Springboks v Wallabies: Winners and losers as ‘masterful’ Joe Schmidt shows his ‘genius’ with South Africa’s defence in ‘no man’s land’
Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt and fly-half James O'Connor.
Following the Wallabies’ superb 38-22 victory over the Springboks at Emirates Airline Park, here are the key winners and losers from the clash in Johannesburg.
Winners
Wallabies back-row
Everyone thought Rob Valetini would be a huge miss but, after his man of the match display against the British and Irish Lions, Tom Hooper was once again excellent. He was joined by Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson in an incredible loose trio that initially kept them in the game before playing a key role in their comeback.
Hooper was a nuisance at the lineout and breakdown while McReight got some key turnovers when his team was under pressure. Wilson, meanwhile, is simply a Rolls-Royce player whose outstanding support play and lines of running gave him a brace. We just hope the injury sustained in his second try does not keep him out for too long.
Nic White and James O’Connor
Joe Schmidt will be absolutely delighted that the scrum-half delayed his retirement. After a first half in which Australia were dominated, White showed all his experience to not panic and edge his side back into the game. It was a masterclass from the playmaker who combined brilliantly with O’Connor to teach the Springboks half-backs an absolute lesson.
O’Connor was making his first Test appearance since 2022 and, after a ropey start which saw him make some rash calls under pressure, the 35-year-old was magnificent. In the second period, his passing game ripped the hosts’ defence apart, taking advantage of a surprisingly poor South African rearguard to inspire a stunning comeback.
Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright
Special players do special things and that is exactly what these two did. Jorgensen has always been earmarked for big things and when he received O’Connor’s long pass he still had plenty to do, but the Wallabies wing sped away from the Springboks defence and displayed incredible footwork to round the final defender to score.
Wright’s individual try was similarly excellent as he picked up the ball off a turnover, ran down the right and finished superbly for a score which sealed a quite simply staggering victory. Australia are starting to put together a spell-binding backline, with Joseph Suaalii another to show up well with his intercept effectively setting the platform for a wonderful final quarter.
Eben Etzebeth
It was another special performance from South Africa’s record cap holder despite the defeat. His catch from a Grant Williams box-kick was arguably ‘the’ moment of the first half, but his all-round game was generally excellent. There were lineout issues on their own ball but he competed well when the Australians threw in.
However, it was the RG Snyman-like off-loading which was the real revelation in this clash. Etzebeth has always had it in his locker but the second-row’s ability to stand up in the tackle, attract defenders and then get it away was reminiscent of his countryman Snyman. Etzebeth was one of the few bright spots on a dreadful evening for the Boks.
Joe Schmidt
What a job the Wallabies head coach is doing! No one saw this coming but, as ever, the masterful coach concocted a plan to prove his rugby genius, which helped his side defy the odds and claim a famous victory. He is remaining in the job for the rest of the year but it is a blow that he will be bowing out and handing over the reins. Les Kiss takes over midway through 2026 and the Wallabies will hope he can build on Schmidt’s good work.
British and Irish Lions
Andy Farrell’s men received a few pelters for only just putting away an Australian side which was deemed a far cry from the great teams they have produced in the past, but it turns out the Lions did a rather good job in getting the job done.
Of course, a single win – albeit an exceptional one at the home of the back-to-back world champions – doesn’t define a competition or a season, but it very much suggests that this Wallabies side are a force to be reckoned with. However, that will be determined by the end of the Rugby Championship.
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Losers
Malcolm Marx
As the Springboks raced into a 22-0 lead, a comeback seemed impossible, but a few chinks began to appear in the lineout and that was enough for the Wallabies to gain some possession and territory, and begin to put the hosts under pressure.
Of course, the set-piece is a team thing, so the jumper and the lifters also have to be held accountable, but there were so many that were underthrown and it allowed the Wallabies players to get up and compete.
Bomb Squad
Marx was replaced midway through the second half but you have to say that Bongi Mbonambi did not fare much better. Plenty of credit has to be given to Australia, who also dominated that facet of the game against the Lions, but the Boks do have an issue at hooker at the moment with their consistency in the throwing department.
Mbonambi was part of a bench which faltered when they came on. Few replacements emerged with any real credit as they failed to wrestle the momentum back that Schmidt’s men had generated. It was a surprising surrender from the Boks, whose spirit looked quite simply br0ken in the latter stages.
Manie Libbok
It was all going so well in the first half and then he threw that intercept. Moments change matches and that mistake turned out to be decisive in the context of the game. He was tasked to do a specific job alongside Grant Williams – to play with speed and tempo – which they did very effectively for 40 minutes.
However, you still question Libbok when it starts to get tighter. That is when the fly-half needs to step up and take control but he didn’t and he instead gave Suaalii a chance to put the Wallabies right in the contest. Libbok is a hugely gifted player but, when it comes to tight World Cup knockout matches, these are the games which Rassie Erasmus will remember when it comes to selection.
Jerry Flannery
Quite frankly, we are not sure we have seen a Springboks defence this porous since Erasmus’ first home game in charge in 2018 against England, which coincidently also came at Ellis Park. On that occasion, the wings often found themselves in no-man’s land, allowing the English to exploit the wide channels.
Fast-forward seven years and under relatively new defence coach Flannery, it was eerily similar as Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe were left exposed. South Africa obviously got that sorted out under Jacques Nienaber and would claim World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023, but they don’t have his outstanding rugby brain to call upon now.
Flannery’s appointment was an interesting one in the first place, given that the Harlequins team he coached for several years were hardly renowned for their rearguard resilience, and the ease with which the Wallabies cut through the Boks will concern Erasmus.
Wallabies’ starting front five
More specifically James Slipper, Taniela Tupou and Will Skelton, who were absolutely overwhelmed by the Boks in the first half. After fine displays against the Lions, they struggled at altitude in Johannesburg as the hosts’ front five dominated the opening 25 minutes.
Skelton was a particular disappointment, not just for his display but also his almost muted demeanour. The Aussie powerhouse relished the contest in Sydney two weeks ago, but it didn’t look like he was up for this fight and those antics were nowhere to be seen at Ellis Park. Quite simply, the Wallabies need him to be fired up every match.