First win over All Blacks in 111 years, while Australia put Wales to the sword
It was not quite the humiliation it could have been, but nonetheless this was an embarrassing and depressing afternoon for Wales, and there was a disappointing crowd of just 55,776 too.
They did rally a little in the second half but the game was long gone and it has to be set against the chances Australia butchered in the first half.
We have known for a long time that Wales cannot cope without their very best players, so the absence of Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones, Taulupe Faletau, Liam Williams and late withdrawal Jonathan Davies hurt them, but we have also known that they struggle to start campaigns with the requisite intensity. Surely that can be fixed. But not here it was not, because Wales were so off the pace in the opening exchanges that it was quite shocking.
Yes, Australia have been together for some time and could be expected to be a little more cohesive, but this was thoroughly unacceptable from Wales.
They were smashed at the contact areas, with only Ross Moriarty really challenging, and Australia’s forwards produced a stream of quick ball that allowed their back line to run riot with their dazzling array of dummy runners creating holes everywhere. This was Australia at their most clever and skilful. They are a joy to watch at such times.
Bernard Foley, at fly-half, had a magnificent match, with ball in hand at least, producing the sort of form that befuddled England in last year’s Rugby World Cup, and alongside him centres Reece Hodge and a rejuvenated Tevita Kuridrani prospered. Israel Folau was majestic at full-back and up front both locks Adam Coleman and Rory Arnold showed up frequently and well.
So dominant were Australia that when they led 20-3 at half time the advantage could easily have been twice that. They had scored three tries but somehow did not score a point while Dan Biggar was in the sin-bin for an early tackle on Dane Haylett-Petty. It was a cynical foul but it had been made because Australia would probably have scored. That a penalty try was not awarded was only because George North was covering across.
As it was, as soon as Biggar returned Australia scored immediately through Hodge. Foley gave the centre an inside pass that sliced open the defence again and Hodge fed Folau and then supported on the inside, where he was given the try-scoring pass.
Australia’s first try had come after just 12 minutes from a driving line-out. At that stage Australia had 91 per cent of the possession and in truth it was hard to remember when Wales had had nine per cent, such was the Australian superiority. Rarely is Test rugby like this. But Wales’s defence at that lineout was just too soft. They did not stop the drive at source, and thereafter a try was a formality as captain Stephen Moore crashed over.
The third try was the best of the half. From a line-out Australia drove hard infield, notably from Scott Sio and Lopeti Timani, but then they suddenly switched the flow of play back to the touchline with Foley hitting the ball at such pace that he could put Kuridrani through. Foley converted that to add to an earlier penalty, but it could have been so much more if he had been in better kicking form.
For Wales, Leigh Halfpenny kicked one penalty but missed another that he would normally slot in his sleep. It was that kind of day.
The second half began with Wales
enjoying much more possession, but they were playing a lot of rugby around the halfway line and indeed inside their own half. It is always a dangerous place to turn the ball over. So guess what happened? Yes, Wales turned the ball over. Moore dived on it and Australia were away. The Welsh defence was all at sea. Lock Coleman fed Foley in midfield and the fly-half was through after a show-and-go. It was a marvellous try, even if Foley could not convert from the touchline.
Wales responded at last. Justin Tipuric, now happier as the game loosened up after being anonymous in the first half, picked up a loose ball on halfway and fed replacement wing Hallam Amos, who did well stepping inside. Rhys Webb did superbly well to collect the pass from Amos and was involved again before the ball was sent left and centre Scott Williams spotted the wide spaces beyond and kicked ahead. The ball bounced up kindly and Williams was over. Halfpenny’s conversion attempt was awful, and Wales soon received further bad news with a nasty-looking ankle injury for scrum-half Webb. “We don’t think there is a break,” said head coach Rob Howley afterwards.
Sam Davies had arrived as a replacement fly-half on debut and added some initial spark, putting Alex Cuthbert through with a lovely pass. Cuthbert so nearly scored but was hauled down by Haylett-Petty.
The pressure continued and Tipuric freed Amos on the left, but replacement Nick Frisby made an excellent tackle so that Amos’s feet were in touch. But now Davies tried to be a little too ambitious – understandably so in the circumstances – and his long pass from right to left found no one. It bounced up for Haylett-Petty, who atoned for missing an easy try in the first half by racing away from well inside his own half to score. Foley converted.
Australia’s Grand Slam tour has begun well. “It was a good win but that is the standard we need to be at consistently,” said head coach Michael Cheika. Wales have some serious thinking and work to do.