Wallabies expose the gulf between Boks best and the rest

Australia defeated South Africa 42-38 in Perth on Sunday, handing the Springboks another loss on Australian soil. Head coach Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes to the starting lineup following a series win over the All Blacks in Baltimore. The Wallabies took advantage of an altered Springboks lineup to lead 24-17 at halftime before expanding the margin to 42-17 with 15 minutes remaining.

South Africa mounted a late comeback with three converted tries, spurred by substitute flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and the bench unit, cutting the deficit to four points. Despite the late surge, the result marks South Africa's fifth loss in their last eight Tests in Australia under Erasmus since 2018.