Summary
Thank you very much for joining me tonight. That was a heck of a battle, and a finish for the ages. Bravo Quade Cooper.
We’ll be back to do this all again next weekend. Can’t wait!
I’ll leave you with the on-the-siren match report.
Updated
Quade Cooper is named player of the match, and he immediately praises Sonny Bill Williams (a pundit on Australian TV) for keeping him in the fold. “I love you brother,” he signs off, after explaining the three months he spent living and learning from Williams during his wilderness years.
Discussion of the game-winning kick is also fascinating. “I looked at it and I wondered if it was just my ego telling me I could do it,” Cooper says, before detailing the discussion with Reece Hodge that ended with the No 10 smashing the kick of his life. “It’s footy, you know.”
Cooper is soon onto the topic of remaining calm in the aftermath of his heroics, not getting too high and carried away with his performance, making sure he remembers rugby is only a game and it’s only a part of his life, not all his life. “Then you can feel at peace with the game and everything around us.” It’s a great insight into the work he’s clearly had to do with professionals to refine his mental approach to professional sport. Good on him.
A joke about Cooper not yet receiving Australian citizenship lands flat. That remains a remarkable story.
Siya Kolisi credits Australia’s “great fight” before bemoaning his own side’s ill-discipline and inability to take their opportunities. There’s more praise for Australia, thanks for the crowd, and the Springbok skipper leaves with his head held high.
Michael Hooper is understated in front of the microphone: “A good bounce-back, eh?” On Cooper: “He’s a big-time player.”
That will be talked about for years to come. The World Champion Springboks and their imposing pack defeated after the siren with a kick from Quade Cooper, set up by a couple of monstrous Wallaby scrums.
What a test.. @wallabies
— Matt Giteau 🇦🇺 (@giteau_rugby) September 12, 2021
Welcome back @QuadeCooper .. 👏🏼 fairytale stuff
💚💛💚💛
What a finish. What a moment for Quade Cooper. Australia win with a penalty after the siren.
Quade Cooper, sidelined for four years, called-up out of nowhere, kicks the Wallabies to an incredible win.
Full-time: South Africa 26-28 Australia
QUADE COOPER WINS IT FOR AUSTRALIA!
Updated
What a finish...
40m out, 10m infield, will it be Cooper or Hodge to kick for the win? Cooper it is!
The siren sounds!
80 mins: Scrum 10m inside South Africa’s half. Again it’s a magnificent effort from the Wallaby pack, sending the Springboks spinning out of control. A green jersey is first to the loose ball, but he’s tackled, doesn’t release, and the arm goes up for a penalty!
79 mins: Huge scrum from Australia! South Africa are wheeled around and scrambling and White almost sharks but the Springboks somehow recover. The kick is downfield to Hodge who has space to run... but he sends up a garryowen that doesn’t have the distance and the ball ends in green hands. From the breakdown there’s a knock-on advantage to South Africa and the Springboks inch nearer the final whistle. That was a poor decision from Hodge.
78 mins: Scrum to South Africa on their 22 near the right wing. Both sides shove ferociously but the front rows pop up and we’ll reset.
77 mins: Australia go short with the lineout and soon have Kerevi hitting the line at speed. Leota has a dart, Kerevi again, Philip, none of them making a dent in the green wall. Koroibete does better after contact but the Springboks are up quickly snuffing out any quick ball. Australia are eight phases deep to tread water. Double figures and play remains on halfway. Australia continue to keep the ball alive - Cooper to Hodge is ugly and South Africa squeeze up. Is there an end to this? Maybe! Kerevi with the dart, Hoope on the outside on the left, he has a clear linebreak and Hodge on his left, the pass is very late and just as Hodge accepts the pill Willemse nails the tackle perfectly and forces the knock-on. THAT was the chance. If Australia don’t win, that will be the moment they rue. Patient multi-phase play, but disciplined, 15-man defence.
74 mins: South Africa are happy to slow the game down now, milking the breakdown then box kicking on the right wing.
