South Africa has posted its first win over the Wallabies in Australia since 2013 with a 24-8 victory in their Rugby Championship Test at the redeveloped Sydney Football Stadium.

In a physical, gruelling contest, the Springboks put the disappointment of last week's loss in Adelaide behind them to dominate almost every facet of the contest.

Damian de Allende crashed over early on as the Springboks set out their intent, before debutant winger Canan Moodie out-leaped Marika Koroibete just before the break to streak away and score unopposed in the corner.

Franco Mostert extended the Springboks lead just after half-time before Makazole Mapimpi finished in the corner, sparking a wild brawl as the simmering tensions of the last fortnight spilled over.

Not even a late try to Pete Samu, who crossed in the corner with the Springboks down to 14, could soften what was a total thrashing in Sydney. 

"It felt like we didn't fire a shot," Wallabies skipper James Slipper told Stan Sport after the game.

"We knew what sort of game it would be in those conditions — big set piece and kicking game and it got stuck down our end."

The Wallabies only had one entry into the Springboks' 22 in the first half as the visitors controlled a scrappy game with multiple penalties.

The Springboks had been stung by the nature of the defeat in Adelaide and were intent on restoring the form that saw them power past the All Blacks in round one. 

"We just took the opportunities this week," Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi told Stan Sport after the match.

"Last week we created so many opportunities in the first half and we didn't take any of them. Today we took most of the opportunities that we got."

The Springboks made eight changes to their starting XV, most as a result of injury, but the inclusion of Malcolm Marx at hooker was vital, with the giant front rower busy in the loose and a menace at the breakdown alongside Kolisi.

The Springboks tackled hard and forced the Wallabies back, with Hunter Paisami an early casualty of the visitors' aggression in contact.

Noah Lolesio was also taken off with a head knock, and Reds prop Taniela Tupou was injured in the warm-up, leaving the Wallabies short in a brutally physical match.

That physicality spilled over on the field on more than one occasion, no more so than when Mapimpi bulldozed Koroibete in the corner and rubbed the Wallabies winger in the face after scoring.

A hangover from the Adelaide contest — when Koroibete smashed into Mapimpi to deny him a score — the exchange lead to a huge all-in brawl, with Eben Etzebeth and Allan Alaalatoa in particular getting stuck in to each other, although both escaped further punishment.

Antagonist-in-chief Nic White was roundly booed by the Springboks supporters every time he got the ball for his part in last week's match, and he was in the thick of every scuffle, despite being several weight divisions out of his depth.

For all the battling though, the Wallabies were unable to match the physicality of the Springboks where it counted on the pitch.

"I am so proud of the way that we stood up as a group," Kolisi said.