Teenager Petaia sparkles as Wallabies rout Uruguay
OITA AFP Oct 5, 2019: Teenage wing Jordan Petaia crashed over for a try on his debut as Australia rode out two yellow cards to rout Uruguay 45- 10 and stay on course for the Rugby World Cup quarter- finals on Saturday.
Petaia, Australia's youngest ever World Cup player at 19, scored one try and made another, while Tevita Kuridrani and Dane HaylettPetty bagged two each in the Wallabies' total haul of seven.
The result produced a vital bonus point for the Wallabies to move ahead of Fiji after three games in Pool D, where Six Nations champions Wales remain unbeaten.
But continuing their theme of this World Cup, the Australians again suffered from disciplinary issues surrounding high tackles, and failed to find consistent rhythm in the first half.
Before 34,000 mostly Australian supporters in Oita Stadium, Adam Coleman and Lukhan Salakaia- Loto both spent time in the sin- bin for dangerous tackles in the first period.
French referee Mathieu Raynal also acknowledged high shots by Michael Hooper and Kurtley Beale although they escaped with a penalty only.
It was while Coleman was off the field that Petaia scored his try.
After waiting 23 minutes for his first touch of the ball, he showed his class a minute later when came off his wing to take an inside pass and with a turn and twist he slipped through the defence to touch down.
When Salakaia- Loto was sent to the sin- bin, and the Wallabies were again defending desperately, Petaia combined with Beale to brilliantly set Kuridrani away for their third try.
At half-time, Australia led 19- 3, before producing a more controlled second spell to add 26 more points until they conceded a late try.
After their initial try to Dane Haylett- Petty in the opening few minutes, the Wallabies' next two came from counter- attacks after being pinned inside their own half as Uruguay fought to stay in the tournament.
But the Tier Two side were unable to convert chances into points and despite lighting up the tournament by toppling Fiji in their first game, they now have no chance of making the play-offs.
The inclusion of SalakaiaLoto and Jack Dempsey to give Australia a bruising back- row presence had an immediate impact when they marched Uruguay back several metres in both a rolling maul from the first lineout and in the first scrum.