Australia Falls to South Africa in Rugby, With Shining Performance from Pollard

The Springboks delivered a dominant performance against the Wallabies, retaining the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate in a thrilling 30-22 victory. The match, played with a tactical and direct approach, saw Handre Pollard shine as the Man of the Match.

In the set piece of the first half, Ox Nche won the only penalty for the Springboks, resulting in three points. Pollard, who converted six out of six attempts, added three penalty goals and three conversions to the scoreboard, contributing significantly to the team's victory.

Cheslin Kolbe, who displayed exceptional positional play in defense, was a standout player. He won back two of Grant Williams' well-judged box kicks, made a brave tackle on Tom Hooper, and executed a fine clearance kick out of his 22. Kolbe also beat two defenders and made a Bok-best 59 meters in attack during the match.

One of Kolbe's most notable contributions was setting up Canan Moodie's try with a deft crosskick. Ox Nche was also instrumental in the build-up to Kwagga Smith's try with a barnstorming carry. Nche capped off his strong 70-minute outing by ripping a textbook turnover in a maul.

However, the Wallabies weren't without their chances. James O'Connor missed three crucial late kicks for the Wallabies, two of which were sitters, which could have potentially changed the course of the game.

The Springboks led 20-10 at halftime and extended their lead in the second half. Pollard scored half of the points for the Springboks, moving his Test rugby points total above 800 with his accurate kicking.

Under the guidance of coach Rassie Erasmus during the Rugby Championship 2021, the Springboks demonstrated a strong team performance, securing a well-deserved victory over the Wallabies.