Damian Willemse, on for Pollard, sprays a horrible conversion attempt miles to the right. One-point game, seven minutes to go.
Try! South Africa 26-25 Australia (Marx, 72)
The lineout is good. The maul forms. The creep towards the line is menacing. The weight is there, the momentum is there, and the irresistible force of the Springbok pack have their third pushover try!
71 mins: For the third passage in a row the Springboks kick to the left corner in search of a pushover try.
71 mins: The 5m lineout is safe. Penalty advantage immediately for the Springboks, that allows them to eschew the stagnant maul and throw the ball wide from left to right. There’s space, but the ball is slow to get to the corner and Australia show excellent scrambling defence to cover.
70 mins: The lineout is solid, the maul forms, the penalty advantage is called and South Africa reload.
Updated
69 mins: South Africa decline the shot for goal and instead kick for the corner. Can they score their third pushover try of the night?
69 mins: Massive shove from the Springboks on Australia’s feed but the ball comes out. Kerevi has a green wall in front of him, but from a standing start he earns metres after contact. After the offload to Samu the breakdown penalty goes South Africa’s way in A1 penalty goal territory.
68 mins: The lineout is solid but the maul cannot get going and Australia have bodies in the mix causing mayhem. Kaitu’u is in the thick of it, and he earns a vital penalty! Australia almost back to parity at 15-15. This has been a heck of a shift, matching South Africa’s muscle around the ground.
67 mins: South Africa still have a couple of minutes with an extra man. Can they take advantage? They have a golden opportunity with a scrum penalty leading to a lineout 35m form home.
66 mins: Solid lineout on the 20m line, but as White throws the ball infield Kerevi is a step ahead of his mark and he leaves the pass behind. Scrum to South Africa. Big opportunity missed for Australia.
65 mins: Australia slow from the restart and White box kicks. The ball lands back Australia’s way so Cooper kicks crossfield from left to right. The chase from Petaia is blistering and he nails Pollard into touch. Cooper has controlled open play excellently tonight.
Penalty! South Africa 21-25 Australia (Cooper, 63)
40m out, 10m infield from the right - Cooper roosts a superb penalty goal! He is having a magnificent return to Test rugby.
Updated
62 mins: Australia opt to run instead of kicking, and Cooper does well to run and accept contact near halfway on the right edge. The ball is returned infield and there’s a penalty at the breakdown.
South Africa have now returned to 15, with a man advantage for seven minutes. However, there’ll be plenty of seconds eaten up by Cooper taking a low percentage penalty attempt.
TRY! South Africa 21-22 Australia (Marx, 59)
14 v 14 as South Africa secure the lineout and roll another tidal wave of a maul crashing over the Wallaby line. Predictable, fearsome, and effective. Awesome to watch. Bloody strong bunch of boys pushing ridiculously hard in formation.
Pollard finds his range off the tee. One-point game!
Yellow card! (Fainga'a, 58)
“Clear foul play by No 2, he comes with distance and speed.” The fourth sin-binning of the night.
Updated
58 mins: That knock-on was upgraded to an offside penalty and Pollard kicks South Africa to a lineout on the 20m line. The maul doesn’t have as much vigour as previously and the ball is slowed down. The big Springbok pack get to work to drive through the middle but Australia stand firm and force Pollard to kick from the pocket. He goes high to the left corner and from the contest the ball lands South Africa’s way. 5m out, both sides frantic until De Klerk settles everyone down. Can they capitalise? Not immediately. Fainga’a is pinged for a diving shoulder charge at the knees of Nché, and the TMO is interested yet again.
55 mins: Australia secure their own lineout ball near halfway, then Cooper kicks deep. South Africa return fire and Koroibete knocks on leaping for the contested mark.
