Wallabies hold off world champion Springboks in chaotic Rugby Championship test
Australia beat South Africa 42-38 to send World Cup warning Les Kiss’s side reduced to 11 men in final 15 minutes A year out from the World Cup, Australia have sent a huge warning shot to the competition, upsetting the two-time trophy winners South Africa with an extraordinary 42-38 win in Perth.
On a weekend when the AFL and NRL delivered fairytale comebacks, the Wallabies trumped both rival codes, hammering rugby’s No 1 team with a skilful display that ended in bizarre circumstances when the men in gold held on despite being reduced to 11 players at the end.
Fittingly, the victory found the Wallabies harnessing the aerial powers of Australian Rules and the rambunctious power of rugby league to dominate rugby’s world champions with a brilliant, inventive and courageous five-try performance that kept alive new coach Les Kiss’s unbeaten record and breathed new hope into the hearts of Australian fans nationwide.
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The GuardianSource headline and summary supplied via NewsData.io. First collected by NewsJaws on 2026-09-28. This is an automated news brief, not original NewsJaws reporting. Dates reflect the source publication. Feed delays may apply.