The return of Angus Bell, the arrival of Max Jorgensen and the tenacity of Tom Wright’s defence have given the Wallabies hopes of avoiding the Rugby Championship spoon next month.
After a weather-related setback in Perth, the Wallabies fared better in Brisbane, winning the first Test match. But the Bucks’ 10-man substitution was not without its flaws, and it certainly brought the two sides closer together, especially in the first half.
Lassie Erasmus picked a world-class bomb disposal squad that changed the course of the game and his new team pack was outgunned by the Wallabies early on, both at the scrum and at the lineout.
So who stood up and fought for the Wallabies?
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Angus Bell last played Super Rugby in Round 7 because of a toe injury, but his return is looking promising.
Bell was substituted at half-time but his replacement, James Sleeper, was forced off with an HIA and did not return as the two sides were forced to play an open scrum. Harry Wilson played briefly in the front row.
“It was brilliant for Angus Bell to come in and do what he did. His time on the ground was minimal. It was heavy, tough conditions against the best forward pack in the world,” former Wallaby Justin Harrison told Stan Sport.
“Let’s face it, he’s the best forward-back in the world. Granted, there’s been a bit of a change. The intensity of the scrum time hasn’t changed. He’s done well. He’s had offers. He’s not just a passenger who buys a plane ticket and sits down. He’s actually impacting this game.”
The Australian Wallabies’ Angus Bell attempts to break through a defender during the Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the South African Springboks at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia on August 17, 2024. (Photo by James Worsfold/Getty Images)
Taniela Tupou has been affected by the loss of his father in the tight five, with James Sleeper and Allan Ala-Alatoa out with injuries and Schmidt admitting his team were “defeated”, but Bell’s return offers some hope at the end of the tunnel ahead of the two-Test visit to Argentina.
Lucan Salakaia-Lotto was one of the Wallabies’ best players in Brisbane and was once again in a back-up role until a mistake in the 68th minute saw the Wallabies trail 23-12 and desperate to get back into the game.
“Lucan put one in front of the goal where we were pretty close and that kind of hurt us a lot because they made it very difficult for us on the rebound,” coach Joe Schmidt said.
Rob Ballettini has been a major contributor and continues to set the bar.
Full-back Tom Wright had one of his best performances in the comprehensive Bok win, calmly handling several high balls despite the shocking handling conditions.
He twice intervened to deny a goal, cutting past Makazol Mapimpi after Noah Loretio’s misdirected kick had seen the winger Bouk score clearly, and teaming up with the No. 10 to quell Ceslyn Kolbe’s attack.
The Australian Wallabies’ Tom Wright runs the ball during the Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the South African Springboks at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, on August 17, 2024. (Photo: Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Wright also played a part in helping to lift the mood after suffering a second successive defeat to the world champion.
His cross-field kick was collected by debutant Jorgensen, who tip-toed into the Springbok half and a chip ahead was charged, squandering a potential scoring opportunity. But Wright failed to pass to Jorgo in time to get past him late on.
“He felt at home playing against the best players in the world,” said Stan Sport’s Morgan Turinui of Jorgo.
Schmidt added: “He’s good in space and if his little chip over the top has come to fruition it would be fantastic because for a young player to do something on his debut it would be fair compensation for all the injuries he’s been fighting to overcome and a really positive impact on the squad in the last few weeks.”
Some have criticized Jorgensen’s quick inclusion in the test team, particularly in the comments section of The Roar, but he’s hoping this is the start of something special for the goldmine.
“Hopefully this is the start of something big,” Jorgensen said later. “Joe’s an incredible coach and I’ve loved working with him the last few weeks, so hopefully we can continue to do that and get better at our game.”
Marika Koroiwete, Schmidt’s only overseas pick, had some influence but was overshadowed by Volks’ star Kolbe.
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There will always be concerns about Noah Lolesio winning a big game against a top team. Schmidt doesn’t have a lot of options right now, and the best trait of the other candidates is that, to many fans, he’s not Noah.
He showed great composure, converting two of his four penalties, but his mistake just before half-time summed up his frustration. His loose kick in the first half required Wright’s relief, but he looked more involved than usual.
Nic White was brought in for his experience and we saw his usual spunky performance. He got under the skin of Boks scrum-half Morne van den Berg in the first half, and referee Paul Williams told him in his most stern dad voice, “Not today!” Meanwhile, a slipped pass to LSL running wide left was comfortably intercepted by speedster Kolbe.
Hunter Paisami was quiet and involved in the Boks opening try. The centre drove the ball into contact and lost control, allowing the Boks to shoot the jets. A lovely kick down the touchline from Mapimpi was quickly swooped in by fullback Aphelele Fassi for a five-pointer.
Josh Nasser struggled to throw lineouts, which was entirely understandable given the condition and woes of his opponent, No. 2 batsman Johan Grobbelaar, who Harrison pointed out had the yips.
Meanwhile, let’s take a moment to think about Seru Uru. He came on in the 54th minute and was sent off after 17 minutes. He will be sweating for a future call-up.
