{"id":71419,"date":"2025-08-16T15:02:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-16T15:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/71419\/"},"modified":"2025-08-16T15:02:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-16T15:02:09","slug":"south-africa-vs-australia-live-latest-score-and-updates-as-springboks-take-on-wallabies-in-rugby-championship-gets-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/71419\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa vs Australia live: Latest score and updates as Springboks take on Wallabies in Rugby Championship gets underway"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>South Africa vs Australia match officials<\/p>\n

Referee: Ben O\u2019Keeffe (NZ)<\/p>\n

Assistant Referees: James Doleman (NZ) & Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)<\/p>\n

Television Match Officials: Tual Trainini (Fra)<\/p>\n

Foul Play Review Officer: Richard Kelly (NZ)<\/p>\n

\"\"(Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:55<\/p>\n

<\/a>Rassie Erasmus keen to continue freshening up of Springboks squad<\/p>\n

It is not lost on Rassie Erasmus that many of his Springboks stalwarts are starting to get on a bit, in rugby terms. Plenty of the South Africa squad will hope to challenge for a third consecutive World Cup come the 2027 tournament in Australia but there will also be a need to bring youngsters through.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy to predict who is going to be available, and that\u2019s why we\u2019ve been working with an expanded squad of 45 players,\u201d Erasmus explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t be throwing the old guys away, but we need to give as many chances as we can to up-and-coming talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"(AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:45<\/p>\n

<\/a>Andre Esterhuizen gets another midfield chance<\/p>\n

Damian de Allende should be back fit soon enough, it seems, for South Africa but Andre Esterhuizen ensures they have a high-class inside centre even without their regular No 12. Esterhuizen is a figure of growing importance within the Springboks squad, with Rassie Erasmus cross-training him in the back row at times to further increase the adaptability within the group.<\/p>\n

Esterhuizen impressed as an emergency auxiliary flanker after the sending off of Jasper Wiese against Italy and his ability to perhaps cover the position might allow Erasmus to use more three-back benches, rather than the six\/two split he has generally preferred.<\/p>\n

\"AndreAndre Esterhuizen starts for South Africa (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:35<\/p>\n

<\/a>Nic White reverses retirement<\/p>\n

Partnering James O\u2019Connor in a half-back pairing flecked with grey for Australia today is Nic White – which, given the scrum half announced his retirement before the last Lions Test, feels odd. White has been convinced to continue with Joe Schmidt feeling he needed the veteran for the start of this campaign after Jake Gordon suffered a hamstring injury. White was given a warm farewell by the rain-soaked crowd in Sydney a fortnight ago but onwards he ploughs – and he was very good in what was supposed to be his final appearance.<\/p>\n

\"NicNic White starts for Australia again (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:25<\/p>\n

<\/a>Team news – Australia<\/p>\n

Veteran fly half James O\u2019Connor starts for Australia in the lone change to the starting side that beat the Lions in the third Test. O\u2019Connor replaces Tom Lynagh, who sustained a concussion in that Sydney clash. <\/p>\n

Joe Schmidt resists the urge to freshen the side up elsewhere, though has had to make tweaks to his bench – Ben Donaldson had been due to provide fly half cover to O\u2019Connor before an injury in training ruled him out. Nick Champion de Crespigny was then initially named as one of six replacement forwards having made his debut during the Lions series, but the flanker drops out to allow one-cap playmaker Tane Edmed to come in.<\/p>\n

Australia XV: 1 James Slipper, 2 Billy Pollard, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton; 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Nic White, 10 James O\u2019Connor; 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen; 15 Tom Wright.<\/p>\n

Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Jeremy Williams, 20 Langi Gleeson; 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Andrew Kellaway.<\/p>\n

\"JamesJames O’Connor has earned a recall to the Wallabies side (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:15<\/p>\n

<\/a>Team news – South Africa<\/p>\n

South Africa are without a couple of regular starters in centre Damian de Allende and wing Cheslin Kolbe, who could have played but has been held back by Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks director of rugby mixes and matches in places as he continues to develop depth, with skipper Siya Kolisi given a new international role at No 8 in a back row that also includes Marco van Staden and Pieter-Steph du Toit.<\/p>\n

