AUS 35-15 GEO : Australia reaction (Donaldson, Skelton)
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ON-FIELD REACTION
Ben Donaldson, Mastercard Player of the Match
On his composed performance on his World Cup debut:
"We had a game plan. We've been building for a long time now and the boys executed really well for the full 80 minutes. In the end it made me look half-decent so I put that on all the boys."
On the performance:
"Kicking was part of our plan. For me, it was just providing a loud voice and and a big boot at the back there. I think we pinned them down at the end and came away with some points."
On Georgia's improvement in the second half:
"Some of the fresh reserves came on and really put it to us and the heat really played a part as well. We came out a bit slower for the second half but I'm proud of the boys, we really fought hard."
Will Skelton, captain, second-row
On the performance:
"Eddie [Jones, head coach] asked us at the start of the week to have a fast start. We prepared really well for this game and I'm happy with the result."
On Ben Donaldson's performance at full-back:
"He was awesome. For a young fella, he showed a lot of character, playing 15, he has never played an international game. He's been training there the whole year with us and we had confidence in him. I'm proud of these young boys but it's just a start."
On his role as captain:
"It's very different. I'm growing into the role. Having the backing of Eddie and the staff to lead this young group of men is really special. Hopefully this is just the start and we can roll on and get some momentum."
