The Springboks have not won a game in Australia since 2013, a whole 9 years ago. It was during the 2013 Rugby Championship that the Boks secured a 38 - 12 win at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, the closest they have managed after that was a 23 all draw in Perth in 2017. Australia is by no means a happy hunting ground for the men in the Green & Gold, which should worry Bok fans ahead of this weekend.
This is quite surprising on the face of is as the Wallabies have hardly been world beaters during this period themselves. What they have shown though is that they won't just lay down at home and allow the Boks to assert their physical dominance at will. Backed by their home fans, they are able to rise to the occasion, frequently, and the Boks have seen this happen for 9 years in a row. 2021 will be a fresh memory for the Boks after a closely fought and lost 26 - 28 opener. The Wallabies claimed an emphatic follow up win the next weekend thanks to the guidance of Quade Cooper who helped them topple the World Champions 30 - 17 in what was probably the Boks most disappointing loss of the year.
The team named to tackle the Wallabies this weekend boasts three players who took to the field in 2013 and won in Australia. Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth all featured on the day. Willie Le Roux was also involved but he has not been selected for this weekends fixture. For me this brings a lot of perspective. There are Bok regulars like Faf, Pollard, Am, De Allende, Mapimpi, Lood, Marx and Malherbe who have never tasted victory in the land down under. If history is anything to go by, then the Boks are up against it this weekend.
Based on the 2022 Rugby Championship so far, it remains a tough one to call. The Aussies started slow in both of their tests against Los Pumas and although they were able to secure a win in round 1, they were blown away by the Argentinian aerial game in round 2. The Boks on the other hand started strong in test 1 and absolutely dominated up front and in the air, in test 2 however all that physicality seemed to disappear like a wallet in the crowd at Ellis Park, and the All Blacks defused the aerial tactics over and over again, exposing the rigidity of the Boks playing style.
I fear that the Bok side that has been named, does not boast the form required to break a 9 year drought. The Wallabies may be carrying a number of injuries which prompted the recalling of Bernard Foley but based on form and history, they go into this clash as favorites and the Boks could leave Australia with two losses and a 50% season when they prepare to face Los Pumas home and away.