Australia’s comeback win in Johannesburg was remarkable, but Eddie Jones insists it tells us little about South Africa’s true level, arguing Rassie Erasmus had already set his sights on the Cape Town Test.
The Wallabies’ 38-22 victory at Ellis Park last weekend was by any measure extraordinary. Trailing 22-0 and seemingly buried, Joe Schmidt’s side surged back with six unanswered tries to claim their first win at the famous venue in 62 years. For South Africa it was a shock to the system after an eight-match winning run.
The Japan boss suggested the result needs context. Speaking on the Rugby Unity podcast Jones pointed out Erasmus had locked in the second-Test team in advance, calling it a common tactic with a large squad.
He said: “Sometimes you announce it, and sometimes you don’t.
“South Africa is winning at what 80%? They’ve been the most dominant team in the world. We were praising his selection before the game. It’s unusual, given his situation, where they carry a squad, I believe, of 42 all the time. So I think he’s just made it clear to the players.”
He also noted that across a series of games, South Africa usually reassert themselves and that one result shouldn’t be blown out of proportion.
He said: “What I hear is that they prioritised the Test at Cape Town, and they thought they could win with the squad they had for the first Test, which was obviously proven wrong,”
“That can happen at that level of rugby; anyone can win one game of rugby. They play that Test in Joburg 10 times and South Africa might win it seven of those times, so I wouldn’t read into it too much, mate.”
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Jones suggested the Boks favoured Cape Town because Australia tend to perform better at sea level.
He said: “They probably thought Australia would be stronger in the second Test at Cape Town, and Australia traditionally play well in Cape Town,”
“The history shows they have always played well there. In the old days at Newlands, the crowd used to be more receptive to the Australians than other crowds tended to be. The new stadium will have quite a good atmosphere.
“They felt Australia would be stronger in that second Test, and they generally are at sea level.”
Whether Jones is right that the Boks had earmarked Cape Town as the decisive contest will become clear soon enough. There is precedent for Australia looking sharper at sea level, but the real question is how South Africa respond. Can they reassert their set-piece dominance, tidy up their discipline and win back control of the physical exchanges?
If the Springboks rediscover their ruthless rhythm they should level the series. If Australia can bottle the composure and speed that turned Ellis Park on its head, Schmidt’s project might be gathering momentum quicker than expected.
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