By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GalloImages.
Australia finally recorded their first test win against the Springboks on South African turf since their victory in Durban in 2012.
The Wallabies came from 22-0 down to beat world Champions South Africa 38-22 in Johannesburg in the opening match of the Rugby Championship.
The Springboks dominated the opening 20 minutes and estabished a commanding lead courtesy of tries from Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen and captain Siya Kolisi.
However, the Wallabies began to take control at the breakdown, with captain Harry Wilson hugely influential and capping a fine display with two tries.
Dylan Pietsch, Max Jorgensen and Joseph Suaalii also crossed for the visitors before Tom Wright’s superb solo try rounded off one of Australia’s greatest Test wins.
Speaking to SuperSport after the final whistle, Kolisi admitted the breakdown was where the game was lost.
“We let ourselves down today. They definitely won the breakdown battle – congratulations to Fraser McReight for getting Man of the Match tonight. Ja, we let ourselves down and we have to take that on the chin. It’s unacceptable the way we performed. To start like that and to take your foot off the pedal – it’s just unacceptable from us.”
Kolisi paid tribute to the Australians’ grit in front of a stunned Ellis Park crowd.
“Credit to the Australian team. They played really well, they kept on fighting, they never gave up even though they went behind, so well done to them. We’re not proud of the performance we did today.”
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said his team’s unexpected defeat by Australia was “really awful”.
“We were really awful, and they were very good, but we made them better,” said Erasmus.
“We can find excuses but they gutsed it out and, yes, we gave them one or two soft tries with an intercept here and a loose pass there, but overall, they were just better than us on the day.
“They beat us in most departments. We didn’t scrum them, they beat us in the lineouts, and they bullied us at the breakdown after Siya Kolisi went off and Marco van Staden had to go off for an HIA.
“We as coaches got it terribly wrong and we have to look at ourselves before we point fingers at the players.
“From now until next Saturday, we’re going to take a lot of flak, but we take credit when we do well, and we have to take the flak when we do badly.
“I’m saying it with a smile not because I’m happy but I’m saying it with a smile because that’s the reality of rugby and we’re really disappointed and we’re feeling bad for our players and we’re feeling bad for our supporters and for overall what we produced on the field.”
Erasmus admitted that the team for next week’s return match at DHL Stadium in Cape Town had already been picked but that he may now reconsider.