CAPE TOWN :Australia’s shock triumph over world champions South Africa will mean little if they do not follow up last week’s victory with success in their second Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday, said back-up scrumhalf Tate McDermott.
The Wallabies bounced back after losing their home series against the British & Irish Lions to inflict an embarrassing defeat on South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday, coming back from 22-0 down inside the first quarter of the game to post a convincing 38-22 win in the opening match of this year’s southern hemisphere championship.
“Obviously it was a really proud moment. It had been 60-odd years since we’d got a result at Ellis Park, so it was a huge occasion,” McDermott told a press conference on Monday.
“We’ve been talking a lot about how we’re trending in the right direction and that was another step, but it doesn’t mean much if we don’t back it up this weekend.”
McDermott, 26, said they were expecting a backlash from the home team when they meet again at the Cape Town Stadium.
“The Springboks were world class, we saw what they did in the first 20 minutes, they tore us to shreds, so we know that they’re coming and they’re coming hard. We’ve got to back it up,” he added.
McDermott said he and his teammates on the replacement bench were in shock as Australia conceded three tries in 18 minutes but then in awe of the way the Wallabies recovered against the odds.
“The Springboks went bang, bang, bang pretty quick and the way that they scored their tries, through width, through skill and through power was exactly what they’re famous for.
“But the way that we stuck in the fight was something I was really proud of from the bench. It looked like we always had that belief, even though you’re standing there after 18 minutes and it’s 22-0.
“The fight that we showed to stay in there and the resolve we showed and the way we’ve fought our way back into that second quarter in particular was something we can be really proud of,” he added.
