Melbourne – For the second straight week, the Wallabies got out of jail. A week ago, an obstruction at the maul stopped Wales’ momentum dead in its tracks just as they looked like they were set to blow past these fragile Wallabies. In Melbourne, a dodgy lineout in the 74th minute left Warren Gatland red in the face as their miserable season finished on a dour note after a ninth straight defeat.
Even the sprinklers tried to rub it in Wales’ backsides, with a rogue waterspout disrupting their team huddle on the middle of AAMI Park as they tried to take something from their eighth loss of the year. Had Evan Lloyd found Christ Tshiunza at the front of the lineout, with Wales trailing by five points and sniffing yet another rolling maul to help put them in front, it may well have been different. Instead, they will head to Queensland searching for something to take into their European summer as they take on the Reds in Brisbane on Friday night.
While Gatland has tour matches and another three years to prepare for the 2027 World Cup, his New Zealand counterpart Joe Schmidt doesn’t have the same luxury of blooding youth and waiting for it to blossom. Schmidt has just 12 Tests to find the men to not just be competitive against the British and Irish Lions but beat them. They’re coming from a long way back.
After opening up a 17-0 lead against Wales after 26 minutes, the Wallabies should have been able to put away Gatland’s side easily. Josh Nasser celebrates with Filipo Daugunu after the winger’s wild try for the Wallabies against Wales at AAMI Park on July 13, 2024. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images) But the same old issues plagued the Wallabies as ill-discipline and a rolling maul on roller skates brought Wales back into the contest.
“Our discipline let us down tonight, we seemed to play a lot down our half and our defensive maul really hurt us,” stand-in captain James Slipper said. “I’ve just named three things to work on but, at the end of the day, we got the win.” That’s the pleasing thing that will give fans hope and keep them tuned in, but Schmidt’s men have miles to go if they want to try and take down the Lions next year to put themselves back on the rugby map.
Schmidt knows it better than anyone. “I’m relieved, I’ll definitely say that I’m relieved,” Schmidt said. “But boy are we going to have to be better than that.
” Joe Schmidt (C) talks with James Slipper (R) following the Wallabies’ hard-fought win over Wales in Melbourne. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Schmidt won’t call on any troops from overseas for next week’s Test against Georgia, but he should be getting on the phone to check in on Richie Arnold, Will Skelton, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete. Without them, they don’t stand a chance to win back to the Bledisloe Cup or challenge the back-to-back world champions.
And until they muscle up and push one of their great southern hemisphere rivals, they’ll remain a laughing stock in the world community. “Well, then they need to try find a woman because I don’t see him [Schmidt] changing it around,” former Springboks skipper Jean de Villiers said on Super Sport recently in response to whether the New Zealander was the “man” to turn the Wallabies’ fortunes around. “I don’t see him changing it around.
Name one player in the Australian team that becomes a part of the conversation for a world team.” The inclusion of Skelton, in particular, would put some meat back on the bone of this raw side and allow others like Jeremy Williams to grow and learn. Even Arnold, who won the double with Toulouse this year, shouldn’t have a line put through his name even though he’s in the twilight of his career and didn’t show his worth at last year’s World Cup.
After all, who did? The duo would also help the Wallabies’ rolling maul, which was once again on toast and will be targeted by every international side in the months to come. The size and physicality of Kerevi and Koroibete will also be needed if the Wallabies are to stand a chance of pushing for more silverware during The Rugby Championship. Although it’s clear the Wallabies are chasing the eight-ball, the aspect that will please Schmidt is that he has a dedicated group of young men trying their backside.
All the evidence you need is watching three of the Wallabies’ four tries against Wales. While Filipo Daugunu’s stunning coast-to-coast try in the opening stages showcased the raw skill and application in the side by his support play, it was commitment that saw them cross for another couple of five-pointers. Case in point was Jake Gordon’s try in the 24th minute as the halfback chased his box kick and managed to pick up the crumbs and show his tryscoring knack.
Flyyyyying Filipo! ???? #Wallabies #AUSvWAL pic.twitter.com/z1vuPqfjG0 The next occurred an hour later as Daugunu chased Noah Lolesio’s attempted touch finder and came up looking like a genius, as Liam Williams batted the ball back into the field of play but straight into the arms of the chasing Wallaby.
It was another fortuitous try but as Gary Player used to say, “The more I practise, the luckier I get.” Those are the qualities that Schmidt’s Wallabies can rise from the Ashes. “I absolutely love the fact that he chased the chance,” Schmidt.
“He worked hard. It might be a one in 10, might be a one in 20 or a one in 100 chance, but if you don’t chase it, you’re not in a position to make the most of it. “Where he comes from when Fraser [McReight] gets into space, he comes from way back and chases so hard to get into a position where he can finish that try off.
“It was a bit fortuitous, but it’s happened two weeks in a row that people have tapped balls back in field and tries have resulted.” More Rugby The Wallabies aren’t under any illusions of where they are at. Compared to the All Blacks and England, the Springboks and Ireland, the four best teams in the world who put on a treat over the past fortnight, the Wallabies know they aren’t anywhere near the top nations of the world.
“We’ve got some big games coming up and we know we’re going to have to be better as well,” acting captain James Slipper said. But at least they’ve taken a couple of small steps forward by bringing back some credibility to the game after it was lost last year under Eddie Jones’ brief but damaging reign..
