Les Kiss praises Wallabies' composure after dramatic Springbok finish

The Wallabies looked to be heading for a comfortable victory when they established a 42-17 advantage midway through the second half. Instead, the match turned into a frantic battle for survival as Australia was reduced to just 11 players during the closing stages.

A series of yellow cards to captain Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Hunter Paisami gave the Springboks a remarkable opportunity to complete an unlikely comeback. South Africa responded by scoring three late tries, with Ox Nche crossing inside the final minute to reduce the deficit to four points.

Australia nevertheless held firm after the restart to secure the victory and extend Kiss' unbeaten start as Wallabies coach to five Tests.

Kiss admitted the final stages were unlike anything he had previously experienced.

"It was bizarre for sure," he said, reflecting on the extraordinary sequence of yellow cards.

Despite the mounting pressure and numerical disadvantage, the Wallabies refused to panic.

"The boys found a way," Kiss said. "The pleasing thing for me was that there was a nice calmness, a bit of clarity and focus about what they had to do next."

The coach also highlighted the players' response to the situation rather than allowing the dramatic finish to overshadow their performance during the opening hour.

Kiss felt Australia had produced an outstanding display for much of the contest, particularly before the Springboks began their late surge.

"There's a lot to talk about in that first 60 as well that we will continue to look at and grow from," he said. "I thought the boys did fantastically well for 60.

"I think tonight he found some good space," Kiss said. "We're trying to work on adapting our positions and get a bit of depth in our combinations."

Captain Ryan Wilson said the Wallabies had learned from previous matches in which strong first halves were followed by difficult second periods.

"We knew we had to step up," he said. "To beat the Springboks, we had to play well for 80 minutes."

On this occasion, Australia ultimately managed to do enough when it mattered most.

The Wallabies' unbeaten run under Kiss now stands at five matches, and their dramatic victory over the Springboks provided another indication of the resilience developing within the squad.

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