It wasn’t a Test for rugby romantics, and even for more prosaic watchers, this was hard going. The 30-12 win for the Springboks over the Wallabies in Perth will soon be forgotten as a spectacle, but the result will resonate for a long time. The Boks are now on track to win the 2024 Rugby Championship.
This victory marked the first time the Springboks have claimed back-to-back wins over the Wallabies in Australia on consecutive weekends in the professional era. It also secured the Mandela Challenge Plate for South Africa. More importantly, the four tries the Boks scored at Optus Stadium ensured they claimed a maximum haul of 10 log points from their first two matches of the Championship.
The match was played under horrendous conditions, with heavy showers adding to the consistent rain that had fallen throughout the day in Perth. These conditions made for a treacherous game. When Australia suffered several front-row injuries, the match was reduced to uncontested scrums early in the second half, further robbing it of any shape.
The defining aspect of the game was the Boks’ rolling maul, particularly in the second half. Flanker Marco van Staden and hooker Malcolm Marx (twice) scored three tries between them after halftime, effectively ending the contest after fullback Aphelele Fassi’s first-half strike.
While the Boks and coach Rassie Erasmus won’t complain about the result and the five log points, this performance was mediocre at best. The conditions and team selections may have played a part, but there were several moments that left much to be desired. Flank Pieter-Steph du Toit, replacement scrumhalf Grant Williams, lock Ruan Nortje, and Malcolm Marx were among the few who stood out. The rest of the team, however, will likely not add this game to their highlight reels.
Erasmus, reflecting on the match, noted, “The weather was challenging, we lost our captain early on with concussion, and we made 10 changes to the starting team, but that didn’t disrupt the team, so overall it was a pleasing result.”
Mistakes were a major feature of the game. The Boks spurned two great chances within 90 seconds of each other in the first half, lost three lineouts, struggled with restarts, and even conceded a dubious scrum penalty.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu dropped a simple pass from Cheslin Kolbe with a clear tryline ahead, while wing Makazole Mapimpi was denied a try by a strong cover tackle from Wallaby fullback Tom Wright. Late in the game, centre Jesse Kriel spilled the ball on the tryline, missing another scoring opportunity.
Erasmus’s gamble to make 10 changes from the Brisbane game paid off in terms of the result, but the performance lacked the high standards the Boks have set. The conditions made it difficult for the new men to impose themselves, leaving many of them unable to make a statement.
Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg and hooker Johan Grobbelaar struggled in the messy conditions, while Feinberg-Mngomezulu, despite landing two penalties and a conversion, battled to adapt. Captain Salmaan Moerat was forced off after only 20 minutes due to injury.
As the Boks turned the screw in the second half, the penalties against Australia mounted, allowing South Africa to rely on their powerful maul as their preferred attacking weapon. When set up correctly, the Wallabies were powerless to stop it. This dominance highlighted the Wallabies’ struggles, as they were outmatched by the Bok power, despite their commitment and effort.
The Springboks are now in pole position in the Rugby Championship, and their next matches will be crucial in securing the title. For the Wallabies, this game served as a harsh reminder of the gap they must bridge to compete at the highest level.
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