Australia rallied from 22-0 down as Harry Wilson, their captain, scored two tries in a stunning 38-22 bonus-point victory over South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, the Wallabies’ first victory at Ellis Park in Johannesburg since 1963.

South Africa raced into a seemingly commanding lead through tries by the wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, the centre André Esterhuizen and the No 8 Siya Kolisi, but their achilles heel has been the breakdown and it was there that Australia began to take control. The Springboks led 22-5 at half-time but Australia came alive in the second period and were excellent in soaking up pressure and hitting the world champions with fast breaks as they won on South African soil for the first time in 14 years.

The wings Dylan Pietsch and Max Jorgensen, the centre Joseph Suaalii and the full-back Tom Wright also crossed for the visitors in one of Australia’s greatest Test wins.

“This is right up there, it has been 60-odd years since the Wallabies have had success in Joburg. We worked hard and had confidence in ourselves,” the Australia prop James Slipper said. “We had a slow start, but credit to the boys, they stuck in there. It was a good squad effort tonight and one we can be proud of. It is a special moment for the group.”

South Africa did not score a point after the 18th minute in a performance that will provide much soul-searching as they could not handle Australia’s accuracy in the tight and broken play. Kolisi, the Springboks captain, said: “We let ourselves down. Things we worked on, discipline, the breakdown … they won the breakdown battle. We have to take it on the chin, but it is unacceptable the way we performed.

“We would get into their 22 and they would steal the ball [at the breakdown]. Credit to Australia, they kept fighting and never gave up. They deserved it.”

Australia looked all at sea at the start, but thanks to several outstanding individual displays they clawed back to secure a comprehensive victory. When Arendse, Esterhuizen with his first Springbok try, and Kolisi crossed, it was early one-way traffic but by the half-hour mark the momentum had swung Australia’s way.

They scored early in the second half to close the gap to 10 points when Wilson burst into a gap in the Springbok defence and the fly-half James O’Connor added the conversion on his return to Test rugby after three years. Australia then took control against the rattled home side, whose increasingly desperate attacks were countered with further tries by the visitors.