54 mins: Australia happy to keep the game slow from the restart, but they lose the ball on the floor on their 20m line! That was sloppy. South Africa go slowly from right to left in a series of slow phases. Ikitau is strong in defence, Swinton again forgets to use his arms, but gets away with it this time. Hooper is everywhere - and he earns the breakdown penalty! That was a big open-play win for the Wallabies. The Springboks haven’t linked many phases tonight but on that occasion they tested Australia repeatedly and they stood firm.
Kolisi jogs off for the night, and Vermeulen. This is going to be a heck of a comeback from here.
Penalty! South Africa 14-22 Australia (Cooper, 53)
Cooper continues his superb return to Test rugby. Remember that action all began with his visionary 50/20.
That looked very harsh to me. Le Roux wasn’t far off an 80m intercept try, and was hardly speculating unreasonably. Still, Cooper has a chance to extend the lead.
Yellow card! (Le Roux, 52)
The Springbok fullback’s intervention was deemed a deliberate knock-on. Attention then turns to the possibility of a penalty try, but that is ruled out with the number of covering defenders. However, the yellow card is pulled out for the third time tonight!
Updated
52 mins: South Africa start to get some roll on with the scrum but Australia hold firm and get the ball out. Kerevi hits the line hard and when Cooper gets the ball back at speed he sees space and kicks Test rugby’s first 50/20! The Wallabies secure the attacking lineout on the right and then get to work across the field. Phases build on the left wing but South Africa defend well. White then tries a very risky floaty cutout pass to the right, which Kellaway does well to gather. White is then back at the breakdown and looking to Ikitau on his outside but the attempted interception is knocked on by Le Roux. Australia are adamant that should be a deliberate knock on. The TMO is involved...
50 mins: The Springboks, who are starting to empty their bench, kick to halfway. De Klerk then kicks away lineout possession but he overclubs out on the full and gifts possession back to Australia. In this see-saw contest of course South Africa steal the lineout. They instantly go to the air, from centre-field to the left wing, but the high ball is knocked on and Australia will feed a scrum on halfway.
47 mins: Vermuelen juggles the restart kick. South Africa try a couple of tight drives, and they may regret it, because from the second there’s a breakdown penalty against the Springboks.
However, the TMO is now involved to check a Swinton tackle with no arms. He got away with one against Kolisi in the first half, but not this time. Penalty reversed. The referees discussed a yellow card but contact was on the shoulder, not the head.
Penalty! South Africa 14-19 Australia (Pollard, 46)
The Springboks have had all the ball and territory this half, and they now have three points to show for it.
45 mins: Penalty for South Africa for Australia clearing out De Klerk too soon and the ball is kicked down to the 20m line. The lineout is solid and the Springboks begin to rumble a maul. It rolls a metre, then five, Australia are scrambling to hold it up. 10m out the ball is released infield and from the first contact Cooper and Hooper combine for a breakdown infringement.
43 mins: Pollard hits the upright! The ball comes down in chaotic broken field but Australia secure the loose ball and Cooper belts clear. Very uncharacteristic from Pollard off the tee today so far. His third miss, and that one was very gettable.
42 mins: The scrum gods giveth and the scrum gods taketh away. After Bell won a penalty against the feed on the stroke of half-time, the Wallaby No 1 is penalised with the feed 25m out from his own line.
42 mins: Australia claim the restart and take a couple of super slow drives on the left wing but cough the ball up cheaply. South Africa sense an opportunity and go through hands to the left but Am shells the runaround pass from Pollard and the attack is over before it starts.
McDermott is off with a minor knock.
41 mins: Pollard kicks us back underway...
Nic White is on for Tate McDermott at scrum-half for the Wallabies. I wonder if that’s injury related?
Teams are back out for the second half. Plenty for the Springboks to do in the next 40 minutes.
I have to admit, I assumed it was a forward pass from Kerevi in real-time.
Half-time: South Africa 11-19 Australia
Australia with the unlikely half-time advantage. Their first half-time leads in Tests in 2021!
Penalty! South Africa 11-19 Australia (Cooper, 40+1)
Cooper continues his dream return to Test rugby.
