From bullied to the bullies: Stat that shows how Wallabies turned tables on Boks

Not only did the Wallabies end a 62-year drought against South Africa at Ellis Park on Saturday, they did it by beating the Springboks at their own game.

Australia made 396 post-contact metres in their epic Johannesburg victory – more than double the 165m they managed in their 26-point defeat against the same opponents in the corresponding Rugby Championship fixture in Brisbane last year.

The Wallabies’ physical approach was all the more impressive given Rob Valetini, their most destructive ball-carrier, was sidelined with injury.

Valetini is in contention to play at Cape Town Stadium, having not appeared for the Wallabies since aggravating his calf in an outstanding cameo in the second Test against the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, second-rower Nick Frost said he had been pleased with the Wallabies’ physicality under Schmidt, but insisted the disastrous first 20 minutes at Ellis Park which saw the Springboks pile on 22 unanswered points was a reminder there was still work to do ahead of the return Test.

“Probably in that opening 20-odd minutes, we didn’t win too many collisions ... so we know how the Springboks play, and they come out hard and fast,” Frost said.

“Obviously, they did come out hard and fast, and we kind of struggled a bit there. Joe’s [Schmidt] brought a bit there [to the team’s physicality], [defence coach] Laurie Fisher as well, that’s his bread and butter and going through a lot of those [opposition] defence systems.

“It’s another area that we’re definitely going to look at for this week coming up because we know that they started pretty bloody well, and we’ve got to capitalise on that.”

Taniela Tupou overcame serious pain from a toe injury in Johannesburg to effectively lock down the scrum against one of the world’s best props in Ox Nché. Tupou’s fitness will be assessed ahead of the team’s first on-field training session on Tuesday.

South Africa are managing their own injury concerns and will be without captain Siya Kolisi due to a knee injury. Also missing for the Springboks will be reigning world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit and wingers Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe.

The Springboks will welcome back their world-class wing Cheslin Kolbe, centre Damian de Allende and full back Willie le Roux on Saturday in Cape Town, in a vastly changed side from the one that was defeated in Johannesburg against the Wallabies.

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has made 10 changes to his starting team, with centre Jesse Kriel captaining the team in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi. Kolisi is replaced at No.8 by Jean-Luc du Preez.

Kriel is one of five survivors from the Ellis Park defeat, including prop Ox Nche, hooker Malcolm Marx, breakaway Marco van Staden and halfback Grant Williams.

Williams will play alongside World Cup winning five-eighth Handre Pollard replacing Manie Libbok who also misses out on the match-day squad.

Wallabies winger Andrew Kellaway said the squad was prepared to face the best possible South African team and knows that it will be different to the one they beat in Johannesburg.

“I think the Boks have been the benchmark globally for a little while now, so to beat them anywhere, home or away, is an amazing achievement,” Kellaway said.

“To beat them in South Africa is something we haven’t done for a very long time and it was certainly a goal that we set ourselves.

So to be able to tick that box and to be able to enjoy that as a team where we’re at on our journey, that’s a very, very special feeling and that’s why we all play the game.

“But again, you have one good win and you don’t follow it up, you’re pretty quickly chasing your tail.

So for us, it’s about enjoying it and understanding just how big that win was for us, but also understanding how big this week is because the journey is a long one and it doesn’t stop, so for us, it’s important to keep going.”

The Wallabies’ win at Ellis Park has also boosted ticket sales, with upcoming home fixtures against Argentina on September 13 in Sydney and New Zealand in Perth on October 4, both now expected to sell out.

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