Wallabies Flanker Tom Hooper Reveals What Australia Must Do to Stop Springboks Momentum
- Tom Hooper has warned the Wallabies about the challenge awaiting them when they face the Springboks in a crucial Perth Test
- The Australian loose forward has identified one area where the Wallabies cannot afford to let the Springboks gain control of the contest
- With the Springboks bringing a powerful squad to Perth, Hooper has explained what Australia needs to do when the pressure starts building
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Australia loose forward Tom Hooper has warned his Wallabies teammates to expect the Springboks to arrive in Perth like a series of relentless waves when the teams meet on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
South Africa head into the Test after winning the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against New Zealand 3-1. The Springboks have also won four of their last five meetings with Australia.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Hooper described the physical challenge awaiting Australia.
“It really is like waves crashing down on top of you. You’ve kind of got to make sure you’re going back towards them,” Hooper said, as quoted by SARugbyMag.
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He added that allowing South Africa to build momentum could make the contest increasingly difficult.
“They’ll get some really good collisions, and winning one collision turns into two, then three,” Hooper said.
Tom Hooper highlights momentum battle
Hooper believes Australia must respond immediately when the Springboks begin gaining ground.
“You saw it in the All Blacks Tests – when they wrestled back momentum and shifted it, it was because they got back onside and started taking it back at the Boks,” he said.
The Wallabies forward added:
“We’re just going to make sure we’re winning that battle up front and go from there.”
Australia have also named Hooper among their replacements, with coach Les Kiss selecting a six-two split on the bench.
The Wallabies will face a strong Springbok bench of their own, with Malcolm Marx and Jasper Wiese among the replacements.
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Max Jorgensen expects aerial battle
For winger Max Jorgensen, another major contest could come in the air. Jorgensen will start alongside Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Tom Wright in Australia's back three, with Suaalii making his first Test start on the wing.
“Obviously, the aerial battle is going to be a huge one,” Jorgensen said.
“Everyone knows how good he [Suaalii] is in the air, and it’s going to be a good change-up for him. It’s definitely exciting.”
The Wallabies host the Springboks at Optus Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm AWST (11:30am South African time). AWST, or Australian Western Standard Time, is six hours ahead of South Africa.
The match gives Australia another opportunity to test itself against the reigning world champions ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
Jean de Villiers questions Springboks selection
Briefly News previously reported that Springbok legend Jean de Villiers was surprised by one of Rassie Erasmus’ selection calls ahead of the Wallabies Test in Perth.
The former Springbok captain explained why the omission caught his attention, while Schalk Burger also highlighted another potential factor that could come into play as the match enters its later stages.
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Source: Briefly News
