Australia v South Africa: Rugby Championship Test – live! | Rugby Championship

44 mins: That lineout is stolen by Vermeulen. Off one phase Pollard opts for the garryowen but it’s knocked on in the marking contest.

42 mins: A good kick chase by Paisami has Australia on the front foot early but Ikitau returns possession with a poor kick straight to Gelant. Neither side seems overly interested in taking the game on and after an exchange of ineffective kicks Australia will have a lineout on halfway.

We’re back into it at an Adelaide Oval that is now a patchwork of shadows.

In case you missed Marika Koroibete’s incredible try-saving tackle:

Australia’s rapid start has them ahead at the break, but South Africa will wonder how they only have three points after squandering 20-minutes worth of scoring opportunities. Big ten minutes coming up after the interval with the Wallabies set to enjoy a man advantage after withstanding immense pressure.

There’s a pause in play while the TMO reviews an incident behind an Australian scrum where White is clipped in the face by De Klerk trying to clip the ball out out of his opposite number’s hands. It’s the merest of touches but it is head-high contact, and the TMO calls for a yellow card!

38 mins: Another 5m lineout, another maul, but this time the Wallabies withstand the pressure. The ball comes free, De Klerk sees the opportunity and play shifts quickly from right to left. There’s an overlap. Try time, surely…. NO! WOW! What a tackle from Koroibete! That was extraordinary. Mapimpi was free in the left corner but as he dived to cross Koroibete flew like a Patriot missile to intercept and detonate the ball out of the winger’s hands. That was ballistic and breathtaking. Unbelievable escape for the Wallabies. How have South Africa not scored!?

37 mins: Another successful attacking 5m lineout, and this time the maul forms and the rumble takes shape. Fainga’a brings it down and is very very lucky to remain on the field. Australia are clinging on desperately.

36 mins: The lineout is solid but for the umpteenth time there’s no cohesion in midfield. Pollard has not had a great half. But yet again play is recalled for an Australian infringement. This time it’s McReight. The Wallabies will soon be lucky to have 14 men on the field with so many repeat penalties.

35 mins: Yet again the Springboks can’t take advantage and after the combination behind the scrum fails play returns to a penalty advantage and Pollard kicks to the right corner.

33 mins: The clearance to the right results in a neat lineout combination that sends the Wallabies away, but the follow-up is wanting and South Africa can counter – but they do not look at home expanding with ball in hand and du Toit throws away possession. Not to worry, Fainga’a is pinged for an errant lineout throw and we’re back packing down with the visiting team feeding an attacking scrum.

32 mins: But that period begins with a huge win! From the latest 5m scrum Australia resisted the early shove then ground their way to parity before earning their own clearing penalty. Massive for the Wallaby pack.

30 mins: The second scrum follows the pattern of the first but this time Vermeulen uses it and de Klerk has a sniff. It’s all a bit scruffy and the Springboks get a tap penalty, keep the ball alive and shift it to the left where Nché bulldozes his way over the line – but he can’t touch down.

Play is then recalled to the tap where Tom Wright infringed egregiously enough to be yellow carded. South Africa loading up the pressure here. big 10 minutes before half-time for Australia.

29 mins: The Springboks shove hard in the scrum but just as a rumble threatens to build, their’s too much rotation and they’re forced to reset.

27 mins: A scruffy couple of minutes from both sets of players ends with South Africa kicking a penalty near halfway to the left corner. The Springboks are beginning to succeed from their tactic of aerial bombs dropping just in front of Australia’s back three looking up into the sun. The lineout is secured, South Africa build, and Slipper is penalised. The Springboks kick for another 5m lineout – but they are denied by a superb intervention from the giant Arnold, swatting the throw away behind his own try-line. There’s a scramble to secure the loose ball but it’s touched down by a gold jersey. 5m scrum to South Africa. This is suffocating pressure.

This time he makes no mistake, from bang in front, 30m out. The Springboks are finally on the famous old scoreboard.

23 mins: It’s all South Africa for the time being though and straight after the restart the Springboks get another shot at goal for obstruction.

