Wallabies defeat South Africa to snap 62-year hoodoo in upset for the ages
The Wallabies have produced one of the greatest comebacks of all time to stun South Africa in the first round of the Rugby Championship.
The Springboks burst out of the blocks as they raced away to hold a 22-0 lead just 18 minutes into the contest.
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But Australia refused to lie down as they scored six unanswered tries to blow the world champs away and record the 38-22 victory.
The stunning win snaps a four-match losing streak against South Africa and it also ends a 62-year hoodoo for the Wallabies at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Australia have lost 10 of the past 11 matches at the ground with their last taste of victory coming back in 1963.
Skipper Harry Wilson scored two tries while backs Dylan Pietsch, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright were the other try scorers.
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The Wallabies did the unthinkable. (Photo by)
'It was a horrendous start,' Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt said. 'But once we got into the game we grew in confidence.
'We got a couple of lucky breaks, a couple of balls bounced our way, and I thought the players finished them really well.'
James O'Connor was recalled to make his first appearance for Australia since 2022 and he couldn't have been happier with how it played out.
'Words can't describe it. We kept squeezing the screws, I'm super proud, I'm stoked,' he said.
'There's been plenty of times when I thought I might have bitten off more than I can chew.
'That's definitely my favourite win. It meant so much.
'There's been a lot of emotion this week, a lot of reflection. I thought my time in the gold jersey was done three years ago.
'I fought bloody hard to get back here and the opportunity came after some of the guys got injured, but I'm here now and I'm loving it.'
James O'Connor (middle) was back in action for the Wallabies. (Photo by Phill Magakoe / AFP)
Rugby journalist Christy Doran labelled the display from the Wallabies as their 'greatest' ever.
'The Wallabies' greatest performance of all time,' he wrote on X. 'Down 22-0 to the back-to-back world champions at Ellis Park, Joe Schmidt's Wallabies win 22-38. The 62 year drought at Ellis Park is over. James O'Connor's first Test in 1099 days. Harry Wilson outstanding. Incredible win.'
The Springboks will get a chance to exact revenge next week when the two sides once again lock horns in Cape Town.
South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus said his troops will be feeling disappointed but will bounce back for their fans.
'From now until next Saturday, we're going to take a lot of flak, but we take credit when we do well, and we have to take the flak when we do badly,' Erasmus said.
He added: 'They physically dominated us, and the interesting thing is that the longer the game went on they were supposed to struggle but it just shows what Wallaby coach Joe Schmidt is building there.
'It was a bad loss in a bad way – not against a bad team – and we didn't have the fight until the end; there was a stage where I felt our heads were dropping and our shoulders were slumping and that bothered me.'
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