Wallabies resist late Welsh surge
9 Jun 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports on Australia’s 27-19 victory over Wales in Brisbane on Saturday.
Following the embarrassing loss to Scotland on Tuesday, the Wallabies would have been looking to make a statement via a powerful performance against Wales. They got it right in patches in Saturday’s series opener, dominating the first half and then finishing strongly in the final 15 minutes.
It was not the typical razzle-dazzle that produced the desired result, but rather a more combative attitude at the collisions and smarter tactical game. While the Wallabies still managed to finish two of their three tries in spectacular fashion, they were mindful of the abrasive Welsh defence and that it would take patience as well as physicality to break down the red and white wall.
The visitors were outplayed at the collisions, and this allowed Wallabies fetcher David Pocock to edge opposite number Sam Warburton at the breakdown. Pocock weighed in with some important breakdown steals, and it was his omnipresence at the rucks that slowed the recycle when the Welsh were in possession. This blunted the Welsh attack, and made it easier for the Wallabies to defend.
The Suncorp Stadium track is conducive to running rugby, and Wales seemed mindful of the Wallabies’ strengths out wide. They attempted to keep the hosts honest in the wider channels but neglected to mark the area around the ruck. And it was here where the Wallabies punished them, a series of pick-and-goes resulting in a try for Scott Higginbotham in the 16th minute.
Wales would fight back at the end of the first half, if only to ensure the scoreline remained at a respectable 10-3. But they lapsed badly at the start of the second stanza, their focus on wide defence once again compromising their defence around the ruck.
Will Genia exploited this space expertly and then effected an outrageous side-step to negotiate the last line of defence. The finish was a moment of individual brilliance and highlighted Genia’s running threat, but again the Wallabies had done well to work themselves into a good field position before launching an assault.
Apart from his try, Genia looked every bit the general in the No 9 position. When the Wallabies built some momentum through the forwards, his delivery from the base served to quicken the tempo and further stretch the Welsh defence.
His tactical kicking also put the Welsh under pressure, as did that of flyhalf Berrick Barnes. Barnes showed good composure and execution in this fixture, placing rolling probes and high-hanging kicks in positions where team-mates could contest and in some instances regain possession. It was a massive improvement on Tuesday’s performance against Scotland.
The game looked to be the Wallabies’ to lose after Genia’s try had extended the lead to 17-3. But the cool goal-kicking of Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny and the fighting spirit of the Welsh pack allowed the visitors to narrow the deficit.
It served to show just how important Genia’s strike was in the context of the game. The Wallabies had played a draining Test against Scotland four days previously, and it was evident that a few players began to tire in the second half against Wales. The Wallabies were not as effective at controlling the ball at close quarters, and as the game grew looser, Wales came into their own.
Wing Alex Cuthbert had been outstanding for the visitors and it was his try that really brought the Dragons in sight of an upset. The ball went loose at a ruck and was subsequently hacked behind the Aussie defence. Cuthbert eventually got his hands on the ball to finish, and another great conversion by Halfpenny took the score to 20-16.
Wales butchered a try-scoring opportunity moments later. They had the Wallabies’ defence stretched but just couldn’t get the ball through the hands. They were then awarded a penalty which Halfpenny duly slotted, but looking back, that missed try was costly. Five or seven points would have taken them into the lead. As it was, three points saw them still trailing at 20-19.
In the final minutes, the Wallabies rediscovered their composure. The forwards controlled the ball well, and the halfbacks kicked the team into good field positions.
The hosts kept it close, hammering away at the Welsh defence until Pat McCabe ran a great angle to score under the posts. At 27-19, the game was over as a contest.
The result sees Australia taking a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. Wales will need to produce a more consistent defensive effort and indeed a stronger showing at the collisions if they are going to bounce back in next week’s match.
161 Comments
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10 Jun 2012, 06:04 am
Drop Priestland. Kicked all the ball away in the 1st 20 minutes.
Genia is AWESOME! He will break a few Bok & AB hearts this 4N
Aus backs look penetrative, but fwds other than Pocock are creampuffs.
Boks may struggle to handle Pocock as he is fast, accurate & a menace.
