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'So proud': Wallabies survive crazy, bizarre finish to upset Springboks
Justin Chadwick, AAP • September 28th, 2026 7:04 am
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii | Photo: AAP
Wallabies coach Les Kiss has hailed the spirit and connection of the change room for getting Australia over the line in one of the most bizarre finishes to a Test match he's ever seen.
The Wallabies claimed a major scalp a year out from the World Cup when they beat South Africa 42-38 in front of 54,678 fans in Perth on Sunday night.
But the win over the back-to-back World Cup winners was anything but straightforward.
The Wallabies led 42-17 following Max Jorgensen's breakaway try in the 64th minute, before Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Hunter Paisami were all sent off in the space of seven minutes at the tail-end of the match.
It meant Australia were reduced to just 11 men for the last four minutes of the contest, and they produced a series of barnstorming tackles to ensure they sealed victory.
"It was bizarre, for sure. I definitely have not seen anything like that," Kiss said after the match.
"The last 10 minutes, that's got very little to do with coaching.
"These boys, what they have built in the locker room, the heartbeat of any club as I say, is that they are a tight group.
"Their connection piece is strong. They care deeply about what they are doing in this jersey, and we saw that tonight in that last 10 minutes."
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The Wallabies have posted four wins and a draw in five matches since Kiss took over as coach.
The hot run bodes well for next year's World Cup, and Wallabies skipper Wilson loves what he's seeing behind the scenes.
"Les is real big on that care, the care for the jersey, the care for the person beside you," Wilson said.
"And, geez, the boys showed that. We're versing the Springboks with 11 men, and every try the Springboks scored, the boys made them work, which took more time off the clock, which ultimately got us a victory in the end.
"I'm so proud of those boys there."
The only sour note for the Wallabies was an ankle injury to two-try hero Len Ikitau, placing him in doubt for the two-match Bledisloe Cup series against New Zealand, starting at Eden Park on October 10.
The experiment to start Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on the wing worked well, with the former NRL star competing well in the air and playing a hand in a number of tries.
"It's there for us," Kiss replied when asked if he would persist with Suaalii on the wing.
"I mean, I can play him at 15 too. Tonight, he found some good spaces.
"We could have got him to better spaces at times, but it suited their plan with the aerial battle."
