South Africa have beaten Australia in Australia for the first time since 2013 to blow the Rugby Championship wide open.
The world champions ran in four tries while the hosts could only muster one penalty and a late try in reply as South Africa produced a much-improved performance from last weekend's defeat in Adelaide to run out 24-8 winners.
The bonus-point triumph, coupled with New Zealand's commanding win over Argentina earlier in the day, means that just one point separates all four teams in the Rugby Championship with two rounds left.
The All Blacks lead the way on 10 points and with a superior points difference, while South Africa, Argentina and Australia are all then locked on nine points apiece.
The Springboks went into today's match in Sydney sitting bottom of the pile, but they made a quick start to the contest as Damian de Allende crossed after only nine minutes.
Australia's only points of the first half temporarily reduced the deficit to four, but debutant Canan Moodie then latched on to an inch-perfect box kick to beat Marika Koroibete to the ball and waltz over the line as South Africa took a 12-3 lead into half time.
It took just three minutes of the second half for them to extend that advantage too as Franco Mostert ended a fine team move in the corner, and Makazole Mapimpi made it four tries eight minutes from time.
That score sparked a melee between both sets of players which ultimately saw Mapimpi sin-binned, and Australia scored their only try of the game in his absence as Pete Samu went over in the corner.
The Springboks successfully held on to their bonus point, though, leaving things finely poised heading into the final two rounds of matches.
Barney Corkhill