10 Jun 2012, 06:13 am
My couch XV that are not playing internationals this month and could roll most teams except the All Blacks of course
15.Andre Taylor
14.James O’Connor
13.Robbie Fruen
12.Luke MacAlister
11.Vincent Clerc
10.Quade Cooper
9.Andy Ellis
8.Jerome Kaino
7.Heinrich Brussouw
6.Thierry Dusautoir
5.James Horwill
4.Brad Thorn
3.Nicolas Mas
2.Keven Mealamu
1.Carl Hayman
10 Jun 2012, 06:19 am
@Manona(Manona)-151: Yep, wouldn’t mind seeing Halfpenny have a go at 10, great little player. Hook is a turnstile if he plays at 10. Wallabies tempo was too much to handle, as was ABs v Irish, I’m sure we will see slowing of the ball in both games by our Norhern counterparts.
10 Jun 2012, 09:13 am
@Manona(Manona)-151:
Buddy worry whats in front of you now.
If our wallabies were cream puffs then your forwards are stalr soggy biscuits. Could not put the english away definitively!
10 Jun 2012, 09:16 am
Further to that Deans had the least time of the sh teams to prepare for their test of which the welsh team who had, most of the team, 2 weeks in aus to prepare.
11 Jun 2012, 02:52 am
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-16:
phoook, thats the stupidest comment Ive ever read. The tattooed dwarf is an absolute lemon no9. The PrickBok ‘brains’ assumed he could translate scoring tries in wide open spaces of the threequarters as a winger, in to bossing the breakdowns as a scrumhalf. **** pass, **** kick, poor decisionmaking. Genia will p*ss all over him.
11 Jun 2012, 02:54 am
so you can gouge, break ribs and maim without penalty in Yappieland and, yet,
‘C R A P’
is a banned word ?
11 Jun 2012, 06:22 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-156: Guess you missed the Bulls v Reds game, also, any half back playing behind FdP will have to establish themselves as a starting international halfback and after playing in the de Villiers era or error, any half that played in that scheme would have suffered in all facets of their game. Put “tattooed dwarf” in an Australian or New Zealand side and how do you think he would go? Structured rugby where halves are free to roam. Guess you guys don’t know when you have a good thing going. He has outplayed every halfback in S15 and it’s only a matter of timing in the Bok jersey. Watch Genia go MIA when things are not so rosie. Genia is the best halfback in open running rugby, but we all know that is not always the case. Hey, it’s a matter of opinion.
11 Jun 2012, 07:25 am
@CSI:Rugby(CSI:Rugby)-158:
The tattooed dwarf has “outplayed every halfback in Super Rugby” ?!
L O L
He was outplayed by the no9, Phipps, for the Rebels. He was outclassed in the basics by the Highlanders scrumhalf, who is far younger and less experienced. He was bullied by the Chiefs scrumhalf, who is fairly poor himself.
The tattooed dwarf is a half-decent wingman. But if you seriously believe taking 2-steps before passing, running when you should pass and vice versa, and having a dire box-kick game with multiple chargedowns equates to “outplaying”, then I certainly hope youre not selecting my team.
Genia is the Man, as has been proved since Reds players returned from injury.
11 Jun 2012, 07:40 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-157:
> so you can gouge, break ribs and maim without penalty in Yappieland and, yet,
You’re not referring to the cheap head shots from behind you lot love so much in the NHL?
You do have a lot to say for a limp d-ick Canadiand eh?
Guess it is better living in Aus, after all they tend to win?
Unlike your own countrymen who can’t win f- all?
Better to support the Wallabies than the brain dead “it’s-our-game” Ice hockey, yet no Crapnadian team ever wins it?
When last have the Deadmonton Oilers won anything?
But then again you lot are happy being losers, mediocrity are all you excel at
11 Jun 2012, 09:16 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-159: A halves game is somewhat determined by that of the forward pack in front of them. Emphasis on “somewhat”. The “tattooed Dwarf” you label outplays fellow halves, even when his forwards get the second half yips and fall short of victory. Not sure whether you judge a player by the teams result or the halfbacks game. “But if you seriously believe taking 2-steps before passing, running when you should pass and vice versa”, did you not watch Genia on the weekend, or throughout the Super a rugby Reds campaign? He played well, but there were times when he too should’ve passed and not kicked, point is, they all do it. Genia goes MIA when excrements hits the fan.
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