40 mins: South Africa scrum under their own posts - and a penalty for Australia! Huge huge win for the Wallaby pack.
39 mins: Another good lineout for Australia and the ball is through hands from the left edge to midifeld. Hooper finds a gap, Valetini is on his outside shoulder and the Wallabies are 10m from the line. The Springboks defence is up incredibly fast and shuts down any runners. Australia continue to recycle possession though, even if play is slow at the breakdown. Cooper runs into contact like a prisoner walking the green mile, but still Australia probe. 5m from the line, the momentum is relentless, such industry from the Wallabies... until Alaalatoa fumbles and the drive fizzles out. Tremendous intent from the Wallabies, even if the move ends pointless.
37 mins: Australia win the defensive lineout, and that is improved by a penalty against South Africa for impeding the jumper. The Wallabies are now back to their full complement of 15.
35 mins: Massive punt from Ikitau and Australia are stable on halfway after the restart. The Wallabies then steal the lineout and Koroibete, Le Roux, and Banks exchange kicks. The passage ends with the Springbok fullback marking and clearing, but the lineout is taken quickly and Australia are soon on the move again... but with phases building McDermott throws a blind intercept pass and it takes a superb tackle to repel the raiding Kolisi on the right wing.
Penalty! South Africa 11-16 Australia (Cooper, 33)
Australia extend their lead to five points. They’ll be delighted with just a two-point deficit with Philip in the bin.
Updated
32 mins: Great lineout from Australia with quick ball feeding McDermott and inviting Koroibete to hit the line fast. Play gets through phases three and four then the ball spins right to Kerevi to pose problems. South Africa hold him up but the phases continue infield, Australia doing well to clear out and keep play moving. This is game from Australia, and soon they have a penalty advantage, which they eventually cash in under the posts. Koroibete and Kerevi are serious wrecking balls hitting the line with momentum.
30 mins: Will South Africa change tactic with the man advantage? What do you think? De Klerk box kicks the restart, Australia set slowly at the breakdown and Cooper goes for another dink kick over the top, only for play to be recalled for a Springbok offside. The Wallabies kick to the left corner.
TRY! South Africa 11-13 Australia (Mbonambi, 28)
Another lineout, another maul, and this time the Springboks rumble over! That was inevitable, and awesome. Mbonambi has the honour of peeling away at the back to touchdown.
Pollard misses his second kick, this time from just inside the right touchline.
28 mins: “There’s too much doubt,” to award a penalty try. “Just a penalty and yellow.” More brilliant swift, clear communication from the referees.
Yellow card! (Philip, 28)
Play returns to the penalty advantage. The Springboks nail another lineout and get moving with the maul. They get to the line and everything comes crashing down. Philip is immediately sent to the bin for collapsing the maul. The TMO is now being asked if it’s a penalty try.
27 mins: The lineout soon becomes a penalty advantage. De Klerk sees space behind the defensive line, dabs a cute grubber kick, and Am has just to gather and touch down - but he can’t! Miraculous defence on the line, on his back, by McDermott, and he disrupts the carry and the South African centre knocks-on.
26 mins: Good lineout from the Springboks and it soon becomes a penalty with Australia coming through the line too quickly before the maul formed. As Kolisi rejoins the fray Pollard kicks to the right corner.
24 mins: Vermeulen knocks-on chasing a high ball and Australia have their first scrum feed of the night, 10m into their own half on the left wing. McDermott snipes down the blindside, then Swinton puts his head down, but Valetini is penalised for incorrectly clearing out the breakdown.
23 mins: From 46m out, 12m in from the right touchline, Pollard misses the right-hand upright. Still, it sped up the return of captain Kolisi.
22 mins: Fainga’a resumes his position, but again the front rows collapse, but not before South Africa are told to use the ball. Guess what? De Klerk box kicks down the line. Koroibete runs the ball back, slaloming through bodies down the line, but once Vermeulen hammers him the ball isn’t coming out and the referee’s arm points in favour of a green penalty. Pollard will milk the clock as he kicks for goal.