22 mins: Pollard misses his second penalty! That one was much more straightforward but again he drags his effort low and left. Very costly from the visiting No 10.

21 mins: Attacking scrum to South Africa on the left and they earn a penalty before de Klerk spins the ball infield. The drive doesn’t get far before play is called back for the shot at goal.

20 mins: I did not expect such an open and entertaining start.

18 mins: The Springboks keep pressing and finally gain good attacking territory before a turnover halts momentum. Australia boot clear but it’s returned with interest by Mapimpi. His incursion is augmented by a Nché’s chase following a dink over the top. Hodge and McReight are then forced into desperate tackles as the Springboks look destined to score, but as the inevitable begins to materialises de Klerk is penalised for a high clearout tackle and the Wallabies survive.

17 mins: South Africa are growing into the contest and even put a couple of phases together in midfield, utilising Mapimpi’s dash, before the obligatory kick in behind is dabbed down for a line drop-out by Koroibete.

15 mins: It’s taken 14 minutes but finally South Africa have a point-scoring opportunity. From a sloppy penalty just inside Australia’s half Handré Pollard has a sight of three points but he absolutely butchers his penalty attempt.

14 mins: The Wallabies can’t capitalise and again almost as soon as they lose possession South Africa try to kick in behind towards the corners. Good scramble defence from Australia snuffs out any danger.

13 mins: Malcolm Mark gets an early taste of the action while Dweba gets patched up. He’s part of a Springbok pack that’s penalised for pushing too early at the first scrum. Australia kick early and benefit from an awkward bounce that wrongfoots Willemse and forces South Africa into a hurried clearance.

11 mins: A better attacking lineout from the Wallabies but it’s soon turned over at ground level. Immediately South Africa kick in behind Koroibete but the big winger saves the possible 50-22 and returns with interest to halfway. Superb defensive work. The Springboks are then penalised for failing to deliver their first lineout in a straight line. Now, what will the first scrum of the day reveal?

10 mins: Australia get away with their first lineout throw and the forwards get to work in the corridor just inside the 22. It’s a drive that lacks precision and the Springboks muscle the ball back and kick clear to touch.

9 mins: White box kicks to halfway, Koroibete absolutely hammers the chasing tackle and seconds later Australia have a breakdown penalty. This is phenomenal from the Wallabies.

Australia’s dream start continues to improve. South Africa haven’t turned up yet.

6 mins: Australia are determined to keep the ball alive in open play, but they risk inviting the proactive South African defence onto them. Following the drop-out, play stalls on the 22 and the Springboks look set to force a turnover, but when the ball goes to ground there’s a penalty advantage called and the Wallabies have another point-scoring opportunity.

4 mins: Australia continue their hot start with Ikitau driving the ball hard out of defence. An exchange of kicks favours the home side thanks to some fierce defensive pressure and the busy Nic White again gets to work in midfield. A kick in behind secures territory and the Springboks are happy to concede a drop out. This is a fast start from the Wallabies.

Australia contest the kick-off and win the ball back on South Africa’s 22. They get to work cycling through the phases early and Valetini makes ground down the right wing. Fainga’a then busts the line and is within a sniff of a try. White is up in support quickly, gets to the ruck, two passes later and McReight squirms through two tacklers to cross next to the posts! What a start from the Wallabies!

Lolesio opens his account from the tee with ease.

We’re underway at Adelaide Oval…

The Welcome to Country and anthems are superbly delivered and observed. Watching Siya Kolisi close his eyes, throw his head back, and belt out Nkosi sikelel’ Afrika is a special sight.

And now comes James Slipper at the front a line of Wallabies in their famous gold jerseys, trimmed by green shorts and socks.

Here come the Springboks, led out onto Adelaide Oval by the inspirational Siya Kolisi. South Africa are wearing their traditional green jerseys, white shorts, and green socks.

It is dry, warm, and sunny at the majestic Adelaide Oval this afternoon. A northerly breeze is receding but conditions are not perfectly still. It’s the first time the Wallabies have played at the venue since 2004.