Manie Libook is given a go at fly half ahead of Handre Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while Wilco Louw wins a similarly competitive chase for a starting place on the tighthead. As per usual, there is plenty of power lurking on the bench.<\/p>\n

South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Wilco Louw; 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager; 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Siya Kolisi (capt.); 9 Grant Williams, 10 Manie Libbok; 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Edwill van der Merwe; 15 Aphelele Fassi. <\/p>\n

Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith; 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.<\/p>\n

\"SiyaSiya Kolisi captains South Africa from No 8 (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:10<\/p>\n

<\/a>2025 Rugby Championship fixtures<\/p>\n

The 2025 Rugby Championship will not conclude until October in the slightly strange surroundings of Twickenham, with Argentina and South Africa taking a fixture to south west London in the name of international expansion. Here\u2019s the full schedule (all times BST):<\/p>\n

South Africa vs Australia – Johannesburg, 4.10pm<\/p>\n

Argentina vs New Zealand – Cordoba, 10.10pm<\/p>\n

South Africa vs Australia – Cape Town, 4.10pm<\/p>\n

Argentina vs New Zealand – Buenos Aires, 10.10pm<\/p>\n

Australia vs Argentina – Townsville, 5.30am<\/p>\n

New Zealand vs South Africa – Auckland, 8.05am<\/p>\n

Australia vs Argentina – Sydney, 5am<\/p>\n

New Zealand vs South Africa – Wellington, 8.05am<\/p>\n

New Zealand vs Australia – Auckland, 6.05am<\/p>\n

South Africa vs Argentina – Durban, 4.10pm<\/p>\n

Australia vs New Zealand – Perth, 10.45am<\/p>\n

Argentina vs South Africa – Twickenham, 2pm<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 15:00<\/p>\n

<\/a>Siya Kolisi expecting stern test against Australia<\/p>\n

The Springboks looked strong against slightly overmatched opposition in Georgia and an injury-hit Italy in July, but captain Siya Kolisi is expecting a sterner examination today.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe talk in our camp has solely been on Australia,\u201d said Kolisi. \u201cWe saw how they played against the British & Irish Lions, and we\u2019ve been in the position they are now in the past, so it would be foolish to think that they won\u2019t throw everything at us.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are certainly not thinking about the New Zealand matches now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 14:50<\/p>\n

<\/a>James O’Connor backed to shine on Wallabies return<\/p>\n

Injuries have given James O’Connor the chance to win a first Australia cap in three years in the Rugby Championship opener against South Africa, but coach Joe Schmidt believes the fly half is ready to run the game.<\/p>\n

Injuries to Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson have opened the door for O\u2019Connor, 35, to make his first international appearance since 2022 in the cauldron of Ellis Park.<\/p>\n

There are few tougher places in world rugby to play.<\/p>\n

“The good thing with James is he came in right at the start of the Lions series,” Schmidt said. “So he\u2019s had three weeks with us.<\/p>\n

“He\u2019 had a period to probably just assimilate himself into the systems that we run and to start gaining confidence that he could run the game, and the confidence of the players that he was a guy to listen to. He\u2019s done that really well, and that gives us confidence.<\/p>\n

“I tracked him throughout Super Rugby while he was playing for the Crusaders, and I\u2019ve seen him play for a number of years.<\/p>\n

“He hasn\u2019t played for the Wallabies in three years, so he\u2019s pretty excited by that opportunity.”<\/p>\n

\"JamesJames O’Connor makes his return to the Australia side (REUTERS)<\/p>\n

Reuters16 August 2025 14:40<\/p>\n

<\/a> Australia proved a point in Melbourne \u2014 but second Test cannot be a false dawn<\/p>\n

After the second Test in Melbourne, we laid out the challenges that lie ahead for Australia – and the reasons for optimism about a brighter future.<\/p>\n

Harry Latham-Coyle16 August 2025 14:30<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"South Africa vs Australia match officials Referee: Ben O\u2019Keeffe (NZ) Assistant Referees: James Doleman (NZ) & Gianluca Gnecchi…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":71420,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-71419","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71419"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71419\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}