Catch up on the latest Rugby Championship standings after the Springboks secured another full set of points in Perth against Australia.
The Springboks maintained their position at the top of the Rugby Championship table with a bonus-point win over Australia. This victory extends South Africa’s lead to five points at the top, following New Zealand’s response in their doubleheader against Argentina.
New Zealand climbed from third to second place after the weekend’s results, now sitting just one point ahead of Argentina, who earned four points last weekend with their win in Wellington. Meanwhile, Australia remains without any points on the Rugby Championship board.
Rugby Championship Standings
Standings provided by Sofascore
South Africa overcame a tough challenge in difficult conditions to keep their perfect start to the Rugby Championship intact. They held an 11-9 lead at halftime and, apart from a fourth penalty goal from Australia, never allowed the home side to gain any real momentum before pulling away in the second half.
The Springboks scored one try in the first half and three in the second, all from driving mauls. They successfully prevented the Wallabies from crossing their try line, meaning South Africa has conceded only one try in 160 minutes of Test rugby during their two-week tour Down Under.
However, it wasn’t a classic Test match. The dreadful weather and slippery conditions made handling challenging, and the early switch to uncontested scrums in the second half, due to injury, seemed to benefit the home side more. The Springboks would likely have preferred traditional scrums and were also hindered by losing captain Salmaan Moerat early on due to a head injury, as well as missing several scoring opportunities.
Springboks Driven by Desire
Despite the challenges, the Springboks got the job done, as expressed by Eben Etzebeth, who took over the captaincy after Moerat’s departure.
“We wanted this win; it’s not often you get two in a row in Australia,” Etzebeth said afterward. “We’ll take many positives from this win, especially considering we made 10 changes from the Brisbane game, and those players gained valuable experience.”
The match started well for Australia, as the Boks spilled the kick-off, and Johan Grobbelaar conceded a penalty within the first minute, which Noah Lolesio converted from 30 meters out to give the hosts a 3-0 lead at Optus Stadium.
The wet and slippery conditions affected both teams, but the Boks seemed to handle it better in the opening 20 minutes, putting together some attacking plays, though they wasted two excellent scoring chances in quick succession.
Ultimately, forward power made the difference, propelling the Springboks to the top of the Rugby Championship standings.
