As it stands on the current World Rugby rankings, the Springboks have a healthy lead in the No 1 spot, while the Wallabies are dwelling down in seventh place.
However, similarly to the All Blacks, Australia do seem to be enjoying what is referred to in football as a ‘new manager bounce’.
With new coach Les Kiss at the helm, the Wallabies have produced consecutive victories over Japan (35–32 in Tokyo, 56–17 in Townsville) and an away win over Argentina (27–21 in Mendoza), although that three-game winning streak recently ended in a hard-fought 28–28 draw against Argentina.
There is now set to be a whole new challenge as the Wallabies take on the high-flying Springboks, who also won 30-12 on their last visit to Perth in 2024.
Wallabies talking a good game ahead of Springboks’ Test
In the lead up to this Sunday’s clash, wing Max Jorgensen says the Wallabies will not be daunted by the prospect of facing the Springboks.
“They’re all human, they’re just a rugby team, so we’re not scared,” he told Code Sports.
Meanwhile, loose forward Carlo Tizzano echoed these sentiments.
“South Africa are the best team in the world, so what better way to test what we’ve been doing and everything we’ve been working on than doing it against the best?” he said in the build-up to the one-off meeting at Optus Stadium.
“To get the win will be unreal,” Tizzano added. “I think we’ve grown a lot since we last played them in Perth.
“But it’s all about making sure we do all the things we’ve been talking about during the week. And if we do that, then we should get a good result.
“We’re obviously going to have to lift a lot, and there’s a lot to work on, but I feel like we’ve made some awesome strides as a team, not only on the field but off the field as well.
“I think everyone’s really proud of each other and how we’ve handled our business, and obviously there’s a lot more to work on as well, so that’s really exciting.”
The Boks, meanwhile, cannot gain any ranking points by beating the Wallabies, but the world champions will remain No 1 even if they lose on Sunday.
UPDATED WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS
