Scott Fardy conforts Michael Hooper following the loss

Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver recently called for a rotation of Rugby Championship games because he believed playing the All Blacks twice at the start of the tournament had killed off local interest.

After the Wallabies deflated in the final ten minutes in Cape Town, Pulver’s latest brainwave could be pleading to SANZAR that Australia does not play any important Rugby Championship matches away from home, and that the Springboks are barred from using their reserves bench.

These are kooky times, and as the frazzled ARU brain’s trust has made it quite clear, the Wallabies need every bit of help they can get.

Still it is all too late to stop the Mandela Plate, like the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship silverware from remaining for another year thousands of kilometres away from the ARU’s bare trophy cabinet.

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At least one consolation is that the Wallabies at Newlands showed far more spirit than in Auckland, defending with greater tenacity which saw them repeatedly hold the Springboks at bay when on numerous occasions their phase play went well into double figures.

But in the end, lack of thought, lack of finishing capabilities and lack of anything from their reserves contingent saw them shoved aside in the final eight minutes when the Springboks scored three tries to enjoy a substantial victory.

Never has the advantage of having experience and muscle on the bench been so evident than when Bismarck du Plessis, Schalk Burger, JP Pietersen and Bakkies Botha were brought on in the second half, and took over proceedings in the final quarter. They effectively provided a second Springbok surge, and the Wallabies had nothing to counter them with.

As Wallabies captain Michael Hooper so rightly put it: “Their bench was quality, it got a lot of carries, got over the advantage line, and got round the corner of us. We couldn’t keep up with them.”

Instead the Wallabies on the bench had Kurtley Beale, who played as if he was wearing a pair of old thongs, slipping this way, falling that way, floundering most of the time.

One could only imagine what would have happened if Beale was forced to take a match-winning kick at goal in the final minutes. Yes the slippery memories of the 2013 British & Irish Lions series remain.

As numerous other Wallabies stumbled during the game, it makes you wonder if anyone in the Australian team management actually checks pre-game whether the players are running onto the ground with the required footwear and long enough studs.

But that was not the Wallabies only problem.

Again their basic skills let them down at important moments, while an obsession for short chip kicks, which were usually ill-directed, did nothing for the Australian cause.

Their defence for 70 minutes at least was imposing. The Springboks enjoyed lengthy periods of ball-in-hand play, and until their reserves bench provided the spark, the Wallabies were able to keep their opponents at a respectable distance away from their tryline. Scott Fardy and Michael Hooper were especially effective sheepdogs.

Still the most impressive Wallaby was outside centre Tevita Kuridrani, who made several seemingly effortless attacking breaks, and now appears comfortable in his Test role. It has taken awhile, but the Brumbies midfielder is showing he is of Test quality.

The Wallabies are understandably furious about wasting such a promising opportunity to end the 22-year Newlands drought. Their exasperation showed at the end of the game.

But for those supporters who hadn’t turned off the television in disgust, there was one encouraging moment shortly after full-time Will Genia was sighted on the field, congratulating the Springboks.

Genia wasn’t part of the Wallabies 23-man squad, but hopefully he is now ready to return to the Test arena.

If he is, Genia must be returned immediately to the lineup to play Argentina in Mendoza next Saturday, because the Wallabies desperately need his poise and direction. It is so obvious that the Wallabies have a dearth of leaders.

And there’s also no doubt after another reasonable but hardly revelatory performance from Bernard Foley that when Quade Cooper is available, coach Ewen McKenzie who is looking for solutions, will immediately hand him back his Test No 10 jersey.