Australia rallied from 22-0 down as captain Harry Wilson scored two tries in a stunning 38-22 bonus-point victory over South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, the Wallabies' first victory at Ellis Park since 1963.
South Africa raced into a commanding lead inside the first quarter through tries by wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, centre Andre Esterhuizen and number eight Siya Kolisi, but their Achilles heel this season has been the breakdown and it was there that Australia began to take control.
The Springboks led 22-5 at halftime but Australia came alive in the second period and were excellent in soaking up pressure and hitting the world champions with fast breaks as they won on South African soil for the first time in 14 years.
Winger Dylan Pietsch, centre Joseph Suaalii, winger Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright also crossed for the visitors in one of Australia’s greatest Test wins.
South Africa 22 (Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen, Siya Kolisi tries; Manie Libbok 2 conversions, penalty).
Australia 38 (Harry Wilson 2, Dylan Pietsch, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright tries; James O'Connor 4 conversions).
HT: 5-22.
Springboks vs Wallabies live
- South Africa host Australia in the opening round of the Rugby Championship | Live on Sky Sports
- Wallabies suffered 2-1 defeat to Lions but took confidence from Test series
- TRY! South Africa 7-0 Australia (Arendse, 2 min)
- TRY! South Africa 15-0 Australia (Esterhuizen, 13 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-0 Australia (Kolisi, 18 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-5 Australia (Pietsch, 28 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-12 Australia (Wilson, 43 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-19 Australia (Suaalii, 58 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-26 Australia (Wilson, 64 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-33 Australia (Jorgensen, 66 min)
- TRY! South Africa 22-38 Australia (Wright, 76 min)
- Full-time: South Africa 22-38 Australia
Match report
18:15 , Lawrence OstlereAustralia rallied from 22-0 down as captain Harry Wilson scored two tries in a stunning 38-22 bonus-point victory over South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, the Wallabies' first victory at Ellis Park since 1963.
South Africa raced into a commanding lead inside the first quarter through tries by wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, centre Andre Esterhuizen and number eight Siya Kolisi, but their Achilles heel this season has been the breakdown and it was there that Australia began to take control.
The Springboks led 22-5 at halftime but Australia came alive in the second period and were excellent in soaking up pressure and hitting the world champions with fast breaks as they won on South African soil for the first time in 14 years.
Winger Dylan Pietsch, centre Joseph Suaalii, winger Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright also crossed for the visitors in one of Australia’s greatest Test wins.
South Africa 22 (Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen, Siya Kolisi tries; Manie Libbok 2 conversions, penalty).
Australia 38 (Harry Wilson 2, Dylan Pietsch, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright tries; James O'Connor 4 conversions).
HT: 5-22.
Full-time: South Africa 22-38 Australia
18:07 , Lawrence OstlereSome pictures from Australia’s memorable second half:
Full-time: South Africa 22-38 Australia
17:56 , Lawrence OstlereWhat an unbelievable match of rugby. South Africa led 22-0; then Australia blitzed six tries, scoring 38 unanswered points to win comfortably.
That was one of the great Australian performances on foreign soil, at the Springboks’ spiritual home, Ellis Park, no less. Wow.
South Africa 22-38 Australia
17:54 , Lawrence Ostlere79 min: Australia go sniffing for one more score – they’re getting greedy now – but it’s held up on the line.
TRY! South Africa 22-38 Australia (Wright, 76 min)
17:51 , Lawrence OstlereTate McDermott collects a bouncing ball in his own half and darts through the Springboks’ defence, making 50 yards. South Africa come back at Australia but they are stretched and when they spill it back into gold hands, Tom Wright is free to counter all the way up the field before diving over for another try, their sixth!. This is going to be famous win for Australia.
O’Connor misses from wide right.
South Africa 22-33 Australia
17:47 , Lawrence Ostlere70 min: The Springboks have a lineout on the Australian 22 after Tom Wright kicks out on the full. Can South Africa get themselves back into the game? No – they concede a penalty at the breakdown after excellent work by Fraser McReight.
TRY! South Africa 22-33 Australia (Jorgensen, 66 min)
17:41 , Lawrence OstlereWhat is going on here?! Max Jorgensen receives a long pass and drives down the right wing. He still has lots to do but does it masterfully, darting inside before stepping back out again, deceiving a couple of tacklers en route to another try – Australia’s fifth without reply.
O’Connor kicks two more.
