The Wallabies may have been late to the party in Adelaide, but they left a mark to remember for the viewing world.
Embarrassed after their last-gasp effort in Argentina and forced to lick their wounds for a fortnight, the Wallabies responded as best they could by beating the world champions Springboks 25-17 at Adelaide Oval on Saturday in afternoon
In doing so, they eased considerable pressure on manager Dave Rennie, whose winning percentage was a disappointing 40 coming into his 26th Test in charge.
With the win, the Wallabies climbed to the top of the Rugby Championship table, having returned from Argentina with a win and a bonus points loss on their two-match tour.
Marika Koroibete was the star of the show, with the former NRL star leaving a mark on Adelaide’s hallowed turf either side of half-time.
Fraser McReight celebrates his first try against the Springboks at Adelaide Oval. Photo: Getty Images Source: Getty Images
His late first-half try save on Makazola Mapimpi was the defining moment of the game.
The World Cup-winning winger looked destined for the tryline before 2019 John Eales medalist Koroibete smashed it over the touchline, which saw the 36,366 fans rise to their feet as a ground.
Six minutes into the second half, Koroibete showed his rivals how to finish it off, latching onto a Noah Lolesio through ball and showing the footwork needed to score.
Ten minutes later and the game was as good as over as Fraser McReight had his second as he dived over the line to finish off some wonderful play from Lolesio and acting captain James Slipper.
The Wallabies celebrate with goalscorer Marika Koroibete at Adelaide Oval on August 27, 2022. Photo: Getty Images Source: Getty Images
McReight, who filled the void left by regular skipper Michael Hooper in Argentina, was central to the victory.
The 23-year-old got the Wallabies off to the perfect start by crossing after just 62 seconds.
But it was his excellent work on the ball midway through the first half that was just as telling, as the wide-open fullback picked up the ball and stole it at the breakdown after the Springboks made a break and stopped meters from the Wallabies’ tryline. .
Slipper paid tribute to Koroibete, saying the former NRL star had stood up and won big moments in Test rugby.
“Test match rugby, it’s based on big moments. And usually the winning team does well in those big moments and we had a few late in the first half,” Slipper said.
“And I have said this many times, this group has a lot of character. It’s about constantly performing and that’s probably our biggest challenge now. It’s to support that effort next week in Sydney.”
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Koroibete sends the Boks winger FLYING | 00:42
The Springboks were miles from their intimidating best.
Handre Pollard missed two relatively easy shots on goal in the first half and struggled to ignite his attack.
Nor did they make the most of their set-piece dominance, where the Springboks crushed the home side in the scrum and stole crucial balls from the line-out.
However, the Wallabies’ ability to win the scrum and get ahead in defense saw them win a crucial game heading into next year’s World Cup match.
Carrying on the winning streak and putting in another strong performance in Sydney next week is crucial, not least because the TRC is on the line, but also because the Bledisloe Cup is just around the corner and the World Cup is just 13 events away. .
Springboks skipper SIya Kolisi decried his side’s inability to convert pressure into points in the first half.
“They played really well today,” Kolisi said. “You know, right from the start.
“The game is about small margins. Every chance they had, they took advantage of it and supported each other and today it didn’t go our way in that department.”