Paul Williams from New Zealand is the man in charge of today’s contest. He was in Australia recently, taking care of the final Test of England’s tour in Sydney.

There was collateral damage in the Wallaby camp after the trip to South America. Defence coach Matt Taylor has been let go with veteran Brumbies forwards coach Laurie Fisher returning to the fold. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will only benefit our playing group,” Rennie said.

In the first match of the day on Adelaide Oval, New Zealand’s Black Ferns ran out 22-14 winners over Australia’s Wallaroos.

Dave Rennie has had a word with the host broadcaster during the warm-up. “It has been a tough two weeks waiting for redemption,” Rennie said. “We have to be far more clinical than we were, and we gift wrapped a couple of tries to them. We have to eliminate errors.”

He was then asked about the challenge facing stand-in fly-half Noah Lolesio. “He is a good young man and played a lot of footy for us, played against the All Blacks, the English, the French. He is in a good mind set and we expect him to control the game and implement the plan.”

And here are the details of South Africa’s defeat last time out to the All Blacks.

Angus Fontaine ran the rule over the Wallabies after their capitulation to the Pumas.

Two changes from Jacques Nienaber with star scrum-half Faf de Klerk returning from concussion and Warrick Gelant replacing the injured Jesse Kriel on the wing. And there’s intrigue on the bench too with the trademark 6-2 ‘bomb squad’ shaken up in favour of an extra back.

“It doesn’t have a massive impact,” replacement lock Vincent Koch told reporters. “Each one of the Bomb Squad has a certain role, so if it is a 6-2 split or 5-3, we all know what to do when we get onto the field. Once we get a chance to go on the pitch we just have to perform and keep the intensity where the starters left off.”

Dave Rennie has made six changes following Australia’s record 48-17 loss to Argentina. Reece Hodge has captured plenty of attention for his recall at fullback with the Wallabies benefiting from his long kicking game, while Noah Lolesio will have a major job controlling the tempo from five-eighth.

An indication of Rennie’s strategy can be seen on the bench with only two backs selected. The home forwards are going to be put their paces against the mighty Springboks, with the inexperienced back-row in particular – without skipper Hooper – looking an area of vulnerability.

Preamble

Jonathan Howcroft

Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Australia vs South Africa in round three of the Rugby Championship. Kick-off at Adelaide Oval is 3pm (3.30pm AEST).

Both teams head into today’s clash on the back of pretty chastening defeats, knowing another poor performance could significantly damage their spring campaigns.

The Wallabies have the most to prove after an understrength touring party were hammered in Argentina. That result pus the Pumas in the unlikely position of topping the table after two rounds.

“That Argentinian tour was one of the toughest I’ve been on,” stand-in skipper James Slipper told reporters this week. “We had plenty of blokes drop out of the team after it was named so there was a fair bit of adversity there but from adversity, you grow stronger and that’s where I’ve pushed the team.”

Dave Rennie welcomes back some familiar faces for back-to-back clashes with the Springboks, but he is still without crucial players, including skipper Michael Hooper (personal reasons), powerful centre Samu Kerevi (knee), and playmaker Quade Cooper (Achilles). The remainder of this Championship will be a major test of Australia’s depth.

“After a tough two weeks in Argentina we’re extremely pleased to be able to welcome a few men back into the mob,” Rennie said during the week. “To have their experience on deck will be invaluable in what’s going to be a massive challenge coming up against South Africa two weeks in a row.”

The Springboks will start as favourites but their last victory over the Wallabies in Australia was back in 2013, and Australia won the last two head-to-heads in 2021. On top of that they shipped 35 points at home last time out to the under pressure All Blacks.

However, their methodical game plan of tactical kicking, territorial ascendancy, and forward domination looks tailor made to counteract a Wallabies side eager to run.

“We know South Africa are going to come with a big set-piece focus, trying to really bash us up in the middle and they’ll kick a lot so it’s about nullifying their kicking game,” Slipper said.

As always there’s plenty to chew over before kick-off. If you want to be a part of it you get in touch via email or tweet me @JPHowcroft if that’s easier.