Wallabies player ratings vs South Africa | 2025 Rugby Championship

Wallabies player ratings: Australia pulled off a staggering 38–22 victory over the Springboks at Ellis Park in the opening round of the Rugby Championship. Having come off a creditable but ultimately losing Lions series, few gave them a chance in Johannesburg when the Boks raced into an early lead.

Yet Joe Schmidt’s side fought back through a mix of grit, opportunism and just enough cutting edge in attack to secure a historic win on South African soil.

1. James Slipper – 7
Scrummaged with his usual know-how and even nicked a couple of turnovers around the park. Stood up well against Ox Nche before making way at the break.

2. Billy Pollard – 6
His throwing went astray at key moments, costing the Wallabies possession on their first real attacking platform. A mixed bag, though he wasn’t the only forward to struggle with lineout accuracy.

3. Taniela Tupou – 7
Plenty feared he might be monstered by Nche but he held his own admirably. Didn’t get much chance to rampage in the loose but gave Australia a stable platform.

Fixture

Rugby Championship

South Africa

22 - 38

Full-time

Australia

All Stats and Data

4. Nick Frost – 7
Workmanlike rather than spectacular. Part of a pack that was unsettled at lineout time but grafted away, making his tackles and hitting rucks.

5. Will Skelton – 7.5
Took a heavy knock early but soldiered on and kept smashing Boks carriers whenever he got the chance. Didn’t replicate his Lions-series dominance but remained a physical focal point.

6. Tom Hooper – 6.5
Nowhere to be seen in the opening 40 and looked like he might be the weak link. But credit to him: came out after the break with far more intent, threw himself into collisions and tightened up his work rate. Not the headline act but contributed meaningfully once Australia got on the front foot.

7. Fraser McReight – 8.5
Got handed off in brutal fashion by Siya Kolisi for his try, which summed up the struggles of the back row in contact. That said, he brought his usual breakdown menace and came up with a potentially match-saving turnover on 72 minutes.

8. Harry Wilson – 9
First half offered little beyond effort, but then the skipper came alive. Crossed twice, the first thanks to Angus Bell’s excellent break, the second off Tom Wright’s scorching run. A statement performance, even if his carrying power still flatters to deceive at times.

9. Nic White – 8
His early missed tackle let the Boks in for their second try, and you wondered if retirement was the right call to undo. Yet his experience showed as the game wore on: clever kicking pinned back the blitz defence and he managed tempo well.

10. James O’Connor – 8
Didn’t always get clean ball but looked calm, sharp and decisive when Australia found some front-foot momentum. Took his points, threw the pass for Jorgensen’s try and looked every bit the steadying influence Schmidt wants.

11. Dylan Pietsch – 8
Scored Australia’s opener after fine interplay with Ikitau. Took his try smartly but was sadly forced off after a suspected broken jaw when tackling Kolisi. A shame, because he had looked one of the Wallabies’ brightest attacking sparks in a miserable first half.

12. Len Ikitau – 8.5
Australia’s most frequent carrier, punching holes even when rewards were limited. Played a key role in Pietsch’s score and never shirked defensive duties. Left the field with a knee injury, which will worry Schmidt given how central he is.

13. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 7
Starved of ball for long stretches and his defensive positioning remains questionable. But when it mattered he intercepted Libbok and ran in a momentum-shifting try. Also linked nicely with Ikitau in the lead-up to Pietsch’s score.

14. Max Jorgensen – 9
Always seems to produce a screamer and did again here with a blistering solo effort on 65 minutes. Looked lively even when living off scraps in the first half and is fast becoming Australia’s game-breaker.

15. Tom Wright – 8.5
An opening 20 minutes from hell – errors and a botched intervention for the Boks’ opener – but credit where due: he rallied. His devastating break set up Wilson’s second try, and he iced the game with a try of his own. From villain to hero in one Test.

REPLACEMENTS

16. Brandon Paenga-Amosa – NA
On too late to be rated, though he hurled himself into contact with typical ferocity.

17. Angus Bell – 8
Explosive as ever with ball in hand. His brilliant break created Wilson’s first try. Scrummaging remains a work-on, but he’s becoming the Wallabies’ most reliable source of front-row dynamism.

18. Zane Nonggorr – 6.5
Struggled to contain the Boks’ shove after replacing Tupou. Found himself in survival mode at scrum time.

19. Jeremy Williams – 7
Got through plenty of work after replacing Skelton. Carried hard, defended diligently and looked comfortable at this level.

20. Langi Gleeson – NA
Not on long enough to rate.

21. Tate McDermott – 8
Injected spark when he came on and even scored while stuck out on the wing. His bag of tricks unsettled South Africa in the closing quarter.

22. Tane Edmed – NA
Not on long enough to rate.

23. Andrew Kellaway – 7
Decent when he finally got some ball, one of the few backs to look assured from the outset.