The Wallabies sent Stephen Larkham and George Gregan out in triumphant fashion with a hard-earned Tri Nations victory over the Springboks at Telstra Stadium.

Playing their final Tests on Australian soil, Larkham and Gregan provided the inspiration for the Wallabies' vital 25-17 win after the South African second-stringer side threatened to spring a huge boilover.

Just like against Wales at the same venue seven weeks ago, the Wallabies fell behind 17-0 early with some sloppy and arrogant play before Larkham - celebrating his 100th Test match - rose to the occasion to kick-start Australia's revival midway through the first half.

The champion five-eighth threw lovely short balls to winger Mark Gerrard and No.8 Stephen Hoiles for Australia's first two tries either side of halftime to help lock the game up at 17-17.

A penalty goal to skipper Stirling Mortlock and a five-pointer to Matt Giteau - who did brilliantly to scoop up Gerrard's infield kick on the half-volley - sealed victory for Australia.

The win propelled the Wallabies to the top of the Tri Nations table.

They will next head to New Zealand for their final match of the tournament at Auckland's Eden Park on July 21 with a shot at completing the Tri Nations-Bledisloe Cup double for the first time since 2001.

While only Australia's most ardent fan would have tipped such a scenario before the series kicked off last month, Wallabies coach John Connolly said he always believed.

"As I've said a number of times, once we got our best team back, we'd always give it a shake," Connolly said.

The Wallabies copped a hammering after losing to Ireland and drawing with Wales on last year's European tour, but Connolly has always maintained they were building nicely for this year's World Cup in France.

"Of our last 10 games, we've lost a couple. The All Blacks over the last 10 have lost one," he said.

"That aim of that tour last year, as I said at the time, was to run 28 players or 30 players in that group, which we did. The Adam Ashley-Coopers and these players needed the exposure."

Condemned as a B-Grade outfit after coach Jake White left 20 frontline players back in South Africa, the smarting Springboks threatened to leave the Wallabies red-faced after racing to a big lead inside the opening quarter of an hour.

Showing little respect for the opposition, the Wallabies were intent on spreading the ball wide without laying any sort of forward platform and were made to pay when Giteau was pinged for a forward pass inside his own quarter.

Gifted the opportunity to mount an attack, the Springboks capitalised when flanker Wikus Van Heerdem crashed over and five-eighth Derick Hougaard converted for a 7-0 lead after six minutes.

It was 14-0 three minutes later when South African winger Breyton Paulse intercepted a careless pass from Nathan Sharpe and raced 55 metres to score the Springboks' second try.

A Hougaard penalty goal in the 15th minute had the Springboks in total command before Gregan and Larkham livened up their party when they combined to put Gerrard over in the 22nd minute.

Mortlock's conversion and a penalty goal then had the Wallabies trailing 17-10 at the break.

Australia needed only three minutes of the second half to tie the game up, with man-of-the-match Hoiles - making his starting debut for the Wallabies after eight Tests coming off the bench - capitalising on Larkham's skill to score in a handy position.

Mortlock's conversion and second penalty goal nudged Australia ahead for the first time after 47 minutes before Giteau finished the Springboks off.

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