South Africa Defeats Injury-Hit Australia 30-22 in Cape Town Rugby Championship

South Africa narrowly defeated Australia 30-22 in Cape Town, keeping their hopes alive to retain the Rugby Championship title after a strong performance by flyhalf Handre Pollard, who scored all six of his goal kicks. Despite early injuries to key Wallabies players Nic White and Tom Wright, Australia showed resilience with a late surge, including a try from Brandon Paenga-Amosa, but ultimately fell short due to missed goal kicks and a late try by Eben Etzebeth. The Wallabies had previously stunned the Springboks with a comeback win, breaking a long drought, but South Africa made significant lineup changes for this match to reassert their dominance. Both teams displayed attacking intent and physicality in challenging wet conditions, with Australia fielding a strengthened side featuring new debutants like Corey Toole and returning players such as Rob Valetini. The closely contested match highlighted Australia's continued fight and South Africa's determination to bounce back after their earlier loss. This game serves as a pivotal moment in the 2025 Rugby Championship, with the Wallabies seeking consecutive wins against the Springboks for only the third time in history.