21 mins: The second scrum of the night collapses at the front and Wallaby hooker Fainga’a looks in a bad way at the end of it. It is a discipline not long for this world you’d have to think.
TRY! South Africa 6-13 Australia (Kellaway, 18)
Australia opt to run with the man advantage from the lineout. From midfield the ball goes to the right and Kerevi makes the crucial incursion, straightening his attack and holding his balance to float the ball wide to Kellaway who dashes around the outside to cross. A hint of a forward pass in the build-up, but nobody prevents Quade Cooper from dabbing over a simple conversion.
Brilliant from Australia, and an immediate use of the extra man.
Updated
Yellow card! (Kolisi, 16)
The communication from the referee to the TMO is superb. “Clearly six drives him through the horizontal. We’ve got foul play, it’s a dangerous tackle. Yellow card.”
The Springbok skipper is off for ten minutes. The only question on review was whether it was yellow or red, but Banks landed safely enough to avoid the maximum punishment.
Updated
16 mins: Koroibete then Swinton try to run from their own 20m line but this South African defensive line is impenetrable. McDermott and Pollard exchange kicks, the latter going high to the left where Banks takes the ball well, and is then tipped in the tackle by Kolisi. Banks was lifted above horizontal and we’re going to the TMO...
Penalty! South Africa 6-6 Australia (Cooper, 14)
For the second time in the opening quarter of this match Quade Cooper’s boot restores parity.
Updated
13 mins: Yet again De Klerk kicks away the restart, and on this occasion Banks holds on well and gets the offload to Koroibete in contact. Cooper kicks over the onrushing line and the chase is superb from Ikitau who nails Pollard, gets to his feet in a flash, and allows Cooper his second shot for goal.
Penalty! South Africa 6-3 Australia (Pollard, 12)
Handre Pollard, strokes over a beautiful right-footed curler from 30m out 10m infield.
Updated
12 mins: The first scrum ends with a South African penalty. Bell folding under the pressure of the Springbok front row. Another shot for goal coming up.
10 mins: Koroibete runs the restart back hard - until he meets Kishoff. Slow ball for Australia so McDermott box kicks, but doesn’t make enough distance. South Africa soon go aerially themselves, crossfield from right to left, and Banks knocks-on under the high ball. The Springboks are asking lots of questions early.
Penalty! South Africa 3-3 Australia (Cooper, 9)
From 40m out, in line with the left-hand upright, Cooper strikes his first penalty superbly and brings the scores level.
Updated
8 mins: After De Klerk kicks away the restart Australia are surer from the lineout and head from the left touchline infield. Cooper spirals a pass back to the left but it misses its target and is fortunate to be gathered safely. Australia continue to run and after Bell accepts contact the South African defence is penalised for not rolling away. Cooper has an early opportunity to level the scores.
Penalty! South Africa 3-0 Australia (Pollard, 6)
Pollard gets the scoreboard moving. South Africa have come with a very clear style in mind, and they are executing well early on.
5 mins: Australia are scrappy at the set-piece and require Kerevi to get them out of jail in broken play, but on the ground he doesn’t release quickly enough and concedes a penalty under the posts.
Updated
4 mins: Australia’s first lineout is taken safely and McDermott again box kicks down the line. De Klerk, Banks and Pollard then exchange kicks until Australia fail to claim the contested high ball. The Springboks settle 10m inside Australia’s half, but again De Klerk is quick to box kick, this time nailing a very cute left-footed effort that bounces into touch 15m out on the right.
2 mins: De Klerk box kicks early and Banks can’t claim it on the run. A second South African kick follows soon after and play is immediately in Australia’s half. The Wallabies are patient at the breakdown, but that means McDermott can only box kick himself. Pollard then puts boot to ball with a cute crossfield pass to the right, then after winning the breakdown Le Roux kicks to touch on the left wing. A very kicky old start.
Kick-off!
Quade Cooper drops the ball and we are underway on the Gold Coast!
