Rugby Union · Wallabies · Mandela Plate
Australia 42–38. Lonergan’s boot for 17. Finished with 11 men. Hung on.
One-off International Test at Perth Stadium / Optus Stadium, Sunday 27 September 2026. Ryan Lonergan’s kicking haul — 4 conversions and 3 penalties for 17 points — carried the Wallabies board. Half-time 24–17 Australia. Led 42–17 with about 16 minutes left, then four yellows emptied the home side to 11. Final: Australia 42, South Africa 38. Mandela Plate framing as on the earlier Perth calendar item.
Australia 42, South Africa 38 — Perth Stadium / Optus Stadium, Sunday 27 September 2026. Half-time: Australia 24–17. The Wallabies led 42–17 with roughly 16 minutes remaining, then Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i and Hunter Paisami all saw yellow. Australia finished with 11 men and still closed the Test. Sources: BBC; Sky Sports; Rugby Australia / rugby.com.au.
Desk colour, labelled: what an upset. Beating the Springboks — back-to-back Rugby World Cup winners — in an extraordinary Perth Test is a famous win on this desk’s free rugby board. That line is analysis and house energy. The scoreline, the cards, and the sources below are the confirmed facts.
Lonergan’s boot — the 17-point haul
Ryan Lonergan was the Wallabies’ points engine: 4 conversions and 3 penalties for 17 points — the triple of penalties plus the conversion haul that kept Australia’s scoreboard moving while the Springboks chased. Australia tries around that boot: Len Ikitau (2), Ben Donaldson, Harry Wilson, Max Jorgensen. South Africa tries: Johan Grobbelaar, Edwill van der Merwe, a penalty try, Morne van den Berg, Ox Nche. Handre Pollard 2 conversions and 1 penalty; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2 conversions. Sources: BBC; Sky Sports.
Yellow cards — and Lonergan in the four
The four late yellows were Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i and Hunter Paisami. Lonergan’s boot had already banked the 17; he was then among the four who left Australia finishing with 11 men. The hang-on to 42–38 is the rest of the story. Sources: BBC; Rugby Australia.
Springboks depth, still a strong XV
South Africa made 13 changes after beating New Zealand in Baltimore and still fielded a strong XV. Referee was Andrea Piardi (Italy). TMO / communications failure meant decisions were relayed via mobile phone — reported by Rugby Australia and Sky. Sources: BBC; Rugby Australia; Sky Sports.
What 42 points means — and Kiss’s ledger
Forty-two points is the most the Springboks have conceded since becoming back-to-back world champions — rugby.com.au’s framing. Les Kiss remains unbeaten as Wallabies head coach; Sky puts that ledger at five Tests. On rugby.com.au, Kiss spoke to calmness prevailing as the Wallabies weathered the late storm — short pull only, not a rewrite of the result. Sources: rugby.com.au; Sky Sports.
What this item is not
No invented drought stats, ranking swings, or “first win since X” beyond what BBC, Sky and rugby.com.au confirm above. No claim the Baltimore changes made this a second XV result — BBC says strong XV still. No scoreline predictions for Eden Park or Sydney. Analysis (“famous / extraordinary win over the world champions”) is labelled separately from the confirmed board.
Sources: BBC Sport (Australia 42–38 South Africa; HT 24–17; led 42–17 with ~16 minutes left; four yellows — Wilson, Lonergan, Sua'ali'i, Paisami — finished with 11; try and kicking lists; 13 changes after Baltimore / strong XV; Piardi); Sky Sports (extraordinary Perth Test; 11 men hang-on; TMO/comms via mobile phone; Kiss unbeaten in five Tests); rugby.com.au / Rugby Australia (calmness / Kiss; 42 points most conceded by Springboks since back-to-back world champions; RA on phone decisions). Mandela Plate / Optus Stadium one-off Test framing as on the desk’s earlier rugby calendar item. If it is not confirmed, it is not on this page.