Beers and some homework: How the Wallabies celebrated a 62-year first

They claimed a golden piece of Australian rugby history with the first victory at Ellis Park in 62 years, but the Wallabies mixed celebratory drinks with laptop reviews on Sunday as they brace for a “brutal” response from the wounded Springboks in Cape Town next weekend.

However sober, the celebrations were well deserved for the Wallabies after they stunned the world to beat the back-to-back world champions at high altitude in Johannesburg, coming from 22-0 behind after and scoring six unanswered tries to finish with a 38-22 win.

It was the second-biggest comeback Test win ever by the Wallabies, and Australia’s first victory over South Africa at Ellis Park since 1963. Captain Harry Wilson scored two tries in an inspirational performance before coming off with a knee injury, but he will remain with the side as they head to Cape Town for a second Rugby Championship clash.

The win came at a cost, however, with Dylan Pietsch undergoing surgery on a broken jaw and James Slipper (HIA) to head home, along with Ben Donaldson (abductor). Rhys Van Nek, Hamish Stewart and Filip Daugunu will all fly to Cape Town.

Wallabies lock Will Skelton said the Australian dressing rooms had a special buzz at Ellis Park, with former skipper George Gregan even popping in to toast the team.

“We got around each other last night,” Skelton said.

“Just the way to fight back there. The first 20 - it was tough, even watching it back, there was a lot to look at. But yeah ... the end result, what a feeling, what a game, and what a place to do it.”

Veteran five-eighth James O’Connor said breaking the 62-year drought was a moment of pride, but the celebrations were relatively muted. The on-field part was due to all the players being exhausted, and post-match, attention quickly turned to the second part of the mission - to beat the Boks again in Cape Town.

“We enjoyed each other’s company, but that’s the thing about rugby, you’re already on to next week. I know my mind went there, and I thought straight away, what are they going to be coming with?” O’Connor said.

“6-2 bench, back to basics, bomb squad, aerial contest? They’re going to meet us in the trenches there, so I’m already thinking about what’s coming and then just focusing on recovery.”

Skelton, who confirmed he was returning to Australia to continue playing the Rugby Championship after the South Africa leg, said he was similar to O’Connor and many other players in immediately doing a post-game review, focusing on the areas they need to improve.

“A lot of the boys are already on to next week,” Skelton said. “The boys are reviewing, everyone’s clipping stuff. We know what’s going to come. They’re going to try and punch you in the face this week, so we’re going to have to have a good week of preparation again, and really fight until the end.”

O’Connor, who debuted in 2008, became the longest-serving Wallaby in history with his run-on start at No.10, but he conceded he had suffered self-doubt leading up to the Test, after an absence from the Test arena of three years.

“I feel like I’ve had three or four different lifetimes in rugby. So from each sort of almost generation I feel like I’ve got a favourite game,” he said.

“But that one in particular was special because even I doubted myself. I’m not going to lie, I came into camp, and I was like, wow, have I bitten off more than I can chew here? The boys are training at an intensity and a speed that I’m not up to yet.

“So when Joe gave me that nod, I’m not going to lie, I was bloody excited, and I’m always up for it. I want it, I want it bad. But at the same time, there is that little voice in the back of your head that’s like, you reckon you can take the Springboks on? No, you reckon you can live up to the words you’ve spoken out there?”

O’Connor said the side had never lost confidence that they could win the game, even when the Springboks scored three tries in the opening quarter.

“I feel like there was never any almost loss of belief when we were behind those posts because we could see the opportunities, we could see the spaces, and to be fair, the Bobs were clinical,” he said.

“It was big effort from our group to just stay engaged and stay in the fight and then just build our way back in. I always knew we were capable of doing it. There’s a strong belief in the group.”