Wallabies now know ‘the benchmark’ — and they are a long way from it

The Wallabies received a brutal reminder as to where they stand under Joe Schmidt, as the success of July was blown away by a ferocious Springboks performance that reinforced the gap between the game’s elite — and those well adrift on World Rugby’s rankings.

While nobody thought the Wallabies were world-beaters after wins over Wales and Georgia, and only the most optimistic fan thought they would beat the world champions in the Rugby Championship opener in Brisbane, wider hopes were that they would at least compete with the Springboks.

But after conceding four penalties inside the first 10 minutes and, shortly after, the game’s first try, it was clear that this was going to be a very long afternoon for Australia. It eventually finished 33-7 after South Africa had the game sewn up 21-0 by halftime, the visitors’ mix of power running, a thunderous scrum, and a brutal defensive wall that Australia barely poked a nose through, seeing South Africa to a perfect start at Suncorp Stadium.

In the end, it looked like little more than a training run for Rassie Erasmus’ side as the game wound down towards its conclusion, the sight of Cheslin Kolbe dropping back for a shot at drop goal the ultimate flex with the score at 33-0.

“They won the physical battle today, their breakdown was really strong and they dominated possession and territory in that first half, which saps the strength out of the boys a little bit,” Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt told Stan Sport post-match.

“The team hung in there, fought back, lost the second half 12-7; it would have been great to get a little bit more out of the game, but we’ve got a benchmark.

“And it wasn’t a massive shock to where the Springbok would be, and it’s somewhere that we’re going to have to build toward.”

Such was South Africa’s dominance at scrum time, that just about every time the two packs came together the Springboks forwards raised their heads to find referee Luke Pearce’s arm outstretched towards them. Australia simply could not halt the shove on the Springboks’ feed.

And it was directly responsible for Kurt-Lee Arendse’s try, the world champions’ third of the first half, with the winger cutting back past at least five Wallabies defenders that simply had nothing left in the tank just before halftime. The Boks had earlier worked a smart lineout switch for skipper Siya Kolisi to maul his way over, before Pieter-Steph du Toit finished off a succession of phases with a typically powerful charge.

And that was the key theme of this contest; whenever South Africa had the ball, they had the Wallabies backpedalling; whenever South Africa didn’t have the ball, they still had the Wallabies backpedalling. Not even Rob Valetini, who usually dishes out some form of physical dominance, could leave his imprint on those wearing green.

Meanwhile for the visitors, du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Elrigh Louw and Ben-Jason Dixon, who was a late inclusion for RG Snyman, laid a dream platform that Cobus Reinach — and later Grant Williams — and rookie No. 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could work their magic. Outside them, Kolbe, Kriel Arendse and Willie le Roux had a dream afternoon under the warmth of the Brisbane sun.

This was the very best of South Africa, but also a game plan tinged with a new attacking intent and, as du Toit told Stan Sport post match, the desire to entertain. The Springboks fans who either travelled to, or live in, Brisbane, certainly would have left satisfied their hard-earned had been returned, and then some, out on the turf.

Replacement Kwagga Smith grabbed South Africa’s fourth try, while Arendse nabbed his second only a few moments later following a break from Kriel in the 63rd minute.

But this was always going to be a massive step up for Australia, there are, after all, a full 10 places on the rankings between South Africa and Wales. And the Wallabies will now have a tangible feel for just how wide the gap is in terms of physicality, set-piece, defence and general execution between themselves and the game’s elite.

The goal must be improvement against the same opposition in Perth next weekend, but so dominant were the Springboks on Saturday that it’s hard to see just how much headway Australia can make in the space of seven days.

Thankfully, they have the pragmatic Schmidt at the helm, a man who knew all too well the scale of the reality check that was inbound this weekend. But bit by bit, week by week, the Kiwi will chip away at his Wallabies revolution, hoping for incremental improvement along the way.

Taniela Tupou’s return should certainly help Australia at scrum time in Perth, the tighthead having been given the week off following the death of his father. The powerhouse front-rower will also help at the gainline, which Australia rarely won on Saturday, but as for any other injections of strength and power in particular, Schmidt has precious few options to call on.

The message then? That there is going to be more pain to come in the Rugby Championship, with even two away games in Argentina likely to prove a huge challenge for Australia. It is not nefarious to think that the Wallabies could finish the tournament winless. That, for Australia’s rugby community, is unfortunately a genuine possibility.

But if there is one positive for those in gold who made their way to Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and the thousands of others watching on at home, it’s that Australia fought all the way to the death and finally crossed in the corner to avoid a doughnut on home soil.

Hunter Paisami’s try may have come against only 13 men, but it at least gives the Wallabies something to build on in seven days’ time. And as the Schmidt era will dictate for the foreseeable future, building is all Australia can do right now.

“We saw some real heart. I thought we got back an defended a couple of times when we were a little bit unlucky, they got a few bounces of the ball which are always going to go in you favour when all the momentum is going your way. And they earn it, and they physically impose it, so that they make it very very difficult,” Schmidt said.

“At the same time, I’m a little bit heartened by the way the boys rolled their sleeves up and kept trying to fight, and then that second half, 12-7 is a lot closer than the three tries they put on in the first half.”