Australia 42–38 South Africa
The Springboks suffered a dramatic 42-38 defeat to Australia in a chaotic Test match at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
The Wallabies, under coach Les Kiss, built a commanding 42-17 lead with around 15 minutes remaining through tries from Len Ikitau (two), Ben Donaldson, Harry Wilson and Max Jorgensen, with scrum-half Ryan Lonergan contributing 17 points from the boot.
South Africa, fielding a heavily rotated side under Rassie Erasmus with Andre Esterhuizen as captain, staged a fierce late fightback. Four Australian players — Wilson, Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Hunter Paisami — were yellow-carded in quick succession in the final 11 minutes, leaving the hosts with just 11 players on the field at one stage.
The Springboks capitalised with a penalty try, plus scores from Morne van den Berg and Ox Nche, closing the gap to four points. However, an obstruction penalty in the dying moments allowed Australia to kick the ball out and secure the win, reclaiming the Mandela Challenge Plate for the first time since 2022.
The result extends Australia’s unbeaten run under Kiss and keeps the Springboks at No. 1 in the world rankings despite the loss.
