Wallabies show Dave Rennie effect is working against lost Springboks

The conclusion from the two Wallabies v Springboks tests is simple: Dave Rennie’s Wallabies side are far better than the All Blacks made them look.

Three hefty losses in the Bledisloe Cup series deflated Australian rugby, but the Wallabies’ outstanding 30-17 win over South Africa in Brisbane yesterday paints those reverses in a different light.

The Wallabies have now deservedly beaten the world champs on consecutive weekends. Rennie is clearly building something in Australia, and his belief in Quade Cooper and the Wallabies’ superior conditioning levels has paid off.

With the All Blacks very interested spectators from the sidelines, the Wallabies hung on when the momentum was against them, and they struck in the second half with their far better handling skills.

Before two tests against the All Blacks, the Springboks seem stuck with a game plan that doesn’t look fit for purpose.

Rennie has always coached well against South African sides, beating them repeatedly in Super Rugby with the Chiefs, but the past two weeks undeniably showed his methods are transferring well to the biggest stage.

His selection of Cooper has been

a masterstroke: The 33-year-old’s newfound composure was evident again last night, and even when he was hit hard by Springboks giant Duane Vermeulen in the first half he recycled the ball smartly.

Defensively, he stood in the front line even as plenty of Springboks ball carriers tried to expose him.

The Boks, meanwhile, were poor – particularly in the first half, and some of their key players were culpable.

Halfback Faf de Klerk was deservedly shown a yellow card after 12 minutes, for cynically slowing the ball down right in front of the referee.

A bad missed tackle by No 10 Handre Pollard one minute late allowed Wallabies No 13 Len Ikitau to score the opening try.

And although the Springboks clearly tried to use the ball more after their loss on the Gold Coast one week ago, their execution was often substandard, with passes going behind the target.

For world champions, it was sloppy and allowed the Wallabies to get off the hook when they were clearly stressed at times.

Yet Rennie’s side stabilised and stayed in the fight, until the chance came to use their skills through Taniela Tupou, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete.

That ability will be familiar to Chiefs fans who savoured two Super Rugby title wins in 2012 and 2013. The Rennie effect is working again.