TRY! South Africa 22-26 Australia (Wilson, 64 min)
17:39 , Lawrence OstlereWhat a turnaround!! Harry Wilson goes with Tom Wright’s line break and he’s there in support to run it home under the posts! The only problem for Australia is that their captain looks to have injured his right leg, possibly his knee, in the process. He’s done here.
South Africa 22-19 Australia
17:37 , Lawrence Ostlere62 min: Rasie Erasmus makes changes to his creaking Springboks: Mbonambi, Venter and Ntlabakanye are all on in the front-row as Reinach takes up his station at scrum-half.
TRY! South Africa 22-19 Australia (Suaalii, 58 min)
17:33 , Lawrence OstlereJoseph Suaalii reads an ambitious long pass and zooms freely to the posts for Australia’s third try! O’Connor adds the extras.
South Africa 22-12 Australia
17:31 , Lawrence Ostlere55 min: South Africa work through the phases before replacement Willemse slices through a gap and closes in on the try line, but Australia get back and snuff out the danger just in time, provoking a knock-on and a scrum.
South Africa 22-12 Australia
17:26 , Lawrence Ostlere52 min: Pieter-Steph du Toit reads the Australian lineout to make a crucial steal, deep in Springboks territory.
South Africa 22-12 Australia
17:24 , Lawrence Ostlere50 min: Ikitau is helped off the field by physios and his evening appears to be over.
South Africa 22-12 Australia
17:21 , Lawrence Ostlere47 min: South Africa almost nail a training-ground play from a scrum in the Australian 22, but Williams hits the gap almost too quickly and ends up running into his own teammates as the move breaks down.
TRY! South Africa 22-12 Australia (Wilson, 43 min)
17:19 , Lawrence OstlereNow then – game on? Wilson makes a brilliant burst through the Springboks’ defensive line to score, and O’Connor adds the two.
Second half: South Africa 22-5 Australia
17:16 , Lawrence OstlereThey’re back underway!
Half-time: South Africa 22-5 Australia
17:05 , Lawrence OstlereSome pictures from the first half at Ellis Park:
Half-time: South Africa 22-5 Australia
16:59 , Lawrence OstlereThe Springboks can’t turn late pressure into a score, and White kicks the ball into touch after a spilled lineout to bring a one-sided half to an end.
South Africa 22-5 Australia
16:54 , Lawrence Ostlere38 min: James O’Connor boots too far downfield, all the way off the pitch, and now South Africa will have one last play with a scrum inside the Australian 22 just before half-time.
South Africa 22-5 Australia
16:53 , Lawrence Ostlere36 min: Kellaway zips downfield and kicks for Ikitau, but Arendse is back to cleans up.
South Africa 22-5 Australia
16:47 , Lawrence Ostlere32 min: The clock is stopped after a couple of players go down injured. Dylan Pietsch is holding his mouth, or perhaps jaw, after a collision with Siya Kolisi’s head which did not look pretty. Kolisi meanwhile is receiving some treatment for his knee.
TRY! South Africa 22-5 Australia (Pietsch, 28 min)
16:44 , Lawrence Ostlere28 min: The Wallabies enjoy their best period of the match, stringing together phases around the Springboks’ 22, before a wonderful piece of creativity by Len Ikitau, who plays a little one-two before firing a pass out wide for Dylan Pietsch to score in the corner.
James O’Connor misses the conversion from the touchline.
South Africa 22-0 Australia
16:39 , Lawrence Ostlere25 min: Manie Libbok is penalised for failing to roll away after making a tackle. Australia boot the penalty long down into the 22 for another lineout, from which they try a cheeky chip in behind, but Edwill van der Merwe does really well to get across and catch an awkward bouncing ball under the posts, and Libbok kicks to touch.
South Africa 22-0 Australia
16:35 , Lawrence Ostlere22 min: Australia use a penalty and some rare territory to kick for the corner rather than the posts. But Billy Pollard’s lineout is not straight, and the chance is wasted.
TRY! South Africa 22-0 Australia (Kolisi, 18 min)
16:32 , Lawrence OstlereFraser McReight pinches a turnover to give Australia some brief relief from the Sprinbok onslaught, but it doesn’t last long as Etzebeth snatches it back and they come again. South Africa earn a penalty for a high tackle but don’t need it as Kolisi picks and slides through the middle of the Australian defence like an outside centre!
Libbok knocks over the extras from in front of the posts.
TRY! South Africa 15-0 Australia (Esterhuizen, 13 min)
16:28 , Lawrence OstlereWhat a move this is by the Springboks, who shift the ball from their right all the way across the halfway line to the right. Esterhuizen follows the move as Kriel skips and tackle and feeds De Toit, who pops it off for Esterhuizen to run home.
