The Wallabies moved onto Cape Town to try and add to their win over Argentina in the last round of The Rugby Championship but didn’t get the result they wanted.
The Match
The Springboks have heaped more misery on Ewen McKenzie and Wallabies with a 28-8 win over the Wallabies in Cape Town.
The damage was done in the first half with two South African tries in quick succession proving the major difference.
The second half was much better and it could have been a bit closer if execution when the Wallabies were on attack in key areas was better and the final margin of 20 wasn’t too bad considering the opening half.
From the beginning the Wallabies were able to weather the early storm from South Africa and were the first to get on the scoreboard with an early penalty to Christian Leali’ifano.
This only sparked the Springboks into action with South Africa launching a series of high balls to test the Wallaby backline and on the back of a penalty made the surprise move to kick for touch and were rewarded with a try to hooker Adriaan Strauss from close range.
The crowd had barely sat down from that try when the Springboks scored their second with a well worked try from inside their own 22 with Zane Kirchner the recipient after being set up by JJ Engelbrecht who exploited the Wallabies forwards out in the defensive line and in the blink of an eye South Africa were up 17-3.
The Wallabies’ discipline wasn’t helping their cause and they went further behind with Morne Steyn adding a long range penalty goal as South Africa kept pace with the clock with 20 points within the same amount of time.
The game then settled into ‘forcings back’ with both sides content on kicking the ball away with South Africa coming out on top in finding the space while Nic White was only able to find opposition players.
Wallabies flanker Michael Hooper was the first player to see a yellow card from French referee Jerome Garces in the 27th minute after an attempted tackle on Eben Etzebeth went wrong as Etzebeth flipped over his shoulder. It could have been deemed harsh although in the ensuing scuffle there seemed to be more to worry about than the actual tackle itself.
Steyn added his third penalty of the game from right in front and that would be the only points South Africa would score with Hooper in the sin bin – although they did have their chances to add more to their tally.
The Wallabies had their best chance of the half to claw back the gap just before the break with another yellow card handed out by Garces, this time to South African lock Flip van der Merwe for a raised forearm in a tackle on Joe Tomane but nothing came of the lineout and the score remained 23-3 at the break.
At half time McKenzie brought on Will Genia for Nic White in an attempt to get the Wallabies back into the game and while it seemed to give the Wallabies a bit of a lift the South Africans were able to keep the Wallabies at bay.
With more substitutions called on by McKenzie, the Wallabies were getting their hands on the ball and going wide in attack but the defence of the home side was able to to absorb it without too many problems.
The Wallabies had another great chance to score again with Duane Vermeulen the third player to spend time in the sin bin for infringing in the 22 with the Wallabies on attack but from the resulting lineout Saia Fainga’a, who had just come on as a sub, couldn’t hit the mark and let South Africa off the hook.
That would come back to hurt as South Africa scored their third try of the match with winger Wille le Roux diving over in the corner despite the pressure of debutant Chris Feauai-Sautia.
In the last 10 minutes Garces handed out his fourth yellow of the night to Sitaleki Timani for using a shoulder in a ruck clean out. It seemed a harsh decision with replays showing he actually got more of Israel Folau than the opposition player.
With the game almost done, the Wallabies launched one last attack with Matt Toomua making a break. After a quick lineout that appeared to touch the assistant in the lead up, the ball was kicked across field by Quade Cooper to Feauai-Sautia on the left wing and he was given the OK from the TMO.
The Wallabies’ only try reduced the gap to 20, which was to be the final margin.
The Wallabies now head to Rosario to take on Argentina with Ewen McKenzie having plenty to think about this week.
[one_half last=”no”]
The Game Changer
Back-to-back tries from South Africa within the opening 15 minutes made the Wallabies’ task difficult.
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
The G&GR MOTM
Hard to pick one on the back of a disappointing result but again Scott Fardy showed Test rugby is made for him.
[/one_half]
The Details
Score & Scorers
[one_half last=”no”]
SOUTH AFRICA: 28
Tries: A Strauss, Kirchner, le Roux
Conversions: Steyn 2
Penalties: Steyn 3
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]AUSTRALIA: 8
Tries: Feauai-Sautia
Conversions:
Penalties: Leali’ifano
[/one_half]
Cards & Citings
Michael Hooper (AUS) – Yellow – 27th min
Flip van der Merwe (RSA) – Yellow – 40th min
Duane Vermeulen (RSA) – Yellow – 66th min
Sitaleki Timani (AUS) – Yellow – 76th min
Flip van der Merwe has been cited for his yellow card
