Match Report – Australia 7 – 33 South Africa

South Africa equal largest win over Wallabies on Australian soil as they triumph 33-7 in Brisbane; Kurt-Lee Arendse scores two tries, while Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kwagga Smith also touch down – watch The Rugby Championship live on Sky Sports

Kurt-Lee Arendse scored two tries as South Africa equalled their biggest win over Australia on their opponents’ turf with a 33-7 victory in Brisbane in the first game of the 2024 Rugby Championship.

The Springboks, who have added New Zealand attack coach Tony Brown to their staff in a bid to play more fluid rugby, ran in five tries with Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kwagga Smith also scoring against Joe Schmidt’s error-riddled Australia.

South Africa had also beaten Australia by a 26-point margin in Brisbane in 2013, triumphing 38-12 on that occasion.

The Wallabies’ sole try on Saturday came late on through Hunter Paisami after South Africa had been reduced to 13 players following yellow cards for Malcolm Marx and Marco van Staden.

Australia will look to bounce back when they welcome South Africa to Perth’s Optus Stadium next weekend.

Springboks captain Kolisi, whose side were dominant in the scrum and led 21-0 at half-time, said: “We said as a group this is a big game for us to win. I am proud of the boys.

“We stuck to what we planned in the week. We are a learning team. Coach Tony [Brown] is trying to make us play differently in attack.

“When you are on top you have to make sure you take your opportunities and we lost a few lineouts in key areas. That is an area we need to improve.”

‘South Africa sapped Australia’s energy’

Australia captain Allan Alaalatoa, speaking after his side’s first defeat under Schmidt, said: “You have to credit South Africa. They showed up and put us under pressure.

“We did not have the ball for most of the first half. It is a tough learning for our group but we have to regather and go again.”

Schmidt said of South Africa: “They’re an incredibly powerful side, an experienced side and, they won that physical battle.

“Their break-down was really strong and they dominated possession and territory in that first half, which sapped the strength out of the boys a little bit.

“It would have been great to get a little bit more out of the game, but we’ve got a benchmark and it wasn’t a massive shock to us as to where the Springboks would be.

“It’s somewhere that we’re gonna have to build towards.”

Watch Australia vs South Africa, from Perth, live on Sky Sports Action from 10.45am on Saturday August 17.

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