'We were just really dog s**t'; Rassie brutally honest after Springboks shocking defeat to Australia
It was the Wallabies first win in Johannesburg since 1963 but it didn't look like it would go that way at the start at Springbok winger Kurt-Lee Arendse scored the games first try after just 93 seconds. With further tries from André Esterhuizen and captain Siya Kolisi on top of a Mannie Libbok penalty it looked like South Africa had the match won as they were 22-0 up after 17 minutes.
However as they showed in the second and third test of the Lions series The Wallabies have a new edge to them and they fought hard at the breakdown to get back to the game. Dylan Pietsch got a try to get Australia on the scoresheet before halftime but it was in the second half when things went up a notch for Australia. South Africa's captain and number eight Siya Kolisi celebrates after scoring a try. Pic: WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images
Harry Wilson walked in for a try after a sumptuous pop from the Ulster-bound Angus Bell. That made it 22-12 and the game but it was the final 25 minutes when the game flipped on its head.
The catalyst for it all was a stray Mannie Libbok pass which was picked up by Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i with the league convert cantering under the posts unopposed. Then Wilson scored again after an amazing run from Tom Wright to give Australia the lead before Max Jorgensen scored just moments later after a beautiful step past Libbok as Australia now had a two score lead heading into the final stages. Harry Wilson runs with the ball to score a try as South Africa's fly-half Manie Libbok misses a tackle. Pic: WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images
Wright put the cherry on top of the cake after picking up a loose pass to give Australia a monumental win in their Rugby Championship campaign.
It was as bad a title defence as it could've been for South Africa in the Rugby Championship and as ever Rassie Erasmus didn't hold back when speaking to the media afterwards.
'This is probably one of the most embarrassing press conferences I've done in a while,' the ex-Munster coach said. 'Not because we were awful, but they were really good. And I don't want to put the old cliché out there, credit to them. They were good, but we made them better with our performance. To be 22-0 up, we did the same against Italy, when 28-3 up, and then we let teams back in. Australia's centre Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii dives across the line to score. Pic: WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images
'We gave them one or two soft tries – an intercept here [Sua'ali'i's try], a pass from Andre [Esterhuizen] that went to them [Wright's try].'
He heaped plenty of praise onto Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, wholly admitting that the ex-Leinster and Ireland coach had outdone him and his coaching team this time.
'They were just better than us on the day in most departments. We didn't scrum them. They beat us in the lineouts. For the first 25 minutes we were good at the breakdown, but after Siya [Kolisi] got injured and Marco [van Staden] had to go for an HIA, they bullied us there too. We as coaches got it terribly wrong. Rassie Erasmus. Pic: WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images
'It wasn't just tactical – they also physically dominated us. The longer the game went on, the stronger they got. At altitude, that's supposed to be us. It shows what Joe [Schmidt] is building there.
He then stopped sugarcoating it all, if he hadn't already by summing up his thoughts. 'I can butter this up to sound cool and respectful, but we were just really dog s**t on the day.'
South Africa will have a chance to get revenge next week as this time they go down to see level at Cape Town to face Australia once again at the DHL Stadium. The game is on next Saturday with Kick-off at 4:30pm Irish time and live on Sky Sports.
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