Marika Koroibete has drawn high praise from Wallabies coach Dave Rennie after a stellar try-saving tackle in their win over the Springboks.
Australia walked away from Adelaide Oval with a 25-17 win over South Africa in what was an affair largely dominated by the home side.
A moment of magic while down to 14 men saw Koroibete sprint across to field to stop opposite Makazole Mapimpi from scoring in the corner.
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After his try-saver, Koroibete crossed the line to claim his own and cap off a sensational showing.
Hailed the “Flying Fijian Bullet” by Sonny Bill Williams post-match, Rennie said he wasn’t surprised by Koroibete’s effort.
“He’s incredible,” Rennie said.
“What you see on Saturdays is what you see every day on training – he is just full-on. If we kick a ball, he is just full-pace chasing everything.
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“He’s concrete when he hits, so his work ethic is phenomenal. I haven’t seen another winger like it. He’s not a big man, but powerful and he’s all over the park. You look at his numbers, they’re outrageous.
“He’s a bit of a fan of the old pick and go on the other side of the field at times. Every now and then it puts us under a bit of heat but he’s everywhere. That tackle he made was at a time when we were missing a winger and he’s come from the other side of the field.”
The Wallabies sit second on The Rugby Championship table behind the Pumas, who have been the surprise packet of this year’s competition.
The fourth round of the competition will see Australia go head-to-head with South Africa again, this time at a revamped Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
Historically, Sydney venues haven’t been kind to the Wallabies. Since 2010, Australia has lost more games than it has won. However, South Africa has not won Down Under since 2013.
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For Rennie, the record books mean little to him.
“I don’t care about history and whether we’ve won lots of games in Brisbane and haven’t won in Sydney,” he said.
“We had a great record in Brisbane and we lost this year. I just think it’s irrelevant where we play, it’s our mindset and our ability to put on the park what we need to to win tough Test matches. Next week will be no different.”
The Wallabies will face the Springboks at Allianz Stadium on September 3.
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