Springboks count cost as injury puts Skinstad's World Cup in doubt

Australia 25 - 17 South Africa

South Africa's stand-in captain, Bob Skinstad, is in danger of missing the World Cup after breaking a rib in Saturday's Tri-Nations defeat and has been sent home for treatment. He faces a race against a time getting ready for France in September.

The Springboks coach, Jake White, said Skinstad's injury vindicated his decision to leave most of his best players at home. "It could be a lot worse. I could be sitting here with my frontline players out for six months," he said. "It just reaffirms that the decisions we've made in the last four years have been the right decisions."

White had been heavily criticised by the Australian Rugby Union for bringing a second-string squad after fielding his strongest line-up for the home matches, but he dismissed suggestions he had undermined the credibility of the Tri-Nations. "We're not happy with losing, we really came here to win," he said.

It looked like they would for a period, but for the second time in less than two months Australia came back from a 17-0 deficit to win a home Test, the Springboks going the same way of Wales in Australia's long goodbye to their half-backs, George Gregan and Stephen Larkham.

Australia showed typical composure to score 25 unanswered points but weighing in the balance against that was the fact that they conceded those 17. "We fell into the trap of trying to get the ball into the space a little bit too quick," said Larkham, who was playing in his 100th Test.

Two converted tries - one an interception on halfway by Breyton Paulse - and a penalty from the third-choice Springboks fly-half Derick Hougaard woke the Wallabies from their slumber, who also struck a post and was wide with another attempt.

Three tries in the second and third quarters spared the ARU's blushes as the Wallabies raised their game to a tempo with which the Springboks could not live.

There will be a final farewell for Larkham and Gregan against the All Blacks in a fortnight in what will be the decider in Auckland. In the meantime the Springboks limped into Christchurch without Johan Ackermann, who joined Skinstad on the flight home suffering from concussion.

Australia Huxley; Gerrard, Mortlock (capt), Giteau (Staniforth, 78), Ashley-Cooper (Mitchell, 78); Larkham, Gregan; Dunning (Shepherdson, 74) Freier (Hardman, 65), Shepherdson (Baxter, 60), Sharpe, Vickerman, Elsom (McMeniman, 61), Smith (Waugh, 72), Hoiles (Lyons, 65). Tries Gerrard, Hoiles, Giteau. Cons Mortlock 2. Pens Mortlock 2.

South Africa Fortuin (Claasens, 74); Paulse, Murray, Olivier, Pietersen; Hougaard (Grant, 74), Pienaar; Van der Linde, Botha, J du Plessis, (Andrews, 74), Ackermann (Van den Berg, 30), Muller, Van Heerden, Wannenburg (Cronje, 50), B Skinstad (capt, B du Plessis, 64).

Tries Van Heerden, Paulse. Cons Hougaard 2. Pen Hougaard. Sin-bin Botha 54, Muller 74.

Referee P Honiss (New Zealand). Attendance 51,174.