Siya Kolisi belting out the anthem, eyes scrunched tight, chest pumped out, is a magnificent sight. What a superb leader he is.
The anthems also revealed plenty of Springbok jerseys in the crowd.
“Very fashionable in the Home Nations to complain about the dull way that the Springboks play the game,” emails a nameless reader. “I’m not a fan, but I do feel it’s only fair to point out that in the recent series against the Lions they scored more tries, made more line breaks, passed the ball more, scored more tries with backs and passed the ball to their wingers more than the Lions.”
All very fair points.
Just a minor snafu on the Gold Coast with the stadium PA playing the opening bars of Advance Australia Fair over the Welcome to Country. A mistake swiftly remedied.
This is of course the second clash at Cbus Super stadium today. Earlier the All Blacks had their way with the Pumas.
Out jog the Wallabies - the nominal away side tonight - in their honeycomb gold jerseys and forest green shorts.
The Springboks bound out of the race with more oomph in their emerald green tops and white shorts.
The siren sounds at Cbus Super Stadium. The Wallabies lock arms in a circle in the change room. Battle will commence soon.
Dave Rennie has had a few words with Australian TV. He was typically optimistic about his side’s chances, but clear that tonight’s encounter will be very different to the ones against the All Blacks. “We’ve prepared well, we’re aware of what’s coming: a very physical side that doesn’t want to play with the ball,” Rennie said.
And Quade Cooper? “He deserves a crack.”
It is 20C and dry under lights on the Gold Coast. The moderate northerly breeze may influence the kicking game.
The Wallabies have made their jersey a focus of attention in recent months, including the addition of a dedicated First Nations strip, a poll to establish the correct shade of gold, and now incorporating Indigenous artwork in the green numbers on the back.
Dave Rennie is suitably admiring. “As a squad, we pride ourselves on culture and inclusivity, and that’s what the First Nations jersey represents, and to now have it on both jerseys is something special for our rugby community.”
The Springboks are the No 1 ranked side in Test rugby, they’re the World Cup holders, and recently knocked off the touring British and Irish Lions. But, as Gerard Meagher wrote recently, there’s a bloodlessness to all this success that isn’t winning over any neutrals.
Judging them purely on results – a World Cup triumph and a Lions series win – you cannot say it has not been successful, but equally it has become a way of excusing the fact that they are not exactly riveting to watch. This series, South Africa have welcomed any accusations that they are “boring” – Handré Pollard countered by saying the only thing more beautiful than South Africa’s style of play was his wife.
⏱️ Only 25 minutes to go before kick-off#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #RSAvAUS pic.twitter.com/hd6tiG9hHG
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 12, 2021
Bret Harris sets the scene for tonight’s action right here:
It is undisputed that the Wallabies will face an entirely different challenge to the one posed during the Bledisloe Cup when they play world champions South Africa on the Gold Coast on Sunday night. The Springboks and the All Blacks do not only play different styles of rugby, but they almost play different codes of rugby.
“I’m very focussed about doing a good job tonight,” says Quade Cooper, while giving an interview to Australian TV during his kicking drills.
“There’s so much more to life than football,” he adds, before making a gag at Sonny Bill Williams’ expense.
Indeed. In the first half of today’s double-header on the Gold Coast, the All Blacks had no problem swatting aside the Pumas.
BP on the GC.#NZLvARG #TRC2021 pic.twitter.com/QqoWoQcEIi
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 12, 2021
Wallabies XV
Dave Rennie has made three changes to the side that lost to the All Blacks in Perth. The headline of course is the recall of Quade Cooper in the No 10 jersey, four years since his last Test. “He’s had a really positive impact since joining the group, put pressure on us as selectors and he’s excited to get out there and perform on Sunday night,” Rennie said.
Angus Bell, the youngest member of the squad, has been given the nod to make his international starting debut alongside hooker Folau Fainga’a and tighthead prop Allan Alaalatoa in the front row. Alaalatoa’s appearance brings up his 50th international cap.