Libbok misses a fairly routine kick off the post.
Penalty! South Africa 10-0 Australia (Libbok, 10 min)
16:22 , Lawrence OstlereLibbok nails the kick to extend the hosts’ lead.
South Africa 7-0 Australia
16:22 , Lawrence Ostlere8 min: Malcolm Marx misses his mark this time at the lineout, overthrowing, and the Wallabies pinch the ball. But Marx makes amends a moment later as he snaffles it, and a penalty, at the breakdown.
Libbok will go for the posts from a central position, perhaps 40 yards from goal.
South Africa 7-0 Australia
16:20 , Lawrence Ostlere5 min: Lood de Jager catches South Africa’s first lineout of the match near the halfway line. Grant Williams then sends up a high box-kick which Etzebeth chases and catches among a load of gold shirts, but a green knock-on ends the play inside Australia’s 22.
TRY! South Africa 7-0 Australia (Arendse, 2 min)
16:17 , Lawrence OstlereWhat a start! Kolise leads the surge downfield, battering through a few tackles to take the Springboks to the 22. They work it right, then quickly left, where Kurt-Lee Arendse is waiting free on the left wing to nip over in the corner.
Libbok fires over the conversion.
Kick-off! South Africa vs Australia
16:13 , Lawrence OstlereNic White kicks this Test match underway, and Lood de Jager rises high to collect it.
South Africa vs Australia
16:09 , Lawrence OstlereAfter some pyrotechnics and tribal dancing, featuring a topless chap bigger than most of the players on the pitch behind him, come the anthems. Australia first, followed by the home side.
South Africa vs Australia
16:06 , Lawrence OstlereThe players emerge to a jam-packed Ellis Park! It’s going to be a fabulous atmosphere in Johannesburg tonight.
South Africa vs Australia match officials
15:55 , Harry Latham-CoyleReferee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (NZ) & Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
Television Match Officials: Tual Trainini (Fra)
Foul Play Review Officer: Richard Kelly (NZ)
Rassie Erasmus keen to continue freshening up of Springboks squad
15:45 , Harry Latham-CoyleIt is not lost on Rassie Erasmus that many of his Springboks stalwarts are starting to get on a bit, in rugby terms. Plenty of the South Africa squad will hope to challenge for a third consecutive World Cup come the 2027 tournament in Australia but there will also be a need to bring youngsters through.
“It’s not easy to predict who is going to be available, and that’s why we’ve been working with an expanded squad of 45 players,” Erasmus explained.
“We won’t be throwing the old guys away, but we need to give as many chances as we can to up-and-coming talent.”
Andre Esterhuizen gets another midfield chance
15:35 , Harry Latham-CoyleDamian de Allende should be back fit soon enough, it seems, for South Africa but Andre Esterhuizen ensures they have a high-class inside centre even without their regular No 12. Esterhuizen is a figure of growing importance within the Springboks squad, with Rassie Erasmus cross-training him in the back row at times to further increase the adaptability within the group.
Esterhuizen impressed as an emergency auxiliary flanker after the sending off of Jasper Wiese against Italy and his ability to perhaps cover the position might allow Erasmus to use more three-back benches, rather than the six/two split he has generally preferred.
Nic White reverses retirement
15:25 , Harry Latham-CoylePartnering James O’Connor in a half-back pairing flecked with grey for Australia today is Nic White - which, given the scrum half announced his retirement before the last Lions Test, feels odd. White has been convinced to continue with Joe Schmidt feeling he needed the veteran for the start of this campaign after Jake Gordon suffered a hamstring injury. White was given a warm farewell by the rain-soaked crowd in Sydney a fortnight ago but onwards he ploughs - and he was very good in what was supposed to be his final appearance.
Team news - Australia
15:15 , Harry Latham-CoyleVeteran fly half James O’Connor starts for Australia in the lone change to the starting side that beat the Lions in the third Test. O’Connor replaces Tom Lynagh, who sustained a concussion in that Sydney clash.
Joe Schmidt resists the urge to freshen the side up elsewhere, though has had to make tweaks to his bench - Ben Donaldson had been due to provide fly half cover to O’Connor before an injury in training ruled him out. Nick Champion de Crespigny was then initially named as one of six replacement forwards having made his debut during the Lions series, but the flanker drops out to allow one-cap playmaker Tane Edmed to come in.
Australia XV: 1 James Slipper, 2 Billy Pollard, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton; 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Nic White, 10 James O’Connor; 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen; 15 Tom Wright.
