Australia managed to edge past South Africa 42‑38 in a dramatic Test at Perth on Sunday, holding on for the win even after four of their players were shown yellow cards in the closing eleven minutes, leaving the Wallabies to defend the result with just eleven men on the field. The match was punctuated by a flurry of disciplinary actions that saw Italian referee Andrea Piardi reach for his pocket on four separate occasions within an eight‑minute span. At one point the official even had to speak to his television match official via a mobile phone after a technical glitch left the communication equipment dead, just as the Springboks mounted a late comeback that trimmed a 25‑point deficit to a mere four points.
The first dismissal came in the 69th minute when Harry Wilson was sin‑binned for a high tackle after the on‑field video review confirmed the infringement. Two minutes later, Ryan Lonergan followed suit, receiving a yellow card for diving into the back of a ruck; the penalty resulted in a penalty try for South Africa, reflecting the seriousness of the professional foul.
The cascade of cards continued when Joseph‑Aukuso Suaalii was ruled off‑side after a review of a Springboks try that had initially been disallowed. Finally, Hunter Paisami was shown yellow for a high tackle during the build‑up to a Tom Wright interception try – a try that itself was overturned – a score that would have pushed Australia’s lead to 47‑31 in the 76th minute. With those expulsions, the Wallabies found themselves reduced to eleven players while clinging to an 11‑point advantage and only four minutes left on the clock. Replacement prop Ox Nche managed to cross the line in the final minute, narrowing the gap to four points, but South Africa could muster only one more surge before the final whistle.
"It was a crazy last 10 minutes," Wilson reflected after the match. "But in the first 70 minutes we executed our game plan exactly as we intended." Head coach Les Kiss, who has now won all five Tests under his stewardship, described the ending as "bizarre".
He added, "In those moments you have to keep your composure, stay focused on what you want to achieve, and I think the lads did just that. But we must not forget the first 60 minutes – that was a crucial step up.
We controlled the game, showed bravery, and attacked when we needed to." South Africa had started the encounter strongly. Goal‑keeper Johan Grobbelaar crossed for a converted try, and a penalty from Handre Pollard gave the Springboks a 10‑3 lead inside the opening ten minutes. However, centre Len Ikitau turned the tide for the hosts, scoring in the 23rd minute and again four minutes later, putting Australia ahead. Although Edwill van der Merwe found the line at the half‑hour mark, Ben Donaldson’s try before the break restored a 24‑17 lead for the Wallabies.
In the second half, Wilson added a fourth try, extending the margin. Then, in the 64th minute, Max Jorgensen capitalised on a Springboks error, sprinting 60 metres to the try‑line and pushing the score to 42‑17.
The Springboks entered the match fresh from a historic series win over New Zealand, having secured the Greatest Rivalry title 3‑1. Coach Rassie Erasmus made a sweeping 13‑man overhaul from the side that had beaten the All Blacks 43‑28 in Baltimore two weeks earlier, retaining only Eben Etzebeth and Ethan Hooker in the starting XV.
Springboks captain Andre Esterhuizen was candid about his side’s shortcomings: "They capitalised on all our errors and I think discipline let us down, especially in that first half. We gave them too many opportunities and that really hurt us." Lonergan finished the game as Australia’s top point‑scorer, contributing 17 points from four conversions and three penalties, a reliable boot that helped the Wallabies hold onto a memorable victory despite the chaos in the final minutes. The match will be remembered not only for its high‑scoring drama but also for the resilience shown by a team that survived a numerical disadvantage to claim a hard‑fought win over a formidable South African side.