Izack Rodda, who featured off the bench last week, also wins a starting berth and will play in the second row alongside Matt Philip.
Only six of the XV that began the first Test of the season against France have survived to this point.
💪 #YourTeam for today!
— Wallabies (@wallabies) September 12, 2021
🗓Today from 5pm AEST
🏟️ Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Don’t miss out! Get your 2 for 1 🎟 : https://t.co/YynEKhEMZj
📺 @StanSportAU & @9Gem #TRC2021 #Wallabies #NZLvARG #RSAvAUS pic.twitter.com/3mdAHalU1Y
Springboks XV
South Africa have named a much-altered line-up to the side that defeated Argentina in August with 13 changes overall. Duane Vermeulen leads the call-ups with the No 8 making his first appearance for the Springboks since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final. He has recovered fully from the ankle surgery he underwent earlier this year.
Elsewhere in the pack, Eben Etzebeth starts at lock, and there’s a new-look front row of Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe and Bongi Mbonambi.
In the backline scrum-half Faf de Klerk is back from a knock, and Sbu Nkosi replaces the injured Cheslin Kolbe on the right wing.
The bench is packed full of quality, including the returning Herschel Jantjies.
“Duane, Faf and Herschel are Rugby World Cup winners, and so is Eben, who is back after we rotated him to manage his workload,” said head coach Jacques Nienaber. “We are pleased to have them back in the fold.”
The Springboks have endured a testing run of injuries and are now forced to complete this portion 0f the Rugby Championship on Australian, not South African, soil. “Australia pose a strong threat with their running rugby and they like to keep the ball in play,” Nienaber said. “They will also be playing in front of a charged-up home crowd, so it will be good to have these experienced players back as they know what it takes to perform in big matches.”
🏉 ICYMI: the Bok team for Sunday's Test against Australia - more here: https://t.co/xcdVoj8X7n#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #AUSvRSA pic.twitter.com/miwdW6pcjA
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 8, 2021
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the Springboks v the Wallabies from Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast. We’re into round three of this year’s Rugby Championship with kick-off at 8.05pm AEST.
A narrow victory in a three-Test series against a second-string France, followed by a hat-trick of comprehensive Beldisloe Cup defeats have meant Australia’s plans for 2021 have not got off to the best of starts. From a season that began with a bullish Dave Rennie backing in youthful combinations, he is now looking to the past to salvage results.
With a reinterpretation of the Giteau Law to boost Rennie’s options, Samu Kerevi returned to the fold against New Zealand. Now it’s Quade Cooper’s turn to don the green and gold after a long hiatus with Rennie running out of patience with 21-year-old five-eighth Noah Lolesio. Not for the first time in recent years it raises questions about the direction in which Australia are travelling, and how much catching-up they have to do to return to the top table of Test rugby.
One man who has risen above the mediocrity around him is captain Michael Hooper, and the relentless warrior tonight equals George Gregan’s record for the most Tests as Wallabies captain when he leads his side out for a 59th time.
Hooper will be delighted not to have to stare down another haka this week, but for his sins he is instead faced with the prospect of the dominant force in world rugby at the moment. This is a Springboks side with awesome power up front, a commitment to winning that is the rival of any side in international sport, and a ferocious dedication to their own cause. The recent Bledisloe series was largely an entertaining and open affair with the All Blacks demonstrating their superior finishing prowess. Tonight we’re likely to be in for a much more controlled demonstration of force, and a very different spectacle.
I’ll be back with more shortly, but if you would like to join in, you can reach me by email or Twitter (@JPHowcroft).
⏳ Time for action.
— Wallabies (@wallabies) September 12, 2021
🗓TODAY 8:05pm AEST
🏟️ Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Don’t miss out! Get your 2 for 1 🎟: https://t.co/wVRz6qgNF4
📺 @StanSportAU & @9Gem
#TRC2021 #Wallabies #RSAvAUS @asicsaustralia pic.twitter.com/iKUhLCafYZ
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