Powerful Boks send Wallabies packing in Perth

Too much power and poise in damp conditions were abiding features as the Springboks sent the Wallabies packing in Perth on Saturday.

The Boks won 30-12 to record their second consecutive bonus-point win over the Wallabies and remain top of the Rugby Championship.

As commanding as this performance was, they will be well aware they could have won by a far greater margin had they been more accurate when they had the hosts on the rack.

Though they started this match with a much changed team, the Boks again bossed the collisions, were more co-ordinated in picking away at the gainline and displayed greater cohesion in the maul, while their transitional play, though mostly undermined due to the treacherous conditions, provided just enough needle to sting the Wallabies.

The Boks bossing the collisions also took its toll on the home team who were hugely disrupted with injuries in the second half.

Collectively, the Boks were mostly on the mark but there were some exceptional performances.

Flank Pieter-Steph du Toit put in another exceptional shift, fullback Aphelele Fassi was sure-footed when everyone else was on the skids, while flank Marco van Staden with his low centre of gravity proved a perfect fit for the conditions.

As one has come to expect the Bok bench made a difference too with Eben Etzebeth and Kwagga Smith applying shoulder to the wheel.

Incessant rain on Saturday made for tricky underfoot and handling conditions.

Given the conditions, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's kicking at goal, and in other situations, was going to be a point of scrutiny and the young pivot struggled to find his range in the first half.

The Wallabies were guilty of poor ball retention, particularly when they went into contact.

This was largely as a result of the Boks' commitment to the tackle.

Though they spurned some scoring opportunities the Boks' transitional play continues to be a menace.

Awareness of when opportunity presents itself is now hard wired in the Bok DNA and though he is new to the set-up, prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels was in full embrace of that script.

When the Wallabies lost the ball just outside the Springboks' 22 most loose-head props may have preferred to take the ball into contact to help set up a structured exit.

However, Wessels' decision to pass to Lukhanyo Am provided the Boks the opportunity to unlock long-range try-scoring potential.

Am found Jesse Kriel, who then quickly fed Makazole Mapimpi whose deft grubber saw Fassi outstrip Andrew Kelleher in the dash for the try line.

Wallabies flyhalf Noah Lolesio's penalty miss just before the break was exacerbated when the Springboks struck a telling blow early in the second half.

The full grunt of their maul had been in short supply in the first half but they magnificently mangled the Wallabies' maul defence creating a gap for Van Staden to score his first Test try.

Scorers

Australia (9) 12 — Penalties: Noah Lolesio (4)

South Africa (11) 30 — Tries: Malcolm Marx (2), Aphelele Fassi, Marco van Staden. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Handré Pollard. Penalties: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2)