The Wallabies’ horrible record in Sydney got even uglier on Saturday night as the men in gold suffered their first loss to the Springboks on home turf since 2013 in an underwhelming but fiery clash at the new Allianz Stadium.
The sense of occasion at the new stadium didn’t match the quality on the field as the error-riddled Wallabies were outmuscled by the Springboks, who cruised to a 24-8 victory.
Tensions boiled over in the 71st minute when Wallabies and Springboks players were involved in a mass melee that saw try-scorer Makazole Mapimpi yellow-carded.
After Mapimpi bowled over the top of Marika Koroibete to score his side’s third try and put the icing on the cake, the Springboks winger shoved his opposite number with disdain as he lay on the ground.
What followed was the closest thing you’ll get to an all-in brawl, but without punches, as referee Ben O’Keeffe sent Mapimpi from the field and nearly did the same for Eben Etzebeth who raged at Allan Ala’alatoa like an angry bull.
The Springboks refused to back down against a Wallabies team that have now lost 13 of their past 17 Tests in Sydney since 2012.
Makazole Mapimpi scuffles with Marika Koroibete.Credit:Getty
“It just felt like we didn’t play much rugby. We didn’t really fire a shot,” Wallaby James Slipper said on Stan Sport’s coverage.
“We knew what sort of game it would be in these sort of conditions, a big set piece, a big kicking game. They were just dropping bombs on us all night and we got stuck down our end.”
Rugby fans in the Harbour City must wonder what they’ve done to deserve such insipid performances year after year.
Dave Rennie’s men have developed a concerning habit of failing to back up wins, and inconsistency once again plagues the Wallabies.
Not once, across seven Tests this year, have the Wallabies chalked up consecutive wins. They scored their only try with 90 seconds remaining thanks to Pete Samu.
Eben Etzebeth scuffles with Allan Ala’alatoa.Credit:AP
To make matters worse, the crowd of 38,292 fell short of the 41,906 that showed up on Friday evening to watch the Roosters beat the Rabbitohs in a NRL regular season match.
Rugby officials had been quietly confident of landing a blow on the NRL in terms of crowd figures for the opening night of international sport.
South Africa’s 12-3 half-time lead quickly drifted out to 17-3 when Franco Mostert scored down the right edge.
Canan Moodie on his way to a try.Credit:Getty
Australian hopes of fighting their way back into the match took a major blow with the news that reserve Taniela Tupou would take no part in the match due to another calf injury.
The home side’s woes were compounded when No.10 Noah Lolesio was hooked in the 45th minute due to a concussion, which resulted in Reece Hodge slotting in at five-eighth and reserve halfback Jake Gordon popping up on the wing.
Little went right for the Wallabies. While the price of craft beer at the stadium is a sore point among some fans, they would have been forgiven for downing plenty during the evening to take the edge off the sound of O’Keeffe’s incessant whistle.
The Wallabies conceded 13 penalties to the Springboks’ 14 on a night that was not a great advertisement for Test rugby.
South Africa turned up with an entirely different attitude to last week and put immense pressure on Australia’s breakdown. They reaped the rewards time and time again.
Their intensity stunned a Wallabies side that battled to get out of its 22 in the opening exchanges.
As South Africa’s forwards pounded their way over the advantage line, they killed two birds with one stone by scoring a try, courtesy of No.12 Damien de Allende, and also had a backtracking Matt Philip yellow-carded after a quick tap.
The moment the match sparked to life, like the fireworks before it, came when Wallabies halfback Nic White shoved Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi.
It takes a lot for Kolisi to get wound up, given he’s one of the most well-mannered men in world rugby, but given White is a pantomime villain in South Africa after his theatrical display in Adelaide, he was always going to be on the receiving end of some venom.
After an opening half an hour littered with box kicks and repacked scrums, Australia remained composed as Lolesio slotted a penalty to make it 7-3.
A four-point deficit at the break would have been a decent result considering the Wallabies had just 31 per cent of the territory but a stunning try from debutant Canan Moodie made it 12-3 at half-time.
Former Springboks coach Jake White believes Moodie will rack up 100 Tests and on the evidence of his leap over the top of Koroibete, it’s hard to disagree.
The 19-year-old ran 40 metres for a five-pointer that will live long in the memory as the Wallabies lick their wounds with a couple of crunch Bledisloe Cup matches on the horizon that look even more daunting after their latest 80-minute effort.
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