Springboks Seek To Extend Dominance Over Wallabies In Johannesburg
Springboks Seek To Extend Dominance Over Wallabies In Johannesburg
South Africa Rugby has owned the Wallabies over the last decade, but Australia looks energized after win over British and Irish Lions.
South Africa Rugby looks to continue its recent dominance over Australia when the two sides meet in Johannesburg at 11:10 a.m. ET on Aug. 16 , opening their 2025 Rugby Championship campaigns.
The Springboks enter the clash on a four-game winning streak against the Wallabies, outscoring them by an average of 22.8 points per game over that span. That surge marks a reversal from the preceding period, when South Africa won just two of eight meetings (two draws, four losses).
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The advantage is even more pronounced at home.
South Africa is unbeaten in its last eight tests against Australia on home soil (seven wins, one draw) and hasn’t lost to the Wallabies there since 2011.
The 43-12 victory in their most recent home meeting was their biggest win against Australia since 2008 and their third-largest ever.
It Gets Worse For The Wallabies Vs. Springboks In Johannesburg
In Johannesburg, the history is almost flawless — the Springboks have won their last seven against the Wallabies there, with a narrow 11-9 loss in August 1963 standing as their only home defeat to Australia in the city.
Form also favors the home side. South Africa has won six of its last seven tests in Johannesburg, including two comeback victories after trailing at halftime.
Overall, SA has won seven straight tests, scoring 40 or more points in each of their last four — a feat matched only twice in the last decade (Georgia in 2025 and Namibia in 2018).
Australia Rugby Does Push Squads Early
Australia has shown early promise in recent matches, leading at halftime in four of their last five tests, but has turned only two of those into wins.
The Wallabies have lost four of their last six matches outside Australia, including their last two.
Defensively, however, the Wallabies have improved in one key area — they have not conceded a try from a turnover in any of their last eight tests, the only current top-10 ranked side to achieve that since the end of the 2024 Rugby Championship.
In attack, South Africa’s efficiency in 2024 was unmatched in The Rugby Championship.
The Springboks averaged 10.5 entries into the opposition 22 per game, most in the competition, and scored 2.8 points per entry, trailing only New Zealand.
Australia ranked last in both measures with 7.3 entries per game and 2.1 points per entry.
Cheslin Kolbe, Max Jorgensen Are Players To Watch
Individual matchups add intrigue. Cheslin Kolbe beat 21 defenders in the 2024 tournament, four more than any other player, and has beaten 10 across four games against Australia. Still, the Wallabies remain the only team he has faced more than twice without scoring a try.
Rising star Edwill van der Merwe has scored in each of his first three tests — five tries total — and could become the first player from a Rugby Championship or Six Nations team to score in his first four tests since England’s Jamie Blamire in 2021.
For Australia, Max Jorgensen arrives in-form after making seven line breaks during the British and Irish Lions series, more than triple any other player across the three tests. He has 15 career line breaks in 11 tests and three tries in his last five games.
Kickoff at Ellis Park will test whether South Africa’s dominance continues — or if Australia can end a decade-long drought in Johannesburg.
South Africa Vs. Australia, Rugby Championship Round 1: Aug. 16
The opening match of the Rugby Championship is at Ellis Park, or now known Emirates Airline Park, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The match kicks off at 11:10 a.m. Eastern.
South Africa Vs. Australia, Rugby Championship Round 2 : Aug. 23
The second match of the series is at 11:10 a.m. ET at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
How To Watch South Africa Rugby Vs. Australia In The 2025 Rugby Championship
The match is streaming live in the United States on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
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The Rugby Championship 2025 Schedule
Aug. 16
Aug. 23
Sept. 6
Sept. 13
Sept. 27
Oct. 4
How To Watch The Rugby Championship 2025
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