Greg Growden | August 25, 2008

AUGUST 23, 2008, could easily go down as a defining date in the revival of Australian rugby.

The importance of the Wallabies' first triumph on South African soil in eight exasperating seasons cannot be overstated.

So many Australian teams have come to this part of the world and been humiliated by good, bad and indifferent Springboks teams, while a steady line of Wallabies Tri Nations coaches, from Greg Smith to Eddie Jones to John Connolly, have disconsolately headed back to Sydney with nothing to show from their African adventures.

It had turned into a horrible hoodoo, and was starting to get the Wallabies down. But the combination of an understated coach who knows all about winning, a line-up that included eight players who had not experienced a Test in South Africa before and a squad that is starting to honestly believe it can leap mountains enabled the Wallabies to withstand a desperate South African outfit.

And this country is certainly desperate. The agony of one day being World Cup winners and the next being on the bottom rung of the Tri Nations is hurting South Africa to its core. It all came to the surface shortly after the final bell when the South African television crew interviewed Springboks captain Victor Matfield and coach Peter de Villiers on the ground.

Their comments were virtually drowned out by the loud booing from the crowd. The Springboks audience has clearly turned on their team - they applauded the Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock as he headed to the interview area.

Then after witnessing another action-packed news conference involving de Villiers, where he made strange statements about sticking to the same style even if it does lead to continual defeat, one can only come to the conclusion that if he's still in this job this time next season, he must be the world's best rugby politician.

De Villiers has turned the Springboks into the jigsaw puzzle of world rugby - there are clearly a few pieces missing. There don't seem to be too many in the Springboks party who know what's going on and why the missing pieces have fallen under the cushions.

In contrast, the Wallabies are starting to gain that level of composure and patience that marks a great team. That was all on show in Durban. They soaked up everything the Springboks could offer, in particular in the opening 20 minutes and the final 10. They were watchful and careful in what they did. Their errors were minimal. As in Perth, they forced the Springboks to play an unusually fractured one-out, kick-away possession game, which went nowhere.

For the Wallabies, there was also enormous intensity and a willingness to ignore personal wellbeing for the good of all by taking the big hit, the big run or effecting the big tackle.

Admittedly, the Auckland Test loss was a serious blow to the Wallabies but what was so rousing on Saturday was that they made dramatic improvements in all of the areas that let them down against the All Blacks.

The lineout did not function in Auckland. In Durban, it was a vital attacking tool, with the Wallabies winning five opposition lineout throws - a fair effort against the best in the business. Australia's midfield kicking game against the All Blacks was poor. Against the Springboks, it was outstanding, with Matt Giteau's choice of kicks a crucial factor in the South African bogyman being thrown off their back.

As crucially, the Wallabies are starting to develop a reserves bench that can win games. Injuries put them under stress, especially when Berrick Barnes and Dan Vickerman were early casualties. But Ryan Cross and Dean Mumm immediately stepped up. And later, when another back-line reshuffle was required, Timana Tahu showed he has a healthy future as a Test No.12.

Yes, jot that date down. It does mean something.