Wallabies player ratings vs South Africa | Flight Centre Series 2026

The Wallabies have survived a late fightback from the Springboks in Perth, going down to 11 men but still holding on for a 42-38 win over the world champions. With this result, the Aussies have kept their unbeaten run under coach Les Kiss alive, now sitting at a 4-0-1 record.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii shifted to the wing, in what was the big talking point in the story from an Aussie point of view ahead of the match. Suaalii made an immediate impact off the kick-off, and it set the tone for the evening.

Len Ikitau (double) and Ben Donaldson crossed for first-half tries, before Harry Wilson and Max Jorgensen made their mark during the second half. But then as the Springboks fought back, the Wallabies went down to 11 after conceding three yellow cards.

But the Wallabies held on in a nail-biter, and the cheer from the crowd at full-time did not disappoint.

1. Angus Bell – 7.5/10
Bell did exactly what was needed against the Springboks. The 25-year-old did his core job well at scrum time, which seemed to have added importance against a formidable Boks pack, and made a difference in general play. The loosehead prop had the second-most carries by half-time and continued to perform before coming off as a second-half replacement.

2. Brandon Paenga-Amosa – 7.5
Arguably the biggest improvement area for the Wallabies this season has been the set-piece, and Paenga-Amosa is a key contributor to that. Paenga-Amosa hit all seven lineout targets during the first half and remained accurate after the break. Australia’s pack laid down a marker physically too, with the hooker among those leading that charge – having made the most tackles out of any Wallaby by the 50-minute mark.

3. Allan Alaalatoa – 6
94-Test prop Alaalatoa put in another strong shift before being replaced by Taniela Tupou at half-time. The front-rower did a lot of work at the breakdown and in tight, and contributed to a scrum that was solid opposite the Boks. But it was at times another quiet performance for Alaalatoa, who made three runs, three tackles and conceded one turnover.

4. Jeremy Williams – 8
Williams showed in the first five minutes of the second half just how important he has become within the Wallabies. The Western Force skipper swam through a maul, and won a massive steal on South Africa’s throw soon after. In the absence of injured lineout caller Josh Canham, Williams was again able to lift – having become a genuine leader within this side.

5. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto – 7.5
Josh Canham was ruled out on the eve of the Test, which prompted a late reshuffle to both the starting side and bench. Salakaia-Loto started for just the second time this international season, and the lock’s impact was felt. The No. 5 drew in a couple of defenders before getting an offload off to Len Ikitau, who powered over for the team’s first try. There was enough there to say this was a positive performance in Wallaby gold.

6. Rob Valetini – 8
‘Bobby V’ can be both the toughest player to rate and the easiest. The two-time John Eales Medal winner has set the bar high by seemingly always being up there with the Wallabies’ best for total carries and tackles, and this Test was no different. Valetini worked hard to get involved and had found some success as a result, before coming off as a replacement around the 50-minute mark – the second-best Wallaby at the time for tackles, and equal second overall for carries.

7. Fraser McReight – 8
McReight has consistently been one of the best Wallabies all season, and the openside flanker was able to enjoy more standout moments in this match. The openside flanker made an early line break before linking up with Harry Wilson, and got over the ball to win a pilfer penalty later in the first half. McReight was in the thick of the action all night, playing an important role in an exciting result for Australia’s national team.

8. Harry Wilson – 8.5
There’s a reason Wilson was named in the 2025 World Rugby Dream Team.  Wilson never fails to work hard, both in general play and at the set-piece. The Wallabies captain’s standout moment came in the 60^th minute, having a try scrubbed out before scoring about 30 seconds later. In the absence of the injured Josh Canham, Wilson stepped up as the most reliable and thrown-to target at the lineout. If you also consider the backrower’s link-up play in attack, tipping the ball on for others and making some half-breaks himself – other than a yellow card late – it was a true captain’s knock.

