Tupou warns Wallabies know exactly what Springboks will bring to Perth scrum battle

Taniela Tupou has called the Wallabies’ upcoming Test against the Springboks in Perth a defining measure of how far Australia’s set-piece has come, with the 73-cap prop insisting his side are under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

“We know what’s coming. We all know that they’re the best in the world on set-piece, on scrums,” Tupou told reporters in Perth. “This week, it’s a good challenge for us to test ourselves and see where we’re at as a group.”

The Springboks arrive in Western Australia having just completed a historic 3-1 series win over the All Blacks — their best result in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry — and having lost only two Tests in the past 13 months. South Africa’s dominance over Australia stretches back even further: since September 2012, the Boks have won 14 of the 22 Tests between the sides, including five of the last six.

Tupou was at tighthead when the Wallabies produced one of their more celebrated recent results, fighting back to beat South Africa at Johannesburg’s Emirates Airline Park 13 months ago. The following weekend in Cape Town, Australia went down 30-22. The memory of both matches, he suggested, sharpens the focus this week.

The Wallabies head into the fixture five matches unbeaten — a run that includes three consecutive wins and a draw under coach Les Kiss — but assistant coach Tom Donnelly was candid about where the squad still needed to grow. He pointed to a difficult Autumn Nations Series in 2024, when Australia’s lineout “struggled” in the northern hemisphere, as the starting point for a concentrated rebuild.

“I think we’re growing each week and the players are very clear on the expectations that I have for what we need to make sure that we can be accurate around our set pieces,” Donnelly said.

Lock Josh Canham, who had never started a Test before the July internationals, has emerged as a lineout caller this season. Jeremy Williams, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero have all earned selection during the same period, and Donnelly credited the depth of competition for “bringing the best out of the players.”

With the Rugby World Cup returning to Australia in 2027, both sides are building toward a tournament that will be played on home soil for the Wallabies. For now, Perth offers a sharper, more immediate question: whether Australia’s set-piece revival can hold up against the team that has set the global standard.