How Australia stunned the Springboks with a comeback for the ages

Telegraph

16 hours ago

Some matches follow the most predictable script. Others flip it in spectacular style. Australia's exploits at Ellis Park on Saturday belong to the latter category.
Their comeback from 22-0 down against the Springboks, at a venue where they had not won since 1963, was jaw-dropping to witness in real time. It has taken a while to digest and decipher, too.
Notwithstanding signs of progress over the British and Irish Lions series, a Wallabies victory was difficult to foresee. In the 19th minute, when Siya Kolisi surged over with South Africa rampant, a triumph for Joe Schmidt's men over the back-to-back world champions seemed impossible.
An hour and 38 unanswered points later, Australia had stunned their hosts. This is how they did it.
Early encouragement
At full-time, a beaming James O'Connor diplomatically described the opening quarter as a 'scratchy' one for his team. The fly-half insisted, however, that there had been good signs.
Schmidt offered a window into the mindset at half-time, when the Wallabies were 22-5 down. The experienced head coach reminded his players that they had won the second 20 minutes 5-0. Repeat that in the third quarter and they were in the game.
Australia were troubling their rivals' rush defence even amid South Africa's early blitzkrieg. Here, in the fifth minute when they are already 7-0 behind, Australia bounce back towards the far touchline two phases after a line-out on that side of the field.
Having carried in midfield from the set piece, Len Ikitau returns to his feet and wraps around Tom Hooper to dink a left-footed chip in behind Edwill van der Merwe:
This next play comes from Australia's own half just beyond the half-hour mark. Max Jorgensen, trailing from the blindside wing, is the man to watch. O'Connor's pass to Ikitau is fired across two back-rowers, Fraser McReight and Hooper:
Jorgensen then helps overload the defence by taking a pull-back from Ikitau that goes behind the run of Joseph Suaalii:
As it happens, a kick through from Tom Wright just dribbled over the try-line into the dead-ball area in this instance. But there was enough for the Wallabies to feel confident if they could keep their composure.
A vital response
Australia's first try was instigated by a box-kick from Nic White, the 35-year-old scrum-half who has postponed his retirement. Jorgensen does brilliantly to regather the ball ahead of Manie Libbok in a catch that is reminiscent of his try in the first Test of the Lions series:
Although an in-field offload does not go to a gold shirt, the Wallabies react well. Billy Pollard chops down Malcolm Marx and James Slipper swoops to jackal after Lood de Jager has taken out White to leave the ball exposed:
Breakdown disruption and accuracy in possession was a vital pillar of this display. South Africa lost five of their 102 attacking rucks, with McReight typically influential, whereas Australia lost just one of 77.
Indeed, they hit touch from this penalty and zig-zagged through seven phases. Will Skelton and Taniela Tupou were prominent, but the Springboks were not significantly dented:
Schmidt teams do tend to be able to retain the ball for long sequences and at the seventh ruck (R7 on the map), South Africa are penalised when Kwagga Smith dips towards the ball in a manner that Ben O'Keeffe does not condone:
With penalty advantage, the Wallabies score through Dylan Pietsch:
Rewinding slightly, watch Ikitau and O'Connor scan the Springboks' defence on the scoring phase:
They back themselves to play through it, with Ikitau feeding his team-mate and then arcing around to receive an offload that O'Connor throws blind. This camera angle shows the vision and dexterity:
O'Connor, on the way to Leicester Tigers for the upcoming season, had not featured for Australia in a Test match for three years and had not played at all since June 21. No wonder he called this his favourite game for the Wallabies.
In the second half, an emboldened Australia kept chipping away.
Disciplined but desperate disruption
Schmidt is renowned for teaching players to read referees and for Australia to concede just four penalties was extraordinary, because they fought for everything. Such a low tally of penalties reflects their resilience in the scrum and around the field. As well as scrapping on the floor, they caused South Africa to lose five of 16 line-outs.
Here, just before half-time, Wright trusts Andrew Kellaway to drift across and tackle Kolisi. Ikitau keeps covering and fells Andre Esterhuizen when an offload is thrown inside. Wright mops up the loose ball and Van der Merwe is penalised for flopping on top of a prone opponent:
