South Africa vs Australia LIVE: Rugby Championship result and reaction as Springboks thrash Wallabies

The Rugby World Cup is drawing closer with the Rugby Championship providing valuable gametime to prepare for the showpiece event in France.

South Africa battle Australia with both sides likely to experiment with fresh combinations to arrive in the best form possible in September.

The reigning world champions have been formidable in Pretoria against the Wallabies, who have never claimed victory in the city, but the Springboks could be vulnerable with a much-changed side.

And Eddie Jones will no doubt be up for the fight as he returns to the Australia coaching box for the first time since re-taking the head coaching role after his dismissal by England in December.

Here’s everything you need to know about the match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium:

The Rugby Championship may be half as long this year but has huge importance in gauging the readiness of the southern hemisphere powerhouses ahead of the World Cup in France when they clash over the month of July for the coveted trophy.

Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa each have their own concerns ahead of the World Cup, but the boost of a Championship victory would send them jetting off to France with confirmation they are on the right track.

The fixture list has been cut from six games to three to allow for World Cup warm-up matches. South Africa host Australia in Pretoria and New Zealand travel to Mendoza to meet Argentina in the opening fixtures on Saturday.

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Eddie Jones begins his second stint in charge of the Wallabies this afternoon, back at the Australia helm for the first time since 2005 after being re-appointed last December.

The ever-entertaining coach has had plenty to say since his sacking by England, but will relish an opportunity for some actual action and a first look at how his side might fare over a rather important few months.

Jones has plenty to figure out about a Wallabies side that was more miss than hit in 2022, and has, true to form, thrown a few selection curveballs.

But the veteran schemer is excited to get going as his team target a first ever win in Pretoria.

“It will be better than the Ashes, mate,” Jones, a massive cricket fan, said with a smile on Thursday when asked how he expected the contest to go. “Let me tell you what we’re going to do. We going to roll our sleeves up, and we are going to dig in.

“We’ve really tried to tackle the ghosts. There’s a lot of ghosts of Wallabies teams out there. We’ve tried to take on the concept of playing at altitude and playing in front of a fierce crowd.

“Pretoria is probably the loudest crowd you experience around the world. We are looking forward to that and see what we can do in it. What a fantastic opportunity.”

The Rugby Championship always feels a little bit different in World Cup years, shorter and less intense as the four head coaches use the summer to try and narrow down their likely travelling party. It’s shown in today’s selections, which we’ll come to in a little while - South Africa have a number of new-look combinations with some of the Springboks’ squad members already in New Zealand preparing for round two, while Australia, who have rather more to find out about their first-choice side, also make a handful of intriguing selection decisions.

Let’s take a closer look at the two sides...

Jacques Nienaber’s selection has a fresh look to it. Duane Vermeulen leads the side from the back of a pack that includes former Ireland international and Munster lock Jean Kleyn, poised to debut for the country of his birth after missing out on Andy Farrell’s World Cup training squad. Manie Libbok gets first go at fly-half in the absence of Handre Pollard, with Damian Willemse offering versatile backline cover on a 6:2 bench.

Ox Nche had been picked to start at loosehead, but the prop will now miss the tournament due to injury; Steven Kitshoff has been called in having been due to travel early to New Zealand with a group of other squad members.

Springboks XV: Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach; Duane Vermeulen (capt.), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden; Marvin Orie, Jean Kleyn; Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff

Replacements: Joseph Dweba, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Evan Roos, Deon Fourie; Grant Williams, Damian Willemse

Jacques Nienaber has dismissed accusations that this is a second-string Springboks side, though his selection does show a fresh look. Duane Vermeulen leads the side from the back of a pack that includes former Ireland international and Munster lock Jean Kleyn, poised to debut for the country of his birth after missing out on Andy Farrell’s World Cup training squad. Manie Libbok gets first go at fly-half in the absence of Handre Pollard, with Damian Willemse offering versatile backline cover on a 6:2 bench.

Ox Nche had been picked to start at loosehead, but the prop will now miss the tournament due to injury; Steven Kitshoff has been called in having been due to travel early to New Zealand with a group of other squad members.

