that the home team kicked away their rare attacking ball in the first half. The plan of trying to turn the Bok pack failed because their kicking game had no accuracy. Bok defenders had eons of time to deal with the aerial assault. 

The Boks, in turn, initially stuck to their strengths, keeping it close with one-off runners, but gradually they opened up.

Flank Kwagga Smith scores the Springboks' fifth try against the Wallabies in Brisbane. (Photo: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images)


Wrecking ball impact 


Prop Ox Nche, who scrummed with his usual wrecking ball impact, must be eating a few more salads these days because he has become a deft offloader in the tackle. 

His little out-the-back passes were worthy of the best flyhalf, adding to the general sense that this Boks team is only scratching the surface of its full potential.

Kolisi himself had a strong game, while No 8 Elrigh Louw was also eye-catching as he carried over the advantage line almost at will. Lock Eben Etzebeth popped up in the trams often to ask some really tough questions of the Wallaby defence, and Du Toit marauded with his usual manic intensity.

Read more: Glimpse of Bok future as Rassie picks Feinberg-Mngomezulu to start against Wallabies

Behind the dominant pack the backline had a foundation to excel, and they did for the most part. 

Centres Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel just keep maturing classily as a combination and as individuals — both bringing defensive tungsten and attacking silk.

Bok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is tackled by Jake Gordon of the Wallabies during The Rugby Championship match on 10 August 2024 in Brisbane. (Photo: Matt Roberts / Getty Images)



Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, starting a Test for the first time, easily delivered the performance Erasmus was looking for with some deft touches and steely defence. His beautiful pass to a rampaging Du Toit for the game’s second try was gorgeous to behold. 

And he landed four conversions, after making a pig’s ear of his first kick — a penalty attempt from in front. 

Earlier Feinberg-Mngomezulu spliced open the Wallaby defence with a strong and silky run, which should’ve ended in a try. But instead ended down a blind alley when Willie le Roux failed to pass to the open Cheslin Kolbe outside him.

Maestros Kolbe and Arendse 


Speaking of Kolbe, is there anything he can’t do? He fed the first scrum of the match, with scrumhalf Cobus Reinach deployed to centre for the move that ended in a penalty to the Boks. Kolbe later fed a lineout with Marx in the sin bin and in between he made darting runs, accurate kicks and strong tackles. He is a rare talent. 

And in the same theme, opposite wing Kurt-Lee Arendse was magnificent again, scoring two tries, to bring his tally to 17 in 19 Tests. His first was a brilliant, jinking run through the Wallaby forwards. It looked like a speedboat cutting through oil tankers.

His second came after Kriel beat three defenders with some great stepping, before delivering another pass of high quality to put Arendse into five metres of space with 25-metres to the line. There was only ever going to be one winner as the Wallaby cover defence ate dust. 

And replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams deserves a mention because he provided some good tempo when he entered the battle. His delayed pass to put Kwagga Smith in a hole for the Boks’ fourth try — and the bonus point — was art. 

Pieter-Steph du Toit pinches a Wallaby lineout Lukhan Salakaia-Loto during The Rugby Championship at Lang Park on 10 August 2024. (Photo: Matt Roberts / Getty Images)



This was the start the Boks wanted and needed, and they can build from here. 

For Joe Schmidt and the Wallabies, it was a huge bucket of cold water after a July series win over Wales. The Boks are different gravy and, while the Aussies have to be realistic as they are in a rebuilding phase, the level they need to attain is some way off.

But as they say, a week in Test rugby is a long time. The Boks must remind themselves of that as they prepare for Perth. DM

Scorers:


Australia – Try: Hunter Paisami. Conversion: Tom Lynagh.

South Africa – Tries: Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse (2), Kwagga Smith. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (4)

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