Australian rugby’s rebuild is back at ground zero after South Africa put a wrecking ball through Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies side in the first Test of the Rugby Championship, monstering them 33-7 in a torrid reality check in front of 52,019 at Suncorp Stadium.
Against the world champion Springboks, the young Australians barely fired a shot. Although they were willing in the opening minutes, the Wallabies’ familiar bogeys of ill-discipline, poor execution and unstructured tactics soon exposed them to an onslaught of hard-charging South African forwards and brilliant backline innovation.
Despite being unbeaten in three starts this year, Australia were powerless to create or apply any pressure of their own against the bullying Boks. The hosts were outplayed in every department of the game and Schmidt was out-coached, with his decision to leave winger Marike Koroibete out of the matchday 23 and strategy to kick the ball away in possession sure to be heavily scrutinised.
Conversely, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus’s trickery inspired his side’s first try. With a lineout win five metres from Australia’s line, South Africa caught it at the back then flung it to the front in one swift movement to expose Australia on the blindside and allow captain Siya Kolisi to crash over from a rolling maul in the ninth minute.
Australia needed a response but in the rare moments they found themselves in possession, the Wallabies kicked it away or handed it back with silly penalties. They threw themselves at the green line but failed to dent it. Jake Gordon’s box kicks failed to find chasers and Noah Lolesio’s kicks were inaccurate.
South Africa weren’t perfect but their power and experience strangled Australia out of the game. In the 23rd minute they dragged the Australians left and right over eight phases before Pieter-Steph du Toit tore a hole in a bunched Wallabies defence to make it 14-0. After 30 minutes Australia had still not got within 25m of South Africa’s line.
Australia capped off a horror half-hour with three penalties in a single minute. First, Hunter Paisami failed to release in contact. Then Allan Alaalatoa stood in the scrum. Then Andrew Kellaway was yellow-carded for a lifting tackle. South Africa duly gave the comedy of errors its punchline when Kurt-Lee Arendse tiptoed in, out and around the gold men who waited for someone else to make the tackle as the deficit grew to 21-0.
South Africa went to the break with their biggest half-time lead over Australia in their history. They had run for 271m against Australia’s 74m, broken 21 tackles to Australia’s seven, made five breaks to Australia’s sole split. The Wallabies led in all the wrong areas – missing 21 tackles to the Springboks’ four, and giving away eight penalties – twice as many as their rivals.
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Australia started the second half brightly but South Africa patiently reloaded their big guns. After 20 minutes of toying to-and-fro with Australia’s runners, they brought on the Bomb Squad who broke open the wobbling gold wall in the 61st minute, drawing three penalty advantages before Grant Williams spat the pip to Kwagga Smith to break two tackles and score under the posts.
A 28-0, Australia were already in disarray when the levee broke one minute later. From the restart South Africa spun the ball at speed, allowing Jesse Kriel to straighten, step and surge upfield before a sublime long ball put winger Arendse over for his second try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu landed a fourth conversion to make it 33-0.
It took the Wallabies 75 minutes to score, Hunter Paisami crossing in the corner after a last stand in the Springbok’s 22. It was just reward for the centre’s courageous rear guard effort of thunderous tackles and hard running and an optimist might claim it as a shot across the bow ahead of the rematch in Perth next week. But it was a consolation try that consoled no one. South Africa had the win, Australia only a whimper.
