THE LOCALS IN Lyon aren’t the most patient bunch. There were remarkable scenes at the stunning OL Stadium earlier in the month when the Lyon football squad stood like scolded children on the pitch, listening to the club’s ultras admonishing them for their poor form.
Luckily for Eddie Jones, rugby fans don’t tend to be quite as direct with their criticisms. This was a desperate night for the former England boss, and more so Australian rugby, as the Wallabies took a major step towards a first-ever pool stage exit at the World Cup, slumping to a deflating, error-ridden 40-6 loss to Wales. If Fiji can take five points from their final two games against Georgia and Portugal, Australia will be packing their bags.
Jones’ shock appointment as Wallabies head coach has been a disaster and now there will be serious questions about his future in the role.
His old sparring partner Warren Gatland returned to the Wales job in similarly surprising fashion late last year but so far, he’s ticking most of the boxes. Wales have made clear improvements since Gatland returned to the job and once again, he’s set to lead them back into the World Cup quarter-finals.
The pressure was on both sides heading into this contest at the vast, 59,000 home of Olympique Lyonnais, but once Wales began to pull clear in the second quarter, Australia never looked capable of clawing their way back into the game – the Wales tries coming courtesy of Gareth Davies, Nick Tompkins and Jac Morgan, while the classy Gareth Anscombe added 23 points with the boot.
Wales went into the game with the maximum 10-point haul from their opening two games, while Australia were level with Fiji on six points after their loss to Simon Raiwalui’s side blew the group wide open, and turned tonight’s game into one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the pool stages.
Wales started with real intent and cut the Wallabies defence open with a classy attacking move after just three minutes.
Working off quick lineout ball on halfway, Wales zipped the ball infield where a slick inside pass from Nick Tompkins set Jac Morgan racing down the middle, with Gareth Davies running a good support line to provide the option inside and run the ball home. Dan Biggar converted and Wales had the perfect start.
Australia were handed an early chance to respond when a penalty for offside allowed Ben Donaldson clip over a welcome three points.
It was a needed settler for a nervy looking Wallabies side. Moments earlier Samu Kerevi had spilled a ball in the Wales 22. Donaldson failed to collect a kick and then slipped in trying to recover the ball. Somewhere in between Jones’ face flashed up on the screen, inviting a chorus of boos, before a shot of Wales boss Warren Gatland replaced the howls with cheers.
Wales had looked the more settled team in the early stages but they were dealt a blow when Dan Biggar was forced off with what appeared a shoulder issue with a little over 10 minutes played. In came Anscombe as Donaldson clipped over another three after Wales infringed at the scrum, before Anscombe struck the post with his first penalty attempt.
The miss didn’t knock Anscombe’s confidence and when he was offered another chance to go for the posts from the next passage of play, he grabbed the tee and bagged his first points of the night.
The momentum threatened to swing again, but Australia continued to fluff their lines as Wales handed them opportunites to close the gap.
Gareth Thomas was guilty for two penalties in quick succession, first at the scrum in the Wallabies half and then inside his own 22, allowing Australia move right down the pitch. On the latter call, they went for the corner, the crowd greeting the call with a hearty roar, but lost possession at the lineout, allowing Morgan hoof the ball upfield. In a flash, it was Wales with a penalty in the Australia half and Anscombe was pushing them seven clear. It instantly felt a significant moment.
The same man would make it a 10-point gap before the break after Rob Valetini was too eager and threw himself on an emerging ball at the ruck. The Australian fans didn’t agree with Wayne Barnes’ call but their objections were drowned out by the PA confirming Anscombe’s latest three-pointer.
As the half wore on Australia looked increasingly uncertain of themselves. Marika Koroibete threw a pass straight out of play under little pressure. Donaldson kicked a restart out on the full.
When they did manage to keep hold of the ball, they looked predictable and one-dimensional, with no invention to their shape or lines of running.
Wales were far more adventurous and found holes in a generous Wallabies defence. Josh Adams did brilliantly to collect a smart Anscombe crossfield, but couldn’t find a teammate with his acrobatic offload. After a big win at the scrum, George North slalomed forward and found Louis Rees-Zammit, only for the ball to be held up.
Gatland’s side went in 10 points up, with Australia staring at an early World Cup exit.
One minute into the second period, Australia were serving up another three points on a plate, Tomos Francis winning a penalty at the scrum and Anscombe taking his haul to 12 points.
They then finally put the game beyond any doubt. On ninth phase, Anscombe clipped a neat kick over the top and Nick Tomkins darted in behind to collect and sap more life out of the Wallabies.
With half an hour still to play, it only looked like getting worse for Jones’ beaten team.
What followed was utterly chaotic as Wales played out the game in the Wallabies half, Australia unable to piece together any notable piece of attacking play as their setpieces malfunctioned and the error count went through the roof.
Anscombe kicked his fifth penalty, and number six followed, before he mixed things up with a well-taken drop goal.
Briefly, it looked as though Australia might get one last chance to leave some mark on the night. Replacement out-half Carter Gordon, dropped after the Fiji defeat, looked for the corner and kicked the ball dead on the full. One of those nights.
Wales took their ball back and added a third try through Morgan, Anscombe striking the post with the conversion.
The game ended with Gatland beaming on the sideline and the Welsh fans in full voice. The Stereophonics belted out. It felt like one last dig at Jones and his deflated Australian team.
“I don’t know where we are going to now.”
Wales scorers:
Try – G Davies, Tomkins, Morgan
Conversion – Biggar [1/1], Anscombe [1/2]
Penalty – Anscombe [6/7]
Drop goal – Anscombe [1/1]
Australia scorers:
Penalties – Donaldson [2/2]
WALES: Liam Williams; Louis Rees Zammit (Rio Dyer, 73), George North, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams; Dan Biggar (Gareth Anscombe, 13), Gareth Davies (Tomos Williams, 60); Gareth Thomas (Corey Domachowski, 67), Ryan Elias (Elliot Dee, 67), Tomas Francis (Henry Thomas, 67); Will Rowlands (Dafydd Jenkins, 71), Adam Beard; Aaron Wainwright (Taine Basham, 71), Jac Morgan (capt), Taulupe Faletau.
AUSTRALIA: Andrew Kellaway (Suliasi Vunivalu, 60); Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jordan Petaia, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete; Ben Donaldson (Carter Gordon, 52), Tate McDermott (Nic White 69); Angus Bell (Blake Schoupp, 69), David Porecki (captain) (Matt Faessler, 60), James Slipper (Pone Fa’amausil HT); Nick Frost, Richie Arnold (Matt Philip, 65); Rob Leota, Tom Hooper, Rob Valetini.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
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