Mark Keohane: rugby journalist on the Wallabies beating out the Springboks in Johannesburg

There's signs Australian rugby is going from strength to strength.

The Wallabies have upset the Springboks 38-22 in Johannesburg, after trailing 22-nil earlier in the contest.

It's back-to-back wins for Australia after beating the British and Irish Lions in the third test in Sydney earlier this month.

Rugby journalist Mark Keohane joined Piney to discuss.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Edbs have been stunned in their Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg,
lost Thord.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
And intercept it right has got one to beats.

Speaker 4 (00:25):
He beats for the soup and starter will not catch him.
And that's happy.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
It will be that it was that the Wallabies have
produced one of the all time great second half performances,
coming back from twenty two nil down to win thirty
eight twenty two at Alice Park, their first win in
South Africa since twenty twelve, their first win at that
venue since nineteen sixty three. Let's bring in South African

(00:52):
rugby expert and great made of the show, Mark Kahan.
He was at Alice Park, Mark, What on earth happened
in this game?

Speaker 4 (01:01):
Made?

Speaker 3 (01:01):
I've seen so many incredible moments from ninety two at
Alice Park and walking away, I saw another incredible one
today and it belonged to Australia. It was like it
was we were just stunned watching that second half performance,
but also in that first ten to fifteen the box
always said they played like the Highlanders at their best

(01:25):
and we were like, can they sustain this beyond twenty minutes?
And in the last ten minutes.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
It looked like they had no legs, they were gassed.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
They played a game they hardly kicked, they hardly scrummed,
and they couldn't catch a lineup ball. So in Australia,
wonderful athletes played very intelligently and were good enough to
kind of make every bounce count.

Speaker 4 (01:47):
But if they got off another.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
Ten and it's probably been fifty unanswered points and not
thirty eight, and just an incredible day for one of
these rugby incredible occasion, and.

Speaker 4 (01:59):
I think maybe the punch that South Africa and the.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Spring Box needed after the Eufour of the World Cup win,
the ephoria of the Racy Championship win an eleven out
of thirteen last season, they didn't get beats and they got.
It started with a mugging, it ended up with an
attack that could have been criminal.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
It was that dominant, incredible, incredible.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Does it feel though, like a blip or is it
symptomatic of some deeper problems for Russi Erasmus to fix.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
No, I don't think it's it's got anything with the problem.
What it is is to a lot of players. Maybe
they're on the wrong side of thirty and some players
this isn't May retired themselves just because of performance, and he.

Speaker 4 (02:39):
Doesn't have to have those odd conversations. I really think
it's just they've been riding the crest of a wave.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
And you know, I spoke to Nick Madden the other
day and he said, has Russy been touched by God?
Because it doesn't matter what he does, he gets a
one point when Boden Barrett hits the post from in front.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
They went in and went into New Zealand, and today
he wasn't touched.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Today they got punched, and they got punched really hot.
I think we'll look back in a year and say
a great day for Australian rugby, but probably one of
the best for the spring Box. Ahead of the big
tour from New Zealand next year and the twenty twenty
seven walk up. They really needed to lose, and lose
badly to just kind of bring them back off that pedestal,

(03:20):
bring them down from that cloud.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
Let's give some credit to our Australian friends as well,
who stood out in a yellow jersey today.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
Uh Benn O'Keeffe was amazing come.

Speaker 4 (03:36):
No, he was good. I mean I thought they were
brilliant at the breakdown.

Speaker 3 (03:40):
I actually thought Richie mccawady invented himself and come back
in a gold jumper because they was so good over
the ball. I think the penalty count over the ball
was eight penalties won by Australia. I thought the composer
that James O'Connor showed a ten thirty five year old
veteran having had a great season in terms of rugby.

Speaker 4 (03:59):
Education under the Crusaders, he was good. I just felt
that they hunting well.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
Joe Smith has been amazing with what he's done with
his team in the last year. We saw what he
did when he joined Fuzzy pre the twenty twenty three
Woral Cup.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
You know, Russie walked to the press.

