South Africa kept their Rugby Championship hopes alive with a
in Cape Town.
First-half tries from Adriaan Strauss and Zane Kirchner helped open up a commanding lead, before Willie Le Roux went over late on.
Fly-half Morne Steyn added three penalties and two conversions on his 50th appearance for the Springboks.
They host tournament leaders New Zealand, who play Argentina later on Saturday, in Johannesburg next week.
The Springboks looked set to take the extra bonus point with Strauss and Kirchner going over the line in the opening 15 minutes, but they struggled to build on a 23-3 lead at the break.
The home side added just five more points in the second period with Le Roux’s late try, after indiscipline lead to two yellow cards for Flip van der Merwe and Duane Vermuelen.
Australia have now lost four of their five matches in the competition and were always second best.
Christian Lealiifano had given the Wallabies short-lived hope by opening the scoring with a penalty. But they were unable to add to that until Chris Feauai-Sautia grabbed a consolation try with three minutes to go.
New Zealand take on Argentina in La Plata at 2330 BST on Saturday knowing a win with a bonus point will require South Africa to take five points off them next week to have any chance of stopping the Kiwis from retaining their Rugby Championship title.
South Africa:
Kirchner, Le Roux, Engelbrecht, de Villiers, Habana, Steyn, du Preez, Vermeulen, Alberts, Louw, van der Merwe, Etzebeth, J du Plessis, Strauss, Mtawarira.
Replacements: B du Plessis, Steenkamp, Oosthuizen, Kruger, Kolisi, Pienaar, Lambie, Serfontein.
Australia:
Folau, Ashley-Cooper, Kuridrani, Lealiifano, Tomane, Cooper, White, Mowen, Hooper, Fardy, Horwill, Simmons, Alexander, Moore, Slipper.
Replacements: Fainga’a, Robinson, Kepu, Timani, McCalman, Genia, Toomua, Feauai-Sautia.
Referee:
Jerome Garces (France)
Article source: http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/10634796.RUGBY_UNION__We_must_be_more_clinical__says_Burnell/?ref=nt
Rugby Championship: South Africa win keeps title hopes alive
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