Wallabies coach Les Kiss has lauded Australia's gutsy display to hold out the world champion Springboks despite losing four players to the bin in the final 10-minutes of a frantic, and sometimes farcical, Test match.
Leading the world no.1 side by 25 points with less than 15 minutes left on the clock, the Wallabies looked home and housed and certain of claiming a second win over the Springboks in their last three outings. But quickly the tables turned and Australia was facing down the barrel of a stunning capitulation.
Defending their line against an all-out Springboks attack, Harry Wilson was shown yellow for a dangerous high hit on Malcolm Marx after referee Andrea Piairdi was forced to communicate with the TMO via a mobile phone.
Minutes later Ryan Lonergan was sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul as the Springboks' scrum tore through the Wallabies and were rolling their way over the line. Just one minute later Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was ushered off the pitch, Piardi deeming the wing was offside and killed a try-scoring opportunity, before a remarkable runaway try from Tom Wright moments later was scrubbed out after the TMO ruled Hunter Paisami had hit Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu high. He quickly joined the bloated sin-bin.
Four players down and their 25-point lead whittled down to just four, the Wallabies found themselves with their backs against the wall and potential heartbreak on their doorstep, but instead of capitulating, like they would have previously, they kept their cool under insurmountable pressure and held on for an unlikely victory.
"You can plan for many things, we talked about out 6-2 [bench split] as coaches, talking about if this happens or that happens... but when you sit and talk about the scenarios, nothing could prepare you for that," Kiss said post-match.
"These guys knew that they had to find something.
"I talk about this backyard spirit, that's something came through in that space where you just find a way, you just know that it's important.
"It didn't surprise me, I've got to say, but it wouldn't have been able to be achieved if we didn't do the first 65 [minutes] the way we did and that's the really special part for us. I'm bloody pleased for these boys, they deserved that."
It took more than 20 minutes for the final 10 minutes of the match to be played out as Piardi struggled to keep control of the game and the TMO continued to intervene - via telephone - through the final minutes. With just a year out until the Wallabies open the Rugby World Cup at the same stadium, it was a poor look for the code and World Rugby.
Despite the four-man deficit, Kiss applauded his players for remaining calm and level-headed despite the chaos.
"Within that chaos, I think the right people kept their minds and kept their nerve," Kiss said. "We weren't losing our head at all in the coaching box, but the comforting bit, the reports coming back from the boys, is that they're OK. They feel they're OK.
"We know that was dangerous territory, but they found a way. Even the last bit where they defended their line, those last pick and drives, they still pushed time out of the clock. They pushed time out of the clock."
Australia produced some of their most potent rugby this year to date with Len Ikitau and Lonergan standouts in a firing backline that also featured Suaalii dominating the aerial battle on the wing, while Max Jorgensen was threatening on the edge.
The forward pack too was at their rampaging best with Angus Bell and Brandon Paenga-Amosa holding firm at the scrum, the back-row menacing at the breakdown, while Jeremy Williams and Lukhan Salakai-Loto continued to look dangerous at set-piece.
Unbeaten after five games and with a Bledisloe Cup on the horizon Kiss will be sweating on the availability of star midfield Ikitau after the outside centre hobbled off the pitch in the 54th minute with an ankle injury. The 27-year-old missed three games earlier this year, two against Japan, and the Wallabies' win over the Pumas in Argentina through injury.
Kiss was unclear of the severity of the injury post-match: "we don't know anything further other than we need to be very precautionary with it now and just see where it is."