Rassie Erasmus had rotated heavily for the game, making 13 changes to his starting lineup from the previous match against the All Blacks in Baltimore. This new lineup saw André Esterhuizen stepping up as the 68th captain for the Boks, joining a scant list of seasoned players like Eben Etzebeth, Handré Pollard, and Franco Mostert, each with over 50 caps.
Australia showed dominance early on, taking a commanding 42-17 lead by the 63rd minute under their undefeated coach, Les Kiss. However, the game's momentum shifted dramatically following four yellow cards issued to the Wallabies, which, coupled with three South African tries, narrowed the gap considerably, setting up a nail-biting finish.
"I don’t think I’d panic. Look, Rassie has potentially two World Cup squads," said Mohojé. "If I was Rassie, I really wouldn’t panic. It would just be to make sure that the players get used to and understand Test match rugby and take it for what it is and then work on from there."
"Also giving the guys the opportunity to catch up to the – I don’t want to say the solid starting XV, the ones we saw in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry – but also giving these guys opportunities to play more often gives them the opportunity to catch up and to say, ‘Listen, it doesn’t really matter what happens, we can have 15 injuries going into the World Cup, we’ve got a strong enough squad to actually do it again,’" Kitshoff added.
The discussion highlighted that Erasmus's strategy might be focused more on building depth and experience within the team, rather than the immediate results. According to Kitshoff, the breadth of talent available could even allow South Africa to contend for the World Cup again, regardless of potential injuries. Furthermore, many players from this match are expected to appear in the upcoming Nations Championship, providing them additional match practice and exposure.
In a succinct comment, Erasmus summed up the loss briefly but pointedly, suggesting a focus on looking forward rather than dwelling on the defeat. "It’s sh*t to lose," he expressed, capturing the disappointment but also the transient nature of a single game's result.
