Boks make unwanted history at Ellis Park
MATCH REPORT: The Springboks made unwanted history at Ellis Park by squandering a 22-0 lead as the Wallabies upset the hosts at the iconic venue for the first time since 1963 by 38-22.
The Springboks’ physicality and speed early on made it seem as if the Wallabies were in for a long day, but the visitors showed great fight and determination to stun the world champions at their fortress.
The Wallabies fought hard throughout the match and showed great character, with their transition play and breakdown work a key area of their victory.
The Boks, on the other hand, will look back at their missed opportunities, having been close to the Wallabies’ line without converting.
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The Boks’ kicking game put Australia under constant pressure early on, entering their red zone with ease during the opening 10 minutes of the clash.
The Springboks showed their intent to run the ball from the outset, putting the Wallabies under pressure that led to Kurt-Lee Arendse getting onto the scoreboard within the first two minutes of the match. Manie Libbok slotted the conversion.
Fullback Aphelele Fassi overcooked his kick moments later after a solid build-up on attack by the hosts that provided Australia a line-out in opposition territory.
Len Iketau kicked the ball into the Boks’ 22-metre area, which Edwill van der Merwe fielded under pressure. However, the Boks won a penalty for a high shot on Van Der Merwe.
Malcolm Marx won a breakdown penalty in the eighth minute, which Libbok lined up and slotted to extend the hosts’ lead to 10 points after nine minutes of play.
The Boks scored their second try of the afternoon after Manie Libbok received a long pass to Jesse Kriel, who in turn found Pieter-Steph du Toit.
The big lock got his pass away to Esterhuizen, who went over for the try in the 13th minute. Libbok’s conversion went off the upright and away.
James O’Connor found touch outside the Boks’ 22 metre area off which the Boks attacked for multiple phases before Australia turned it over, but the Wallabies lost the ball and the hosts continued their onslaught.
Moments later, under a penalty advantage, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who made his debut in the No.8 jersey, sliced through the Australian defence and dotted down for the Boks’ third try in the 17th minute, which Libbok converted.
Flanker Marco van Staden went off in the 18th minute for a head injury assessment and was replaced by Kwagga Smith.
Australia won a penalty for holding on and had a rare attacking opportunity in the Boks’ half, and won the line-out throw over the 15 metre mark.
The visitors attacked and won another penalty, this time in front of the posts for an illegal tackle.
The Wallabies, however, opted to roll the dice as O’Connor went for the line-out inside the Boks’ 22, but the throw-in was not straight as Eben Etzebeth applied the pressure by contesting in the air.
Australia won their fourth breakdown penalty, which has been an area of concern for the Springboks during the Incoming Series as the visitors started to grow into the match.
The Wallabies went for the line-out inside the Boks’ 22 metre area and launched their attack, and earned another penalty advantage as Kwagga Smith was caught with hands in the ruck.
The penalty advantage wasn’t needed as the Wallabies got the ball wide through O’Connor, who found Iketau, who subsequently got his offload away to Dylan Pietsch, who opened the visitors’ account in the 28th minute. O’Connor missed the conversion.
Van Staden, meanwhile, returned to the pitch in the 31st minute after passing his HIA.
Moments later, Andre Esterhuizen made a solid break, but the Boks got penalised for obstruction.
Siya Kolisi went down in the 32nd minute for medical attention to his leg and knee area, as Dylan Pietsch was replaced for an injury to his cheek.
The Boks turned the tempo up again after a lukewarm period, attacking strongly and stretching the Wallabies’ defence.
Centre Andre Esterhuizen was tackled just short of the line in the 36th minute, but the Boks got penalised for being off their feet at the breakdown, squandering another scoring opportunity.
The Boks had another attacking line-out, but Nick Frost stole the ball before O’Connor kicked the ball long but too deep as it went over the dead-ball line, gifting the hosts an attacking scrum outside their 22 metre area.
The Boks earned a scrum penalty after a dominant shove, and Manie Libbok set a line-out inside the Australia 22 metre area.
The Boks failed to secure possession, and Nick White cleared the ball into touch as the siren sounded for half-time.
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The second half started with a third line-out loss as Harry Wilson stole possession, which was followed by a penalty to the visitors for offside.
O’Connor found touch inside the Boks’ 22 metre area and launched their attack before Wilson cut through the hosts’ defence for their second try in the 43rd minute, which O’Connor converted to make it a 10-point game.
The Boks attacked strongly moments after the Wilson try, but a knock-on on the five-metre line of Australia squandered the scoring opportunity.
Libbok executed a cross-field kick, which Tom Wright read like a book and knocked on, earning the Boks a scrum, which resulted in a relieving penalty to the Boks.
Libbok opted for the corner, and Malcolm Marx found Pieter-Steph du Toit before going wide on attack, but Australia won a penalty for holding on.
The Wallabies got a kick ahead through O’Connor, which Max Jorgenson regathered, resulting in a penalty for offside to the Wallabies and a team warning to the hosts.
O’Connor went to the corner, but Pieter-Steph du Toit stole the ball, which Grant Williams cleared just short of the Boks’ 22 metre line.
That steal was followed up by a steal by Etzebeth at the following line-out as the Boks went wide, but Damian Willemse overran the pass as the ball went into touch.
Australia attacked but lost the ball, and the Boks had a defensive scrum on their 10-metre line off which the hosts attacked and worked themselves into the Wallabies’ 22 before Willemse knocked the ball on.
The Boks attacked and went wide, but a wide ball by Manie Libbok got intercepted by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who went over under the posts to score in the 58th minute, which James O’Connor converted.
The Wallabies hit the front for the first time when the Boks lost the ball in contact on attack as Tom Wright made a line-break to set captain Wilson up for a brace in the 64th minute, which O’Connor converted.
The proverbial nail in the coffin came when O’Connor got a wide ball to Max Jorgenson, who sprinted down the touchline to dot down for Australia’s fifth of the afternoon, which James O’Connor converted to make it an 11-point game with 13 minutes to play.
Cobus Reinach sniped and got the Boks into the Wallabies’ red zone, but the ball got turned over again.
A sequence of chaos occurred where the Boks looked set to strike back when Esterhuizen got a ball on the edges before losing possession, but the ball got intercepted by Tom Wright, who outpaced Damian Willemse to score their sixth try of the evening, which put them in the bonus point race. James O’Connor slotted the conversion.
Manie Libbok’s restart didn’t go the required 10 metres, which led to a Wallabies scrum off, and James O’Connor nailed a 50/22 kick.
The Wallabies attacked with a minute to go, but the Boks managed to hold the ball up to avoid another Wallabies score.
Tate McDermott kicked the ball into the main stands to break a 14-year drought on South African soil.
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Player of the match: Fraser McReight – The loose forward completed 20 tackles, the most in the match, which was key to the Wallabies’ success on the day
Villian of the match: Malcolm Marx – The Bok hooker missed several line-outs, as did Bongi Mbonambi, which is concerning as they are the two most experienced in their position in their team.
Scorers:
For South Africa:
Tries: Arendse, Esterhuizen, Kolisi,
Cons: Libbok 2
Pen: Libbok
For Australia:
Tries: Pietsch, Jorgensen, Wilson 2, Suaalii, Wright
Cons: O’Connor 4
Teams:
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit , 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.
Australia: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 James O’Connor, 9 Nic White, 8 Harry Wilson (captain), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Taniela Tupou, 2 Billy Pollard, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tane Edmed, 22 Tate McDermott, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: James Doleman (New Zealand), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
Picture credit: @JohanOrton
