Biggar is better as late kick ends Wales’s wait for victory over Aussies
THE CURSE is broken. Ten years and 13 Tests of pain and suffering ended in a raucous Principality din as Dan Biggar’s late penalty meant Wales snuck past Australia — at long, long last.
Not since 1958 had there been so few points in a match between these sides. 9-3 that day, 9-6 this with only penalties kicked.
So poor a match for so long, this one sparked into life in the final throes.
Bernard Foley’s 75th minute penalty was greeted by boos as it seemed all of Wales felt the injustice of a penalty for a late tackle on Leigh Halfpenny from Samu Kerevi not being given made worse by Australia levelling soon after.
But at the other end three minutes later, Biggar banged over the winner to put this hex to bed. And his coaches jumped for joy.
Before kick-off up ripped the flames, bang went the fireworks. Then the roar, a crescendo of noise after all had fallen silent to remember the war dead.
This was on — Wales versus Australia. Would the hoodoo end for Wales after 10 years and 13 defeats? What a match in store — excitement and tension barely contained under the roof.
And then the rugby started.
There are some games where the scores are low, the game is tight and the spectacle in enhanced. On the evidence of the first half this was not one of those days, with even Halfpenny getting the
yips. Statistically he is the second-best goal-kicker in the world, but his misses were shocking. He sent his first effort wide, having lined it up just to the right of the posts from 35 metres out, and then his second on the stroke of half-time was worse — dragging his kick wide from slap bang in front.
That he took one penalty, when Wales won a third scrum penalty of the half after 21 minutes was a blessed relief, although Foley levelled things up 11 minutes later.
After the break more bad news for Wales — George North going off with a leg injury.
By the hour mark only six points had been scored — and it was time to delve into the record books for the lowest-scoring WalesAustralia Tests.
Wales, though, won another penalty in front of the posts. Halfpenny sent it over. Yips evaporated. A cacophony of noise greeted an Australia penalty, but Foley kept his nerve among the din to level the scores.
But the noise grew ever louder when Biggar, on for Halfpenny after Kerevi’s late hit, kicked a penalty given when Ned Hanigan did not roll from a ruck.
Wales ahead again — and they held on to that lead for the first time against this lot since 2008.