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South Africa got their Rugby Championship campaign back on track with victory over a dogged Australia side on Saturday.
Moodie (10'), Smith (34'), Etzebeth (73')
Tries
Toole (7'), Jorgensen (46'), Paenga-Amosa (67')
Pollard (11', 35', 74')
Conversions
O'Connor (8', 47')
Pollard (1', 5', 56')
Penalties
O'Connor (40')
South Africa got their Rugby Championship campaign back on track with victory over a dogged Australia side on Saturday.
It means the sides close the opening two rounds with a victory apiece and more positives than negatives.
On a rainy day in Cape Town both teams opted to keep things simple. They were happy to stick the ball high and long, though Australia opened up in the last quarter as they chased their hosts.
South Africa chanced their arm much less than they did a week ago, while their defence was much more structed. It had the desired effect.
Canan Moodie, Kwagga Smith, and Eben Etzebeth scored the Boks tries, while Handre Pollard weighed in with 15 points from the tee.
Corey Toole marked his international debut with a maiden try, Max Jorgensen continued his impressive form, and Brandon Paenga-Amosa made it three. James O’Connor slotted seven points, though he missed a vital conversion and two penalties as the match drew to a close.
Australia coach Joe Schmidt will be awaiting the medical update after Nic White, Tom Wright, and Joesph Suaalii went off with injuries.
The sides now have a week off before South Africa travel to New Zealand for back-to-back tests, while Australia welcome Argentina for rounds three and four.
WELCOME BACK HANDRE
It didn’t take long for Pollard to make his mark. Two minutes in and he kicked the first points. A minute of two later and matters got worse for Australia when Tom Wright limped off.
A minute or two more and Pollard knocked over his second penalty. Welcome to Cape Town.
Not to worry, here’s debutant Toole to put his side ahead. White, thinking quicker than anyone else, slipped through a grubber kick that the wing ran onto, and gathered.
The lead didn’t last as Moodie took Pollard’s kick, stepped inside and finished. To add insult to injury White went off for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), and that was his afternoon done.
Fraser McReight then had a try ruled out, but otherwise the Wallaby attack was being swarmed by the South Africa defence. Even if they did make a break, as White’s replacement Tate McDermott did, too often they were left isolated and easy prey for the Boks.
Will Skelton and Rob Valentini gave Australia the chance to attack, but the Springboks held off the maul. Even so, both teams were taking one step forward and one step back.
South Africa went direct and it paid off. Jesse Kriel charged through the Australian defence, and while he was stopped Smith found a hole and raced through it to score.
FIRST BLOOD AUSTRALIA
Suaalii went off at the break with Tane Edmed his replacement. It was the Aussies who scored first when O’Connor hooked a kick over the South Africa defence. Moodie misjudged the bounce, and Jorgensen needed no second invite.
Hands were slippery and the ball air bound. Pollard kicked another penalty but otherwise play stayed either side of the halfway line.
Toole swooped on a loose ball to break clear, but South Africa’s defence swarmed and kept him out. They stayed down the South Africa end, and after opting to go the corner from a penalty, Paenga-Amosa was driven over.
O’Connor missed the kick and then gave a poor pass that Andrew Kellaway knocked on in the shadow of their posts. The Boks scrummed, they went right, then left and Etzebeth wiggled over to put the result out of doubt.
After O’Connor missed two penalties, South Africa opted to chase aa bonus point with a final penalty. They did everything right, but as it went wide Kriel misjudged the flight and it went out. No matter the Boks had achieved what they needed.
South Africa Starting XV (1-15) Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Marco van Staden, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Grant Williams, Handre Pollard, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Canan Moodie, Aphelele Fassi
South Africa Replacements (16-23) Marnus van der Merwe, Boan Venter, Wilco Louw, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Australia Starting XV (1-15) Tom Robertson, Billy Pollard, Taniela Tupou, Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Nic White, James O'Connor, Corey Toole, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright
Australia Replacements (16-23) Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Nicholas Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, Tane Edmed, Andrew Kellaway