Speaker 3 (04:14):
Conmens and he said out, thought, up, coached, up, muscled
out everything.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
Do you guys have any answers for me?

Speaker 3 (04:21):
And he said at once that the big thing was
they felt that they overplayed their hand and Australia were
good enough to counter punch and when they did, they
smashed them. So that first forty for Australia to hang
in there, I think it shows the spirit that they
bolt within the side of the joe and for them
to have that belief that they could come back and
reminded me a lot of that second test against that

(04:43):
the first test against Australia are the Lions where they
were really struggling. They had their great last eight minutes
and then they kind of bolt momentum. So credit to
the Wall who was just a great night. It's a
golden Knight and they were emphatic winners. Their game management
was better, their approach was better, and it sets it
up for a wonderful thing because South Africans, despite their success,

(05:05):
hate being favorites and now they'll arrived in Auckland as underdogs.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
So this is all part of a grand plan to
allow us all into a false sense of security.

Speaker 3 (05:14):
Mark No just to arrive in New Zealand thinking there's
no price that they can beat the audert They called
me in Australia.

Speaker 4 (05:22):
Let us park, how can they ever beat New Zealand
at Eden Park? And then there's no pressure on them.

Speaker 3 (05:27):
So look, I know that that is the beginning that
they target in for all these storical reasons, to test
themselves against the greatest bow that they have. You know,
I was with a box twenty years ago, and the
one thing that always baffled me was the players just
meant it didn't seem to be as switched on when
there was a gold jersey as it was when there
was a black jersey.

Speaker 4 (05:47):
But maybe it needed a beating like this for them
to switch on for Cape Town.

Speaker 3 (05:50):
So it makes for a very interesting seven days between
test matches.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
We all know what a Caldron ellis Parker's and no
doubt the atmosphere would have changed across the across the afternoon.
Have you were there many Wallabies fans around it? You
have your bumped. Didn't do any in the time since
the final whistle?

Speaker 4 (06:09):
Yeah, about fifty five thousand. We're in gold because you
know what they say in South Africa. We went nine
and we lose one. We're in crisis. Is a bit
like New Zealand the wannabes, they lose nine, they went
one in their back baby.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
So yeah, there was a sprinkling, but I just thought
for them to come into that cauldron, a lot of
those players have never been to South Africa because the
no one will Super rugby and I shouldn't just give
credit give credits to the New Zealand.

Speaker 4 (06:36):
Coached Australian side.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
They were outstanding and so much credit to Joe Smith
for what he's done with that side.

Speaker 4 (06:43):
And you know, I know he's.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Reason for not wanting to continue after the Racty Championship,
but it's a shame for rugby and obviously for Australia.

Speaker 4 (06:50):
Les Case has got a big, big pair of boots
to fall when he does take over and then for
the Rugby Championship. I think it's just brilliant. This kind
of result just ignites it. But the game for me
was as bizarre as.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
The one in Argentina last year when Australia conceded sixty
against Argentina. It's you were watching just thinking is this
really happening at Ellis Park against the spring Box team
that's went back to back World Cups, and.

Speaker 4 (07:13):
It was it was like, just blow this end whistle because.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
These guys just they look amused, they look fatigued, and
they looked out on their feet and it's reminded me
of Anthony Joshua the first time he got clocked by
Ruiz and he looked to his corner.

Speaker 4 (07:26):
What's happening now? I don't know, mate, but I think
you're about to get knocked down.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
That's that's kind of our fault from me watching it
that it was just the people are kind of gobsmacked
and stunned, so there's a bit of silence when we
left the ground.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
People are not quite in a boy and mood.

Speaker 3 (07:40):
But I think we'll look back in time and applaud
this Australian side and also thinks it's a very good
result for the spring Box and how they bolt towards
the next World.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
Cup and historic day. Mike, you've given us a brilliant,
brilliant insight into it, mate, Thanks for joining us across
New Zealand. We'll catch up again soon. Thanks Matte, Thank
you mate. That is marke Keohen Who was it? Ellis Park?
What a character?

Speaker 1 (08:01):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to news Talks it'd be weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.