The Springboks recorded just their fourth-ever win in Brisbane on Saturday as they outclassed and outmuscled Australia to kick-off their 2024 Rugby Championship with an emphatic 33-7 win.

The back-to-back world champions did just about everything right and their only blemish was the three yellow cards they conceded in the latter stages to allow the Wallabies to get on the scoreboard.

Siya Kolisi. Photo: Springboks/X

The Springbok captain Siya Kolisi opened the scoring at the sold-out Suncorp Stadium to hand South Africa the lead from a lineout maul in the 11th minute of the contest.

Pieter-Steph du Toit, who moved from flank to lock before kick-off due to an injury to RG Snyman, doubled the lead in the 25th minute for the visitors. Just before half-time in Queensland, Kurt-Lee Arendse went in for the first of his two tries. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted all three tries for a 21-0 lead at the interval.

Some 23 minutes into the second stanza, Kwagga Smith powered over the whitewash for the bonus point try, and once against the young Feinberg-Mngomezulu made no mistake in adding the extra two points. 

Almost immediately the Boks struck again when Jesse Kriel’s pin-point pass sent Arendse to run in for his brace. This time Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was unsuccessful with the conversion attempt.

Kwagga Smith . Photo: Springboks/X

With some 14 minutes remaining, Malcolm Marx was issued a yellow card for head-on-head contact in the tackle, then five minutes later Marco van Staden was sent to the naughty chair as well for not rolling away at the ruck, and it was somewhat of a harsh call.

The Wallabies seized the opportunity with their two-man advantage and after sustained pressure, the centre, Hunter Paisami managed to score a converted try in the 76th minute. 

Two minutes later, Kriel, was yellow carded for a deliberate knockdown, which was another harsh call from the referee Luke Pearce, who did have a good game.

The Boks will be happy with their first win against Australia in Brisbane since 2013, but now it will be important to back this up next week in Perth.

Scorers:

Wallabies: Try – Hunter Paisami Conv. - Tom Lynagh

Springboks: Tries – Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse 2, Kwagga Smith Conv. - Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 4

Teams:

Wallabies: – 15 Tom Wright, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hunter Paisami, 11 Filipo Daugunu, 10 Noah Lolesio, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Harry Wilson, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Rob Valetini, 5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2 Matt Faessler, 1 Isaac Kailea

Replacements:  –16 Josh Nasser, 17 James Slipper, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Luke Reimer, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Dylan Pietsch

Springboks: – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Replacements: – 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek  dg