Matt Toomua the difference and other key stats from Australia's win over South Africa

David Cooper - Writer 17:03 08/09/2018
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  • Toomua goes over for the easiest of tries

    Australia ended a run of four consecutive test match losses to edge South Africa 23-18 in their Rugby Championship clash in Brisbane on Saturday.

    The Wallabies capitalised on a poor second half by the Springboks, who led 18-17 at half-time but failed to score a point after the break.

    Both teams scored two tries apiece, but Matt Toomua’s two second-half penalties proved the difference.

    Here, we take a look at the key stats from the match.

    36: Metres made by Will Genia. The Melbourne Rebels star used his pace and nimble footwork to break down the granite-like Springboks defence, looking to put his team-mates in more formidable attacking positions at every opportunity.

    7: Defenders beaten for Springboks captain Siya Kolisi. The flanker beat more defenders than any other player, with Kurtley Beale and Genia (four each) following behind.

    15: Points scored by Toomua in an overall consistent display. The Leicester Tigers centre scored a try and kicked two conversions and two penalties for the winners. His try in particular was a gem, using his superb vision to slide on to a loose ball. Literally a gift from the Boks.

    16: Tackles made by Franco Mostert. The industrious lock may have missed two tackles, but he put his body on the line at every chance to disrupt the Wallabies momentum. Pieter-Steph du Toit (14) and Damian de Allende (11) were next on the list in the tackle charts.

    5: It was a day to forget for the normally reliable Springboks flanker du Toit who missed a game-high five tackles. After the Stormers man, there were seven players who missed two tackles each.

    4: Turnovers conceded by Willie le Roux and Faf du Klerk. Although it might seem a high error count for the Springboks duo, both players made a telling impact in attack.

    84: Percentage success rate in the tackle for both the Wallabies (87/103) and the Springboks (91/108).

    10: Turnovers conceded by the Wallabies in contrast to 9 from the Springboks.

    18: Penalties conceded by the Springboks in comparison to 14 by the Wallabies.

    728: Days since Wallabies last beat the Springboks. Since their win in September 2016, both sides had played each other three times, with South Africa winning once and the other two games finishing in a draw.

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