WATCH | Five reasons why Boks should be confident of beating the Aussies in Bloemfontein

27 September 2017 - 14:55 By Khanyiso Tshwaku
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
The Springboks form a huddle after the Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the South African Springboks at QBE Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand.
The Springboks form a huddle after the Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the South African Springboks at QBE Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Image: GETTY IMAGES

The Wallabies have made five visits to the Highveld over the past nine years and Saturday's clash against the Springboks in Bloemfontein will be their sixth.

Unlike the All Blacks‚ who have the distinct advantage regardless of where they play‚ Australia struggles with the thin air the Highveld offers.

That explains why they've only won twice on the Highveld in 54 years while they've experienced more success at sea level.

Durban is their favourite South African Test destination as three of their five victories in SA since 1992 have been recorded at King's Park.

This may also explain why the Wallabies haven't been back to King's Park in six years in a similar manner the All Blacks have been kept away from Loftus Versfeld since 2006 and until next week‚ haven't been to Cape Town in nine years.

The Boks have every reason to be confident that the Australian lungs will explode in Bloemfontein and this is why:

1) October 1‚ 2016 – South Africa 18 – 10 Australia – Loftus Versfeld‚ Pretoria

Of South Africa's generally convincing displays against Australia on the Highveld‚ this was their get out of jail game.

The Boks were poor and failed to score a try‚ but Australia were even worse in trying their best to lose to a Bok side that was about to be on the receiving end of a 57-15 hiding against the All Blacks the following week in Durban.

The Boks had to rely on Morne Steyn's six penalties to get them across the line as they couldn't find the magic elixir that would get them across the try line.

It was ugly and forgettable stuff from a disjointed team. If you want to relive that groundhog day‚ watch here.

2) September 29‚ 2012 – South Africa 31 – 8 Australia - Loftus Versfeld‚ Pretoria

Heyneke Meyer's side weren't cooking at this point in time but they were always going to take care of a weak Australian team at Meyer's Pretoria stomping ground.

The victory was underpinned by Bryan Habana's hattrick while Francois Louw and Zane Kirchner also contributed to the five tries to one thrashing.

The Wallabies have been worse in Pretoria but this is one game they couldn't have been bothered to rock up for.

This game was also popular for Adam Ashley-Cooper's spectacular try-saving tackle on Kirchner that also knocked him out cold.

3) September 4‚ 2010 – South Africa 39 – 41 Australia – Free State Stadium‚ Bloemfontein

The Wallabies had nearly lost this one‚ but through Kurtley Beale's late penalty‚ finally cracked their Highveld duck.

Australia raced to a 31-6 lead after 25 minutes before the inevitable Bok fight back saw them take a 39-38 lead before Beale's famous long-range three pointer.

The Springboks were hard-pressed to repeat their Loftus Versfeld heroics from the previous weekend but this was a bridge too far.

Rescue acts cannot be performed on two consecutive weekends as Australia were on a rare golden run of two wins in South Africa in two consecutive years.

They added a third the following year with a 14-9 triumph at King's Park‚ but that's where the party's ended for them.

4) August 28‚ 2010 – South Africa 44 - 31 Australia - Loftus Versfeld‚ Pretoria

The try-scoring party started with this game as a James O'Connor-inspired Wallaby side raced to a 21-7 lead inside 11 minutes.

The Boks fought back through Juan Smith‚ Gurthro Steenkamp and Pierre Spies to narrow the deficit but Dean Mumm's try ensured the Wallabies had a 28-24 half-time lead.

The Boks roared back in the second stanza as Robbie Deans's side could only muster a penalty in the face of a 20-point Bok bruising.

In the light of the Bloemfontein performance the following week‚ it was clear the Boks hadn't learnt any lessons.

5) August 30‚ 2008 – South Africa 53 – 8 Australia – Ellis Park‚ Johannesburg

Having broken their eight-year South African hoodoo with a 27-15 win at King's Park the previous week‚ the Wallabies were in no mood to compete with the Boks.

In what was some sort of revenge for the 49-0 Brisbane hammering two years before‚ the Boks consigned Australia to their heaviest defeat in test history.

This was Jongi Nokwe's test magnum opus as his four tries contributed to the pressure relieving win.

It was expected of the Boks to win after their breakthrough 20-18 win against the All Blacks in Dunedin earlier in the campaign that not only ended a 10-year drought in New Zealand‚ but a Carisbrook hoodoo that stretched back to 1921.

 - TimesLIVE


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now