This next clip comes from the 50th minute, with Australia 22-12 down and five metres from their own line. Eben Etzebeth lines up a carry into two far smaller men in Jorgensen and Kellaway. You can also see Tate McDermott, moonlighting on the wing. Note the starting position of Hooper:
He swings around to arrive at the tackle area and, because Franco Mostert has driven down to the ground, Hooper is able to address the ball. The Exeter Chiefs-bound back-rower absorbs the attempted clear-out of Ox Nche and shows a strong lift to O'Keeffe, earning the penalty:
While Ikitau was off the pitch tending to a cut, Australia assembled a centre partnership of Suaalii and Kellaway with McDermott on the wing. Their flexibility under pressure was highly impressive.
Suaalii's interception came while this makeshift back line was on the pitch. A few minutes previously, he gets a look at Libbok's expansive distribution from close to the edge of the defensive line:
When South Africa bid to impart width a little later, Suaalii picks off a somewhat rushed pass. Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marx are in a huge amount of space…
…but Suaalii's opportunism pays off handsomely.
Attacking principles pay off
Sometimes a side will change tack to haul themselves back into a contest. More often, though, it pays to stay patient and keep the courage of your convictions. It felt like the Wallabies trusted their primary plans to come off rather than pivoting drastically away from them.
In the first half, for example, Harry Wilson was rocked by a two-man tackle from Marco van Staden and Esterhuizen after a short tip-pass from Nick Frost:
He kept offering himself as a flat runner, though, and had his reward when Australia burst through the blitz thanks to Angus Bell's short ball. Nche is flat-footed and Etzebeth is pressing past the ball towards Wright. Wilson's angle dissects those two forwards beautifully:
If you can keep your nerve, it is possible to pick holes through the middle of an aggressive defence.
Bell, a bustling runner, was part of a bench that comprehensively eclipsed the Springboks replacements. He was integral to Wilson's second try, moving the ball towards Wright after White's ballooning box-kick is recovered by the effervescent duo of Jorgensen and Hooper:
Wilson's tireless support rewards the evasion of Wright, who is formidably slippery in these situations:
And Australia extended their advantage from the next restart, which is superbly taken by a soaring Suaalii:
A couple of phases later, Bell carves past several defenders…
…and South Africa end up with both centres close to the near touchline with openside wing Canan Moodie. Libbok is in the back-field with Damian Willemse, leaving Kurt-Lee Arendse in a vulnerable position on the far 15-metre line.
Etzebeth and Du Toit are mobile athletes, but O'Connor clearly senses a chance to release Jorgensen – because South Africa are likely to stay aggressive and push from out to in:
Sure enough, the Springboks do keep pressing. That makes their line narrower and a looped pass releases Jorgensen, who confounds Libbok with mesmeric footwork:
Australia's last try neatly encapsulated their blend of defiance and dynamism. It begins from a quite perilous situation. Suaalii has gone hunting for another interception but Willemse comes away with the ball.
Zane Nonggorr, the replacement tighthead prop, and Hooper are in the middle of a disjointed defensive line and South Africa have a fleet of backs poised to break out. Watch Jorgensen:
He stays composed and backpedals, keeping his eye on the ball-carrier as Esterhuizen trucks up the pitch. When a pass is delivered to Jesse Kriel, Jorgensen spins and sprints. This forces Kriel into a hooked pass, which Esterhuizen cannot hold:
Wright has another unstructured scenario, and dances through to score:
Celebrations were somewhat muted, because the Wallabies know that they must front up in Cape Town next week. South Africa will have been profoundly stung by this result. Rassie Erasmus was fiercely critical at the final whistle and will no doubt lead a forthright review.
Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe and Handre Pollard may return to the Springboks line-up. Wilson and Pietsch, meanwhile, appeared to pick up worrying injuries for the Wallabies.
The odds will be stacked against Australia again. But after a miraculous evening in Johannesburg, which showcased rare steel and togetherness as well as brilliant attack, they would not have it any other way.