The Wallabies produced a statement performance under new coach Les Kiss, handing the world champions their first defeat against Australia in the current campaign and showing just how much progress, the hosts have made ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup on home soil.

For long periods, the result looked beyond doubt. Australia raced into a 42-17 lead with just 10 minutes remaining, leaving the Springboks staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat.

The Wallabies regain the Mandela Plate with the win in Perth - Wallabies

What followed was a frantic finish. The Boks crossed for three late tries as the Wallabies imploded, with Australia reduced to just 11 players after a combination of foul play and cynical infringements during a chaotic final passage. Despite the remarkable fightback, the Springboks had simply left themselves with too much ground to make up.

For Erasmus, there were no excuses. The veteran coach accepted that his team had failed to deliver and said they had nobody but themselves to blame for the defeat.

“For us, we lost in a Springbok jersey against Australia, and with all the disruptions, we have nobody else to blame but ourselves for the result,” said Erasmus.

While there were technical problems during the match, including issues with the stadium clock, Erasmus was adamant that those interruptions did not influence the Springboks’ performance.

“I know the technology failed a bit, the clock kept running and didn’t stop at times, for example, but that didn’t influence how we played. We controlled that. We didn’t play well enough tonight to beat a stronger team.”

The defeat also served as a timely warning with the 2027 World Cup in Australia now firmly on the horizon.

Erasmus acknowledged that falling 25 points behind against a quality opponent is not something the Springboks can afford when the global showpiece arrives next year.

Len Ikitau scored a brace of tries for the Wallabies - Wallabies

“When you’re 25 points behind, there’s nobody else to blame but yourself. We rolled the dice a bit, and some guys haven’t played a lot together in a long time, but it’s not an excuse.

“We picked the team, and we had a game plan, and I thought we had a chance at the end, but the better team won on the night. It’s sad to lose, but it’s not because we’ve been together too long. It’s because we didn’t play well enough.”

Erasmus also paid credit to Australia, who showed plenty of character and attacking intent throughout the match.

“Australia are a good team and they’ve definitely improved a lot. They played at home and they’re the World Cup hosts next year.

“We might meet them in a vital playoff game, and it was nice to get a taste of them tonight. When we play them next year, we’ll know a little bit more about each other. I’m not going to say it was a case of lessons learned, but I think it was a valuable experience.”

For André Esterhuizen, the defeat was particularly significant as he captained the Springboks for the first time.

The centre admitted the Boks were better than what they produced in Perth, but stressed that they could not allow themselves to get caught up in the emotion of a chaotic Test.

“It was pretty intense. At one stage, we were concentrating on getting one try, then getting another, and taking it step by step. But like we said, we should never have been in that situation.

“We put ourselves there. I think the fans and people watching the game really enjoyed it, but we should be better and not get into such situations.”

The Springboks will now have to wait more than a month for their next Test.

Their Nations Championship campaign resumes on 7 November when they face Italy in Turin, with Erasmus and his coaching staff having plenty to work on after a sobering night in Western Australia.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport