Ikitau on the double as Australia claim huge scalp against South Africa
Australia, under new coach Les Kiss, secured a dramatic 42-38 victory against World Cup champions South Africa in a one-off Test match in Perth, with Len Ikitau scoring two tries. Despite having four players yellow-carded late in the game, the Wallabies held on for a significant win, continuing their unbeaten run under Kiss.
Why it matters
This victory represents a major upset in international rugby and a strong statement for the Australian team under its new coach, potentially impacting team morale and rankings ahead of future competitions. It highlights the unpredictable nature of top-tier sports.
LEN IKITAU SCORED twice as Australia claimed their biggest scalp under new coach Les Kiss with a dramatic 42-38 win in the one-off Test against South Africa in Perth on Sunday.
The Wallabies scored five tries but had to hang on against the World Cup champions, going down to 11 players late on as skipper Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Hunter Paisami received yellow cards.
Having trailed 42-17, South Africa scored three tries at the death, but it was not enough to overturn the deficit in a wild match in front of 54,678 fans, many drawn from Perth’s sizeable South African community.
The moment Australia held on to win nail-biter against South Africa! 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/EhrT8ipf8O
“I’m so proud of the group,” Wilson said.
“We’re excited and we were up for it. The first 70 minutes we executed our game plan.”
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