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Cape Town - Wallabies captain Michael Hooper rued missed opportunities after his side's 23-23 draw with the Springboks at nib Stadium in Perth on Saturday.
READ: Boks, Wallabies draw in Perth
Australia led 13-10 at half-time but Tatafu Polota-Nau's 47th minute converted try meant they held a 10-point lead early in the second half.
South Africa struck back thanks to a Malcolm Marx try, which Elton Jantjies converted, before the Bok pivot and Bernard Foley traded late penalties.
The Wallabies dominated the territorial stakes and had a bulk of the possession but the Boks outplayed them at the breakdown and in set-piece play.
And Hooper feels his side wasted the chance to secure their first Rugby Championship win of 2017.
“Missed opportunity there,” he said after the match.
“For the fans it was a really good game.
“Set-piece didn’t allow us to get momentum in the second half.
“Restarts weren’t up to scratch, but a lot to like there.
“Credit to the South Africans, they managed to grind and put the pressure on us.”
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika lamented his side's set-piece problems and feels they must become more clinical.
“We wanted to have a win tonight no doubt, but it’s a young team learning about how to deal with those situations and we need to get better because with 10 points up we should have gone on with it,” he said.
