The Wallabies first test of 2023 is run & done. Today rugbydownunder.com newbie & self appointed Mayor of Taswegia, Keith ‘KB’ Butler who reviews all the stuff that matters.
Take it away KB:
The lead in.
Once more to the breach dear friends, once more.
This was to be Eddie’s first Aussie selection in 18 years. It contains a mixture of the familiar and unfamiliar including two Hoopers and being Eddie a couple of controversial selections in Vunivalu and Hodge. On the plus side he’s brought in a couple of rookies with the other Hooper at 6 and Nonggorr and Gordon warming the pine, so what’s not to like.
OK the Bokke may have shipped half their 1st choices off to NZ for an early holiday but this is hardly a ‘second’ team. A pack that includes Vermeulen, Du Toit, Malherbe and Kitshoff is not to be sniffed at. In the absence of Pollard, who is injured, the replacement 10 Mannie Libbok is a bit of an unknown quantity but according to the media he favours a running game and likes to attack the gain line. Maybe we’ll see something a little different from the Bokke who knows. It’s game on.
The Teams
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willemse
Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Suliasi Vunivalu, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nic White, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 David Porecki, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Matt Gibbon, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Richie Arnold, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Samu Kerevi, 23 Carter Gordon
As it happened.
2 mins both teams feeling there way penalty SA missed
7mins good try from MK good passing well finished 5-0
12 mins penalty SA offside 5-3
15 mins try SA for Arendse converted. Poor D from Wallabies but well worked try 5-10
24 mins penalty Aus missed 5-10
30 mins try SA for Arendse converted 5-17 . Costly mistakes from Aus
31mins Tom Hooper off with shoulder injury replaced by Samu.
42 mins penalty Aus from 66m. Just missed. 5-17
A fair bit of kicking. Aus making too many basic errors and look a bit flat. SA playing more expansive game. Libbok leading the line well. Aus tackles 76 SA 35. Scrum line out pretty even. SA winning the collisions.
Second Half
50 mins Arendse gets three tries converted 5-22
52 mins Hodge and Skelton off replaced by Kerevi and Arnold
54 mins Porecki pulls down driving maul and gets a 
and the Bokke a penalty try 5-29
55 mins Snyman on for Orie
56 mins Ulese on Samu off
59 mins White off McDermott on
69 mins Vunivalu deliberate knock down another and a penalty try for SA 5-36
74 mins Too much pressure from the Bokke and Steph du Toit gets a try converted 5-43
81 mins Carter Gordon gets 10 mins and scores a consolation try on debut which he converts
Final score the Bokke 43 Australia 12
I didn’t see that score line coming or the way the Bokke played their game.
They’ve added a cutting edge in the backs to the physicality that we come to expect and it paid dividends. Big games all round but standouts for me were Steph Du Toit, Vermuelen, Libbok, Esterhuizen and Arendse.
The Aussies looked shell shocked at the end. Out muscled in the scrum, knocked back in the collision’s they had no answer to the Bokke forward power. Living off scraps of possession (30%) they still kicked the pill away. Marika took his try well and chased with purpose but looked like the only back that offered a real threat. Carter Gordon came on with about 10 mins to go and looked assured. Got the line moving and took some big shots. Just got up, played on and took his consolation try well. Plenty for Eddie to mull on. The jury is still out for me on Big W. Made a couple of good steals but not that effective in the other areas he was selected for. Vunivalu was pretty ordinary. OK the high ball didn’t show much else. Hodge disappointed and I reckon he could well lose his place in the XX111 next week.
One final thought. Beware the Bokke come the Big Dance. They were damn good.