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
Team news - South Africa
15:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleSouth Africa are without a couple of regular starters in centre Damian de Allende and wing Cheslin Kolbe, who could have played but has been held back by Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks director of rugby mixes and matches in places as he continues to develop depth, with skipper Siya Kolisi given a new international role at No 8 in a back row that also includes Marco van Staden and Pieter-Steph du Toit.
Manie Libook is given a go at fly half ahead of Handre Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while Wilco Louw wins a similarly competitive chase for a starting place on the tighthead. As per usual, there is plenty of power lurking on the bench.
South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Wilco Louw; 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager; 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Siya Kolisi (capt.); 9 Grant Williams, 10 Manie Libbok; 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Edwill van der Merwe; 15 Aphelele Fassi.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith; 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.
2025 Rugby Championship fixtures
15:00 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe 2025 Rugby Championship will not conclude until October in the slightly strange surroundings of Twickenham, with Argentina and South Africa taking a fixture to south west London in the name of international expansion. Here’s the full schedule (all times BST):
August 16
South Africa vs Australia - Johannesburg, 4.10pm
Argentina vs New Zealand - Cordoba, 10.10pm
August 23
South Africa vs Australia - Cape Town, 4.10pm
Argentina vs New Zealand - Buenos Aires, 10.10pm
September 6
Australia vs Argentina - Townsville, 5.30am
New Zealand vs South Africa - Auckland, 8.05am
September 13
Australia vs Argentina - Sydney, 5am
New Zealand vs South Africa - Wellington, 8.05am
September 27
New Zealand vs Australia - Auckland, 6.05am
South Africa vs Argentina - Durban, 4.10pm
October 4
Australia vs New Zealand - Perth, 10.45am
Argentina vs South Africa - Twickenham, 2pm
Siya Kolisi expecting stern test against Australia
14:50 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe Springboks looked strong against slightly overmatched opposition in Georgia and an injury-hit Italy in July, but captain Siya Kolisi is expecting a sterner examination today.
“The talk in our camp has solely been on Australia,” said Kolisi. “We saw how they played against the British & Irish Lions, and we’ve been in the position they are now in the past, so it would be foolish to think that they won’t throw everything at us.
“We are certainly not thinking about the New Zealand matches now.”
James O'Connor backed to shine on Wallabies return
14:40 , ReutersInjuries have given James O'Connor the chance to win a first Australia cap in three years in the Rugby Championship opener against South Africa, but coach Joe Schmidt believes the fly half is ready to run the game.
Injuries to Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson have opened the door for O’Connor, 35, to make his first international appearance since 2022 in the cauldron of Ellis Park.
There are few tougher places in world rugby to play.
"The good thing with James is he came in right at the start of the Lions series," Schmidt said. "So he’s had three weeks with us.
"He’ had a period to probably just assimilate himself into the systems that we run and to start gaining confidence that he could run the game, and the confidence of the players that he was a guy to listen to. He’s done that really well, and that gives us confidence.
"I tracked him throughout Super Rugby while he was playing for the Crusaders, and I’ve seen him play for a number of years.
"He hasn’t played for the Wallabies in three years, so he’s pretty excited by that opportunity."
Australia proved a point in Melbourne — but second Test cannot be a false dawn
14:30 , Harry Latham-CoyleAfter the second Test in Melbourne, we laid out the challenges that lie ahead for Australia - and the reasons for optimism about a brighter future.
Australia proved a point in Melbourne — but second Test cannot be a false dawn
Australia survive chaos and carnage as Lions clean sweep dreams washed away
14:20 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe Lions series got off to an inauspicious start for Australia, but Joe Schmidt’s side powered to third Test victory to salvage a fair bit of pride. Can they build on their second and third Test showings? Here’s what happened amidst the chaos and carnage in Sydney.
Australia survive chaos and carnage as Lions clean sweep dreams washed away
Why an uncertain future could set up a thrilling Rugby Championship
14:10 , Harry Latham-CoyleThis is the last edition of the Rugby Championship before it moves from an annual hosting to being held on a biennial basis - a shame, in a way, even if there is excitement to come amid a slightly uncertain future.
Why an uncertain future could set up a thrilling Rugby Championship
South Africa vs Australia live
Friday 15 August 2025 13:43 , Harry Latham-CoyleThe Rugby Championship kicks off with an intriguing meeting between South Africa and Australia at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park. The Springboks are the defending champions and again strong contenders for the competition - but can a Wallabies side that grew throughout the British and Irish Lions series spring a shock?
Kick off is at 4.10pm BST.
