It was a game missing the ferocity and competiveness of the opening two clashes between the top two teams in world rugby union. World champions South Africa, seemingly bullet proof after taking the greatest of victims and ending the All Blacks’ five-year unbeaten home run, were undoubtedly road weary. 

While some thought the Springboks would approach the match too battle hardened for a Wallaby team untested this year, the visitors were without verve and looked listless for long periods.

Meanwhile, Robbie Deans’s Wallabies became the second team post-World Cup to take the prized scalp of the No.1 ranked team in the game. The battle was won in the ruck, and the Australian back row made the World Cup-winning loose combination look surprisingly meek. But it was not so much a case of the Wallabies beating the world champions, as much as the Springboks not bringing the necessary steel to the final game of an arduous tour.

Had the Springboks brought the same ferocity to Perth that they had exhibited in the House of Pain the previous week, they would no doubt have returned home with wins over both their Tri-Nations foes. Furthermore, the Wallabies did not use the expected panache to defeat the world champions; rather it was the impressive showing of the Wallaby pack that effectively outmuscled the power team of world rugby.

And in what should be a massive wake-up call to the All Blacks, it was the effectiveness of a class openside flanker – and George Smith’s ensuing master class – that enabled the Wallabies to dominate the tackle area, something the patched up New Zealand back row could not to in Dunedin.

Maybe it was the sight of a black jersey and the thought of achieving a high level milestone that brought out the best in the Springboks – after all, many thought they would walk over the Wallabies at a venue where the South Africans had a superior record to the home team.

As in Wellington, when the All Blacks were victorious, it was the absence of game-winning statements and players that defeated the Springboks. The lineout did not dominate, with Victor Matfield having a quiet game. And even though Schalk Burger was his always impressive self, Pierre Spies and Juan Smith did not impose themselves in the tackle area – ensuring the Boks did not dominate the loose.  Francois Steyn, his thunderous boot aside, is not an outside centre and was comprehensively outplayed by the colossus of Rhodes, Stirling Mortlock. 

Jean de Villiers, arguably the Springboks’ best player, was influential, but the entire South African threequarter line was poor. Again the question must be asked - why was Percy Montgomery not in the 22 after his contribution in Dunedin?

For the Wallabies, their back row was immense, with Rocky Elsom turning in a man-of-the match performance. The scrum stood up to the Springbok eight, and the Wallaby locks outplayed the world’s best second-row pairing.  In the backs, Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes showcased their silky skills, and not once were put under the expected physical pressure.  However, Luke Burgess had his worst came in a gold jumper, but like many Wallabies, was not put under the expected stress by the Springbok intimidators.

The Wallabies now have their confidence buoyed, having beaten the world champions, but  if the All Blacks bring the intensity seen in the first two Tri-Nations games to the much-anticipated Bledisloe opener, the Australians – still to be tested this season – will struggle. They were the one global team still keeping their ‘A’ game under wraps. We have now seen it, and there are now no surprises between the three teams of the Tri-Nations.

The Springboks will return home having missed a golden opportunity to all but clinch the title with two away wins, and will know that they have only themselves to blame. They know they have the arsenal to win the Tri-Nations – but now know equally that they cannot just set foot on the park to beat their equally powerful opponents. Injuries will be a concern, with Jon Smit, Burger and Bryan Habana all now under injury clouds.  Irreplaceable men to the Springbok set-up, no doubt. 

But they now have three weeks off.  This shows the imbalance of the Tri-Nations, which would be corrected with the inclusion of a fourth team - the other top-four global power sitting at home idly, their World Cup bronze going to waste...

                         Tri Nations Table
                   P     W      L    PF    PA    Diff   Pts
New Zealand 2      1      1    47    38     9      5
South Africa  3      1      2    47    63  -16      5
Australia      1      1      0     16     9     7      4

 Upcoming games: July 26 – Australia v New Zealand (ANZ Stadium); August 2 ­– New Zealand v Australia (Eden Park); August 16 – South Africa v New Zealand (Newlands).