Wallabies target Springboks scalp on five-match unbeaten run under Kiss

Australia will look to extend their five-match unbeaten run when they host two-time defending World Cup champions South Africa at Optus Stadium in Perth on Sunday, with flanker Carlo Tizzano declaring the Wallabies have “grown a lot” since the Springboks last visited the city.

South Africa beat Australia 30-12 in Perth in 2024, but the Wallabies have since won three and drawn one Test under new head coach Les Kiss. That run includes a 57-10 demolition of Italy in Perth in July — Joe Schmidt’s final match in charge — which forms the foundation of the current unbeaten sequence.

Tizzano, who was playing just his second Test on that wet night in 2024, said the step up in opposition only sharpens the team’s focus. “South Africa are the best team in the world, so what better way to test what we’ve been doing than doing it against the best?” the 26-year-old told AAP. “To get the win will be unreal. I think we’ve grown a lot since we last played them in Perth. But it’s all about making sure we do all the things we’ve been talking about during the week.”

The Springboks arrive in Perth without experienced pair Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende, both released from the squad to spend time with family. South Africa nonetheless carry significant momentum, having beaten New Zealand 3-1 in a recent series.

Australia’s 34-man squad includes uncapped Western Force back Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, while the more high-profile addition is the return of Jordan Petaia. The versatile back left the Queensland Reds in 2024 to pursue an NFL career and has not represented the Wallabies since the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Perth-born Tizzano acknowledged the Wallabies’ arrival in the city has been somewhat overshadowed by AFL fever, with Fremantle Dockers facing Brisbane in the grand final on Saturday. Rather than a distraction, he sees it as an opportunity to feed off the city’s energy. “The atmosphere here is crazy,” he said. “Hopefully Freo win the grand final for the first time ever, and then we get the win on the weekend as well.”