Australia's Rugby World Cup campaign is back on track after a sizzling 39-20 win over South Africa in Saturday night's Tri Nations clash in Sydney.

With their big guns back and firing after missing last Sunday's dismal loss to Samoa, the Wallabies atoned in style with six tries to two and a 19-point contribution from impressive winger James O'Connor.

O'Connor crossed for a try and landed five goals from six attempts as the Wallabies put the second-string Springboks to the sword.

At times, Quade Cooper toyed with the defence as he sparked wave after wave of Australian attacks.

But the brilliant five-eighth had no shortage of co-stars.

The Queenslander's Super 15-winning teammates Digby Ioane and Will Genia, along with O'Connor, fullback Kurtley Beale and centres Adam Ashley-Cooper and Pat McCabe also excelled as the Australian backline shifted into top gear.

The Wallabies forwards also dominated the Boks, with skipper Rocky Elsom leading from the front in only his third game of the year and front-rowers Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander celebrating rare five-pointers.

Losing captain John Smit admitted "it could have got even uglier" for the Springboks had the Wallabies ruthlessly executed several other tryscoring opportunities.

"Rugby's never very much a perfect game," Cooper said.

"So, very happy with the efforts of the boys and the way everyone just kept backing up.

"We could have scored a few more tries, but there were also a few ones that we did make.

"That try that James O'Connor did, that could have been a knock-on. But the skill that James showed there to scoop that ball up and score was just great skill."

With Australia in control at 39-13 up after 57 minutes, workaholic flanker David Pocock received a taste of the captaincy when coach Robbie Deans rewarded Elsom with an early shower.

When Beale limped off in the 70th minute with a twisted ankle, Deans had the luxury of throwing reserve back-rower Scott Higginbotham onto the wing so in command were his Wallabies.

"It didn't look too bad, but you never like to presume because it can be a bit tricky," Deans said.

"He wanted to run it out but we've seen that before. We've seen Rocky play a whole game (with an ankle injury) and then was out for two months after.

"Hopefully it won't be too bad."

The torrential rain that lashed Sydney during the week cleared to leave the ANZ playing surface - and a hearty 52,788-strong crowd - pleasantly dry and Australia's fleet-footed stars took full advantage.

The Wallabies never looked back after making a spectacular start with two breathtaking tries in the opening 10 minutes.

Alexander scored the first, completing an 80-metre movement ignited by a dummy and beautiful right-foot step from Cooper.

No sooner had O'Connor converted were the Wallabies away again, with halfback Genia darting down the short side from the base of a ruck and sending Ioane on a 55m sprint down the left wing to the line.

Little wonder Springboks coach Peter De Villiers, who opted to leave 21 of his frontline players back in South Africa for the first two games of the tournament, had his head in his hands with his understrength outfit trailing 12-0.

Five-eighth Morne Steyn cut the Wallabies' lead to nine points with penalty goals either side of O'Connor's in the 37th minute to give South Africa some hope heading to the interval.

But any prospect of a Boks fightback were snuffed out with three quickfire tries to O'Connor, Moore and Ashley-Cooper in the quarter of an hour after halftime.

South Africa added some respectability to the scoreboard with late tries to replacement Chiliboy Ralepelle and skipper Smit, but Australia had already long retained the Mandela Challenge Plate.

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