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Cape Town – Now for some better news after the desperately close shave in Salta, Springbok fans: even Australians seem to believe South Africa will beat the Wallabies in Perth on Saturday, September 6.
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The Sydney Morning Herald website has a poll up asking the simple question of the Castle Rugby Championship clash: “Who will win between the Wallabies and Springboks in Perth?”
No doubt influenced by the Aussies’ unexpectedly heavy, 51-20 defeat to rampant defending champions the All Blacks on Saturday – suggesting the prior 12-12 outcome between the two was a bit of a false dawn for the Wallabies – respondents back the Boks by a fairly clear-cut margin.
At the time of writing, 11 346 votes had been registered, with 64% favouring a visiting win and only 34% leaning toward the Australians (2% envisage a draw).
So if public sentiment toward the Boks in South Africa has dipped pretty significantly following their near-miraculous 33-31 escape in Argentina at the weekend, it is some consolation that a fresh wave of depression has engulfed Wallabies enthusiasts.
That said, the same newspaper finds room for a miserly one player, between the Boks and Wallabies, in its Rugby Championship team of the week after round two - that “honour” going to SA’s Cornal Hendricks who sneaks in at right wing.
It lists as many as 11 All Blacks, while finding room for three players from the plucky Pumas ... unsurprisingly including both props in Marcos Ayerza and Ramiro Herrera after the home team’s butchery of the Boks at scrum-time.
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
