Battling Wales go down to defeat in Sydney
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Wales pushed the new look Wallabies all the way in Sydney before going down 25-16 after a wholehearted effort.
Having levelled the scores at the start of the second half Warren Gatland’s side had a driving line-out try chalked off at a crucial stage as they looked to respond to a momentum try from home wing Filipo Dauguno.
It looked as though it was a dream start for Cardiff flanker Jim Botham as his first action after coming on as a replacement was to take part in a line-out that ended with him touching down. Referee Pierre Brousset was happy with the score, but TMO Marius Jonker alerted him to an obstruction and the score that would have levelled things again and give Ben Thomas a shot at a conversion to put his side ahead just before the hour mark.
In the end, Australia were able to win their first game at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney for a decade as they triumphed in the end, full back Tom Wright’s solo effort clinching things in the end.
The Wallabies came into the first game of the Joes Schmidt era with seven uncapped players in their matchday 23 and they quickly found themselves on the back foot after new Wales outside half Ben Thomas stepped up to kick a 41 metre penalty in only the second minute to give the visitors the lead.
Thomas, the sixth different No 10 used by Gatland in his second term in charge, took on the kick after a no arms tackle spotted by TMO Marius Jonker and had both the accuracy and length to hit the mark.
His opposite number, Noah Lolesio, was quick to respond and he edged the Wallabies ahead with penalty successes in the fifth and 13th minutes as Wales got on the wrong side of French referee Brousset’s whistle.
They conceded six successive penalties in the opening quarter, the last of which allowed Lolesio to kick deep into the Welsh 22. Successive drives from the home forwards eventually ended with 135kg prop Taniela Tupou powering over from a metre out.
Lolesio added the extras and Welsh woes were compounded by a yellow card shown to Gareth Thomas for straying offside just before the Tupou try. That put Wales under pressure, but they didn’t show it and within five minutes had grabbed their own try.
Despite being a player down, Lake told Thomas to go for the corner from a kickable penalty and that brave decision came up trumps when the Welsh line-out drive earned a penalty try – and a yellow card against home flanker Fraser McReight.
That made it 13-10 and that’s how it stayed up to the break. Wales struggled at scrum time in the opening 40 minutes, conceding two penalties from the three put-ins, lost a couple of line-outs and conceded eight penalties.
But the second half started like the first with Thomas punishing the Wallabies for infringing after two great charges from Aaron Wainwright, hugely impressive on his 50th appearance for his country, and skipper Lake.
Christ Tshiunza, another forward who stood out playing in the second row, came up with a vital turn-lover on the Welsh line as the Aussies pushed for another try, but two minutes later Daugano ran into a hole and slid over from five metres out.
Botham’s try then got ruled out and in the n65th minute Archie Griffin won a turn-over penalty 35 metres out and Thomas hit the mark again to cut the gap to two points. That left the game in the balance, but a loose kick down field from debutant Josh Hathaway allowed the Wallabies to attack from their own half.
Tom Lynagh, following in the footsteps of his father and brother in playing against Wales, sent in field to Wright, who went outside Nick Tompkins and then sped into space before sidestepping the last line of defence to score a spectacular try.
Lynagh added the extras to claim his first international points and despite a spirited finish, Wales went down to their eighth successive defeat. The two teams will do it all over again in Melbourne next weekend.
