World champion team's stunning fall from grace

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Springboks manager Jacques Nienaber apologised to South African fans aft the satellite champions were humbled by the resurgent Wallabies for the 2nd clip successful six days.

Make what you volition of the satellite rankings but they person to number for thing and the Rugby Championship triggered immoderate seismic shifts this weekend.

Australia, ranked seventh not truthful agelong ago, jumped from 5th to 3rd connected the backmost of tonight's stirring 30-17 triumph astatine Suncorp Stadium that has restored religion successful the team's absorption nether Kiwi manager Dave Rennie.

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And the All Blacks supplanted South Africa arsenic the world's No.1 ranked side, flexing their musculus arsenic a largely 2nd drawstring broadside cruised past a disappointing Argentina 36-13.

The backlash volition beryllium fierce successful South Africa and it is simply a stunning autumn from grace for the 2019 Rugby World Cup winners who past tamed the British and Irish Lions this year.

The duplicate losses to the Wallabies ratchet up the unit connected Nienaber who works nether the immense shadiness formed by South Africa's manager of rugby Rassie Erasmus.

Erasmus, who coached the Springboks to World Cup glory, was the world's astir qualified h2o lad during the Lions bid triumph but did not question to Australia for the Rugby Championship.

"This is not a show that I would accidental was worthy capable for a Springboks jersey," Nienaber said aft a strangely level display.

"We sincerely apologise. This was a precise mediocre performance. This is not thing we're usually utilized to. I thought our one-on-one defence was poor."

New Wallabies prima strikes again

Defence guru Nienaber did doff his headdress to the "brilliant" Wallabies portion describing it arsenic South Africa's worst show since a 32-19 nonaccomplishment to Argentina successful 2018.

"We were genuinely beaten successful each department, and beaten hands down," Nienaber said.

"We conscionable made excessively galore errors successful each facet of our crippled and we request to fig retired rapidly what went wrong, arsenic things don't get immoderate easier successful the adjacent 2 weeks (against the All Blacks)... this was an unheard of show today, to beryllium honest."

Brain detonation from Springboks prima

With 2 games to go, unbeaten New Zealand clasp a commanding 10 constituent pb astatine the apical of the tourney standings with South Africa the lone squad that tin leapfrog them.

Next Saturday volition beryllium a monolithic juncture successful Townsville arsenic the 2 large rivals play retired their 100th Test.

Meanwhile, Wallabies manager Dave Rennie lauded a terrific each astir show that has to fertile arsenic the astir implicit of his 2 twelvemonth tenure.

The Wallabies secured the Mandela Plate and present oculus backmost to backmost Tests against struggling Argentina.

"We privation to get the state down america and you've got to springiness them performances to marque them arrogant of," Rennie said.

"Hopefully, we've made a commencement connected that. It surely gives america belief. We've ever felt the crippled we're trying to play is the close benignant of crippled for our group. Great to get a mates of results."

Koroibete delivers crucial blow

Five-eighth Quade Cooper didn't drawback the headlines this clip but Rennie was contented with the 33-year-old's publication connected his aged stomping ground.

"He's surely getting america astir the parkland and I was truly blessed with the mode helium defended successful the 2nd half," Rennie said.

"We're precise blessed with him."

The lone existent antagonistic of the nighttime was fullback Tom Banks' breached limb which rules him retired of the remainder of the Rugby Championship astatine the precise least.

Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia, James O'Connor and Andrew Kellaway are the contenders to regenerate Banks against the Pumas.

"We person a fig of considerations," Rennie said.

"It's large to person 'Rabs' (O'Connor) backmost successful the mix. He's acceptable to go. He's travel backmost successful fantastic nick. Again, he's different precise experienced player.

"We'll marque a telephone astir that successful the adjacent fewer days."

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