9. Ryan Lonergan – 7
Carter Gordon was unavailable for selection due to injury, and Ben Donaldson was the only fly-half specialist selected in the matchday 23. Of course, that adds to the sense of responsibility surrounding the Wallaby in the No. 10 jersey, but also Lonergan at scrum-half. Tim Horan on Stan Sport highlighted Lonergan’s effective kicking game in the 63^rd minute, and also mentioned the goal-kickers’ 100 per cent accuracy from seven attempts. Lonergan was shown a yellow card inside the final 10 minutes, as the Boks began to fight back.

Still, the No. 9 hadn’t started a Test before this year, but has well and truly made that spot his own.

10. Ben Donaldson – 6.5
Donaldson has been a regular impact player for the Wallabies, but has now started the last two Tests at fly-half. ‘Dono’ ran in for the try of the first half, benefiting from 14 phases and some quick hands from the others in gold. But some of the playmaker’s passes did hit the deck, especially in the first quarter, as the Wallabies struggled to click early. Donaldson did enjoy some positive involvements, and will be better in the long run for this hit-out.

11. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii – 7.5
It was almost a dream start to the Test for new Wallabies winger Suaalii, who rose incredibly high in a bid to reel in the kick-off. But after coming back to ground, the No. 11 was pinned for holding on, yet it was a moment that had Wallabies fans cheering a bit. Suaalii leapt up to take a Ryan Lonergan box kick later in the half, winning that contest and setting up Len Ikitau to score. ‘Su’ recorded a try assist just before the break, setting up Ben Donaldson with some quick hands.

Suaalii didn’t get the ball in space or the chance to run one-on-one with any Springbok out wide, but it was still an incredibly positive performance, aside from a late yellow card. The 23-year-old looks right at home on the wing ahead of the two Bledisloe Cup Tests.

12. Hunter Paisami – 7
The Wallabies may have found their centre pairing for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. One year out from the tournament, Paisami started at No. 12 again, this time rekindling the combination with Len Ikitau. Paisami has been superb in recent weeks, playing alongside the likes of Isaac Henry and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, and was good once again.

Paisami came close to scoring the Wallabies’ first try, but was stopped about one metre shy of the line, only for Ikitau to score moments later. The inside centre delivered a brilliant short ball to Ikitau soon after, sending the outside on a long run. Paisami was shown a yellow card late, as the Wallabies went down to 11.

13. Len Ikitau – 8.5
Ikitau was by far the best player on the park before coming off injured in the second half. The 2025 Wallabies Player of the Year hadn’t started at outside centre since the Super Rugby Pacific semi-finals last year, but was sensational against the Boks. Ikitau scored two tries in as many minutes during the first half, and finished second overall for total running metres. The No. 13 missed a key tackle on Aphelele Fassi, which saw the Springboks score a crucial try soon after.

14. Max Jorgensen – 8.5
That was one of Jorgensen’s best performances in a Wallabies jersey. The winger, who debuted for the Wallabies against the Boks two years ago at the same venue, led the way with a game-high total carries and running metres. ‘Jorgo’ was beaten in the high ball by Ethan Hooker and Handre Pollard, but was overall quite good in a new-look back three.

15. Tom Wright – 8
An improved performance from Wright after the two Tests in Argentina, with the fullback kicking well out of hand and appearing confident in attack. Wright put a clever kick through inside the first 15 minutes, with the ball dribbling into touch just five metres out from the Springboks try line. With the match in the balance, Wright picked off to pass to score under the sticks with less than four minutes remaining, but that was ruled out moments later by the TMO. Ahead of the Bledisloe Cup showdowns in Auckland and Sydney, there’s plenty for both Wright and the Wallabies to build on.

Replacements – 7.5
The Springboks bench boasts more than 340 Test caps between them, with the likes of Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche adding impact off the pine. But the Wallabies replacements did fairly well, with Taniela Tupou and Lachlan Hooper standing out. The Springboks fought their way back late but the impact of the replacements in gold helped close it out.