Springboks XV: Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach; Duane Vermeulen (capt.), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden; Marvin Orie, Jean Kleyn; Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff.

Replacements: Joseph Dweba, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Evan Roos, Deon Fourie; Grant Williams, Damian Willemse

There are four debutants in the Australia 23, with Eddie Jones springing a few surprises in naming his first side since returning as head coach. Tom Hooper starts on the blindside opposite namesake Michael, with the veteran flanker co-captain in partnership with James Slipper. The loosehead has recovered after a recent knee injury and is fit to start.

Tighthead Zane Nonggorr could earn a first cap off the bench while Carter Gordon is similarly rewarded with an opportunity as back-up to veteran fly-half Quade Cooper. Richie Arnold completes the complement of potential first-cappers after an impressive stint with Toulouse.

Wallabies XV: Tom Wright; Suliasi Vunivalu, Len Ikitau, Reece Hodge, Marika Koroibete, Quade Cooper, Nic White; Rob Valetini, Michael Hooper (co-capt.), Tom Hooper; Will Skelton, Nick Frost; Allan Ala’alatoa, Dave Porecki, James Slipper (co-capt.).

Replacements: Jordan Uelese, Matt Gibbon, Zane Nonggorr, Richie Arnold, Pete Samu; Tate McDermott, Samu Kerevi, Carter Gordon

You can see Reece Hodge being a favourite of Eddie Jones’s, Australia’s Mr Versatile getting back towards something like top tilt after a couple of years short of his best. The options that Hodge presents, a man genuinely capable of covering every position in the backline other than scrum-half, could well be valuable to Jones at the World Cup, with the coach likely to consider a 6:2 bench split to make the most of the Wallabies’s developing forward might.

Today, though, Hodge starts, offering a balanced skillset at inside centre with Samu Kerevi still working his back from a hamstring injury. You’d think his massive right boot will be rather useful at altitude - he’ll fancy himself from the tee at anything short of about 60 metres, and gives Australia a useful clearing option alongside Quade Cooper.

South Africa’s own playmaking options are of interest today, too. With Handre Pollard nursing a calf injury, Manie Libbok gets a first test start, hoping to build upon a fine season with the Stormers in the URC. Libbok gives the Springboks a slightly different skillset to the rock solid Pollard, who was very good for Leicester this year, and while displacing Pollard would appear unlikely, if Libbok can translate his club form to the international arena he might yet give Jacques Nienaber a headache or two.

He’s got a handy helper alongside him in Andre Esterhuizen, the Harlequin a fly-half’s best friend with his ability to both win the gainline and step in at first receiver. Willie le Roux’s distributing talents will be useful for the 25-year-old, too. Libbok likes to attack the line and isn’t afraid to throw a few extravagant passes around, and if he clicks this South African backline could really fire.

“It is a big opportunity for me,” Libbok said this week. “There will be massive pressure on me in this game but I just want to go out there and contribute in my role as much as possible, and hopefully we can get the desired result.

“I know they’ll target me, but I’ve made peace with that, and the pressure.

“I’ve taken a lot of confidence from my preparation for this match ... I’ll have a few experienced players around me, which is also a bonus.”

Farewell Jean Kleyn, Ireland international; hello Jean Kleyn, South Africa’s newest Test cap. It’s been a peculiar few months for the Munster lock, left out of Andy Farrell’s World Cup training squad to seemingly end his hopes of a return to the top level before earning a surprise call up to the Springboks.

You can understand why South Africa were keen to get the Johannesburg-born second row back. Kleyn was excellent as his side toppled the Stormers in Cape Town to take URC glory in May and adds yet more power to an almost ludicrously crowded Springboks engine room. South Africa are without Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager today and yet can still select three locks of real quality in their squad - Kleyn and Marvin Orie looks a well balanced starting partnership, while it’s lovely to see Kleyn’s fellow adopted Munsterman RG Snyman back amongst things after a truly horrendous run of injuries.