Australia produced a comeback for the ages to overturn a 22-point deficit and defeat South Africa 38-22 in the opening round of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The Springboks raced into a 22-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes with tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen and Siya Kolisi, while Manie Libbok added two conversions and a penalty. At that stage, the world champions looked set for a routine victory.
But the Wallabies, showing remarkable resilience, fought back to record their first win at the famous Johannesburg venue in more than 50 years — and hand the Boks their heaviest defeat since Rassie Erasmus returned as head coach in 2018.
Boks Blitz Early
The match began in explosive fashion as Arendse crossed after just 96 seconds, finishing a sweeping move that started deep in South Africa’s own half. Esterhuizen soon added a second, collecting a slick offload sequence down the right touchline, before captain Kolisi powered over from close range.
At 22-0, the hosts were in complete control, dominating possession and territory, while Australia struggled with discipline and accuracy. Dylan Pietsch’s try just before the break gave the visitors a glimmer of hope, leaving the score at 22-5 at halftime.
Wallabies Take Charge
The turning point came immediately after the restart when No 8 Harry Wilson burst onto a flat pass and raced 30 metres to score. Suddenly, momentum shifted.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii then intercepted a long Libbok pass to close the gap further, before Wilson added his second try to give the Wallabies the lead for the first time. Max Jorgensen extended the advantage with a blistering run down the right touchline, and Tom Wright sealed the famous victory with Australia’s sixth try late on.
The Wallabies outscored South Africa 33-0 in the final hour of play, turning what had looked like a procession for the Boks into a night to forget for the Ellis Park faithful.
Scorers
South Africa (22): Tries – Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen, Siya Kolisi; Conversions – Manie Libbok (2); Penalty – Libbok.
Australia (38): Tries – Dylan Pietsch, Harry Wilson (2), Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright; Conversions – James O’Connor (4).