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Len Ikitau stars as 11-man Wallabies survive incredible Springboks fightback
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Les Kiss’ Wallabies have held on to beat the Springboks, 42-38, at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Sunday in an utterly captivating Test match.
The Wallabies, who at one stage in the final ten minutes were down to eleven players, kept Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks out at the death to clinch an incredible victory over the back-to-back World Champions.
With the victory, the Wallabies clinched the Mandela Challenge Plate, continuing their unbeaten streak under Kiss in 2026.
The 2025 John Eales medalist, Len Ikitau, was among the Wallabies’ best before succumbing to an ankle injury in the 53rd minute, crossing for a double in the first 40 minutes.
Having watched the All Blacks struggle in the air for four Tests against the Springboks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, the Wallabies made sure they didn’t make the same mistake.
Fans at Optus Stadium were treated to an entertaining first-half battle, where both teams showed physicality on defence and free-flowing intent with ball in hand. The Wallabies, though, created several opportunities and were clinical as they charged into the sheds with a snug seven-point lead.
Len Ikitau had fingerprints on everything the Wallabies did during the first 40 minutes, while Kiss’ forwards carried with power to instil confidence in the men in gold.
Max Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i’s aerial work was simply superb, retrieving the ball off a bunch of aerial duels throughout the Perth contest.
In the second half, the Springboks were buoyed by their bench, which added immediate impact at set-piece and on both sides of the ball as the visitors mounted a strong comeback.
The Wallabies were ill-disciplined in the final quarter, but wouldn’t go down without a fight, even with four fewer players on the field during the late stages in Perth.
It was a frantic start to the contest as Suaalii leapt into the air to claim the first kick-off, before Paul De Villiers was over the ball to win a breakdown penalty.
The first points came off the boot of Springboks first-five Handre Pollard, after Marco Van Staden claimed the second breakdown turnover of the contest, in only the second minute.
Wallabies halfback Ryan Lonergan, who started sharply off the boot, knocked over a penalty shortly after Pollard’s successful attempt, to level the scores after six minutes.
At that moment, the visitors started to shift into gear. Another breakdown penalty was awarded, but this time the Springboks opted for the corner.
The driving maul got set, before the second push shunted Johan Grobbelaar over the try line for the first five-pointer of the Flight Centre Series contest.
Kiss’ Wallabies carried powerfully on attack during the next ten minutes, forcing the visitors to infringe close to the line. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto’s deft offload to Len Ikitau opened a gap, as the midfielder scored his first of the evening in Perth.
Lonergan opted for a short box-kick inside the Springboks’ half, for Suaalii to chase, winning an aerial contest which landed in Ikitau’s hands for one of the easier tries of his 54-Test career.
The outside ball was fizzed to Canan Moodie by Pollard, putting the Springboks centre past Ikitau and through towards the Wallabies line. Moodie linked up with Aphelele Fassi, who swiftly set up Edwill van der Merwe in the corner. Pollard’s conversion sailed over the black dot to level the scores at 17-all.
Kiss’ side found themselves in acres of space on the right-hand side as Tom Wright nudged an inch-perfect grubber kick to Max Jorgensen to collect. The right-winger darted inside before the Wallabies attacked the Springboks up the middle. After some combative ball carries, the Wallabies’ backline moves finally clicked, resulting in Donaldson dotting down in the corner just before halftime.
HT: 24-17 to the Wallabies.
McReight’s work around the breakdown was often rewarded by referee Andrea Piardi, securing an important turnover to put the Wallabies hot on attack in the 43rd minute.
Eben Etzebeth was caught “kicking at the ruck”, with Lonergan then extending the Wallabies’ lead to ten. Another breakdown indiscretion from the experienced lock minutes later saw the home side start to dominate the scoreboard.
Harry Potter and McReight’s carries close to the line set up their fourth try, through the skipper, Harry Wilson.
The Reds No.8 saw an opening to the side of a ruck close to the Springboks’ line. Lonergan was once again successful from out in front, as the home side started to pull away from the visitors.
Jorgensen, a standout for the Wallabies in the second half, pounced on a Springboks mistake in the 64th minute to go the length and edge closer to a clinical victory.
In the 65th minute, the Springboks finally found their mojo at scrum time, earning a penalty on Ox Nche’s side of the scrum. Erasmus’ side then effortlessly powered past the Wallabies from five meters out to earn a penalty try from under the posts. Piardi then sent Lonergan to the sin bin for infringing to the side of the scrum.
The Wallabies were then down to 12, astonishingly, as Suaalii was called offside during a dangerous Springboks attack. Morne van den Berg had the easy task of planting the ball close to the posts after a powerful scrum was heading over the line.
Hunter Paisami, who was off celebrating a Tom Wright intercept try, quickly found himself off to the bin for a high shot on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
In an incredible final few minutes, the Wallabies held on by the barest of margins to clinch victory.
FT: 42-38 to the Wallabies.
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