South Africa’s Springboks made Australia’s Wallabies buk for ses vannie bestes at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, humiliating them 43-12 in the first Rugby Championship match of the year.
The scoreline already suggests a bloodbath, but it could have been even worse for coach Eddie Jones’ visitors from Down Under with the Springboks having a Manie Libbok try disallowed, flank Pieter-Steph du Toit denied in-goal and hooker Bongi Mbonambi having the ball ripped out of his hands on the tryline.
While they left some points on the field, wing Kurt-Lee Arendse made all his opportunities count to score a hattrick of tries as South Africa ran in six touchdowns opposed to the two by Australia.
Dominating their visitors, South Africa got the better of the Aussies in all facets of the game and impressed with the way they mixed up their game – doing away with the kick-and-chase plan and surprising at times with an innovative ball-in-hand approach which caught the visitors unaware.
Still, it was Australia who would have been dreaming of a first win over SA at Loftus in eight attempts when winger Marika Koroibete sailed over in the left corner in the eighth-minute after prop Allan Alaalatoa was first to SA lock Jean Kleyn’s lineout tap from a Wallaby ball.
After a Libbok penalty conversion, flank Marco van Staden made a run before Willie le Roux expertly put Canan Moodie in space on the right wing. The Boks then moved the ball to the other wing for Arendse to fly in his first in the 15th minute (10-5).
A surprise move from a lineout on the Wallabies’ 22 saw Van Staden feed Mbonambi, who then found Arendse down the blindside for his second try in the 30th minute (17-5). That’s how it stayed until halftime.
Ten minutes after the break and Arendse got his hattrick when, after another strong carry from Van Staden and other forwards, Lukhanyo Am gave the final pass to the left wing to run in down the left touchline (22-5).
The woeful Wallabies were already beaten with 30 minutes to go and ill-discipline then cost them two penalty tries in the 54th minute for pulling down a maul and 69th minute for a deliberate knockdown (36-5).
Flank Du Toit finally got his try after darting over from close quarters five minutes from time, before Australia got a late consolation through debutant Carter Gordon.
Springboks – Tries: Kurt-Lee Arendse (3), Penalty Tries (2) and Pieter-Steph du Toit; Conversions: Manie Libbok (3); Penalty: Libbok.
Australia – Tries: Marika Koroibete and Carter Gordon: Conversion: Gordon.