Wallabies complete stunning comeback over Boks to end Ellis Park hoodoo

It was an outcome no one could have predicted after the world champions had taken a 22-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes, scoring three quick tries to seemingly take control of the contest.

But the Boks' allowed their intensity to drop and their error rate to creep up, and the Wallabies - fresh from a high-pressure contest against the British & Irish Lions - took full advantage. They showed tremendous resilience until finally gaining the upper hand as the Boks - for the first time in recent memory - wilted under the pressure of being behind on the scoreboard.

It's a result that not only sends shockwaves through the Rugby Championship competition, but will leave the Springbok coaches with some tough questions to answer in the coming days and weeks as they try to unpack the reasons behind the stunning turnaround.

As the pressure mounted, the Boks seemed to feel the absence of several seasoned campaigners - some sidelined by injury, others left out of selection - though they will believe there was still enough leadership on the field to get the job done.

Credit must go to the Australians, however, who lifted themselves after a punishing Lions series to come away with a famous victory, and must now be considered serious Rugby Championship contenders.

Match Report

It was a totally different story at the start. 

The Boks started with fire and intensity, and took full advantage of the Wallabies' failure to deal with an early high ball, controlling possession and methodically working their way upfield before slick hands released try-machine Kurt-Lee Arendse on the wing for the easiest of finishes.

Manie Libbok nailed the difficult conversion before slotting a straightforward penalty minutes later following a trademark Malcolm Marx turnover at the breakdown.

South Africa's second try was a beauty, with Libbok's well-timed pass putting Jesse Kriel on the outside of the Wallabies' defence. Kriel broke clear before linking with Pieter-Steph du Toit, who offloaded to Andre Esterhuizen on his inside for a superb finish.

The third try was all about brute force, with Siya Kolisi powering over after the Boks had battered the Wallabies' defence with a series of punishing drives. Libbok converted as the Boks took a 22-0 lead with less than 20 minutes on the clock.

It was at this point that the Boks seemed to lose some of their fire and purpose, and mistakes started creeping in. They started to give away a number of penalties, allowing the Aussies back into the game, who eventually capitalised by beating the blitz defence to send Dylan Pietsch over in the corner.

The Boks were back on top as the first half wound down, but a few line-out problems prevented them from making it count and allowed the Aussies to escape to the safety of the dressing room without any further damage done.

The second half got off to a poor start for the Boks, with another lost lineout followed by an offside penalty that put the Wallabies on the attack, where a well-timed pass sent captain Harry Wilson through a gap for a fine try. Danger signs were starting to flash, but the Boks still looked like they had the situation under control.

The South Africans nearly struck back immediately with a surge upfield after a break down the touchline, but a knock-on right on the Wallabies' try-line let the chance slip away. When a scrum penalty put them back on the attack, a superb steal from the Aussies saw them get out of jail again.

The Boks' finishing touch remained elusive, and their scoreboard frustration grew. When Libbok attempted a risky pass to breach the Wallabies' defence, it was picked off by Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, who raced under the posts to leave the Ellis Park crowd stunned. James O'Connor added the extras as the Wallabies suddenly found themselves within three points, having trailed by 22.

The momentum had well and truly swung now, and with the Boks looking shaky, the Wallabies continued to ride their momentum to yet another try, taking full advantage of some space in the midfield to send Wilson over for another score under the posts.

And the Aussies weren't done yet. It was a simple long pass out wide to send Max Jorgensen into a one-on-one situation, with a deadly step sending the winger through for another try. O'Connor nailed the tough conversion to put the Wallabies 11 points clear.

With time running out, it was desperation time for the Boks, but that only created one final opportunity for the Wallabies to score and complete the stunning turnaround, as fullback Tom Wright took full advantage of an error from the hosts to run down the touchline and complete one of the most incredible comebacks of all time.