ANALYSIS: How the Wallabies pulled off the impossible against Wales

Tue, Nov 29, 2022, 3:25 AM
Nathan Williamson
by Nathan Williamson
The Wallabies faced off against the no.1 ranked Ireland side in Dublin.

There might not be a more important 25 minutes period for the Wallabies in 2022 than Sunday's remarkable 39-34 comeback victory over Wales.

The visitors' fate looked sealed when the rampaging Welsh scored their fourth try of the game to take a 34-13 lead after 50 minutes, exposing a brutally understrength side.

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Wayne Pivac's men dominated possession and territory up to this point (62/38 in each stat), whilst recording nearly twice as many carries (75 v 45) and metres (276 v 159).

However, the defining characteristic of the Wallabies under Dave Rennie has been their fight.

They found themselves in almost the exact same situation against the All Blacks in Melbourne, getting themselves in front after trailing 31-13 before Jordie Barrett's last-minute try broke the hearts of fans and players alike.

There are similarities between the two performances, largely the influence of Pete Samu as the backrower continues to cement his standing within the team.

Samu had an instant impact from the bench, putting pressure on fullback Josh Adams, who was playing out of position, to force the mistake from Tom Wright's bomb in the 54th minute as Lachlan Lonergan dragged Rhys Priestland into his in-goal.

12 minutes later, Samu reads the pass of Priestland perfectly as Wales struggled after the loss of Gareth Anscombe to a shoulder injury. This forced captain Justin Tipuric into a desperate act, tripping the Brumby, earning the yellow card and completely shifting the momentum of the game.

Along with this, a new-found clinical edge proved the difference.

In their past two defeats to Italy and Ireland, the Wallabies recorded points in just seven of their 24 entries inside the 22.

The influence of Mark Nawaqanitawase is evident in improving this area.

The Waratah has a unique ability to beat his man and showcases it in the 57th minute, catching the defender drifting in before a shimmer and step provides enough space to dive over in the corner.

He then is used as a battering ram off the lineout in the 68th minute, breaking through some soft Wales defence to spark the comeback for the visitors.

In the last 30 minutes, the Wallabies finish the game 4/4 from their 22 entries as they perfectly pick apart a fractured Welsh defence after two yellow cards.

Whilst the attacking surge naturally takes centre stage, the roles of Fraser McReight and Tom Robertson go largely unnoticed in keeping the Wallabies in the game.

McReight, as always, led the way for tackles with 16, five clear of centre duo Reece Hodge and Len Ikitau.

However, it might be his work in the 64th minute in shutting down Wales' imposing rolling maul that might be his most crucial involvement in the game.

The Welsh had battered the visitors via the maul throughout the contest, with Jac Morgan crossing for his second shortly after the break. The hosts then proceeded to collect the kick-off and rumble 20 metres with little resistance as the Wallabies struggled with Jake Gordon and Tom Robertson in the bin.

With the Wallabies' comeback in its infancy, Wales had a chance to respond in the 64th minute after an Adams grubber left Wright no chance but to take it into touch 5 metres out from his line.

They cleverly took several defenders out of play with a two-pod system, leaving McReight isolated with three attackers.

This is where the 23-year-old's Rugby IQ shines, swimming past the first man to get to the ball carrier and force it down.

The threat he possesses at breakdown time means Wales has to play it fast and this leads to the mistake (even if it takes the referee several plays to call it).

Meanwhile, Robertson stepped up at scrum time after a tough night for the Wallabies.

The Force front-rower was forced into action early after James Slipper's HIA, eventually coming on after the break permanently.

It came at a difficult time for the visitors, conceding three straight before the break and on a warning from Matthew Carley.

Robertson ends up being the man to go to the bin in the 43rd minute but makes up for it on his return as the Wallabies brutalise Wales on their goal line, nearly pushing their way over the line.

He backs this up with five minutes remaining after Tom Wright's drop puts the hosts on the attack, getting the better of the tight-head to force him straight to ground and earn the clearing scrum penalty.

As mentioned, there are distinct similarities between the Bledisloe heartbreaker, only this time the Wallabies found a way to close it out.

Lachlan Lonergan is the leading man behind this.

The hooker finds himself floating on the wing and in the perfect position to snatch up a loose ball after the visitors are forced to go for the intercept thanks to the three-on-one overlap created by opposite number Ryan Elias heading to the bin for collapsing the maul.

It almost backfires when he was pinged for going off his feet as the Wallabies looked to close the game, just one phase away from sealing it.

The young Brumby remains calm and his energy to make up for it is on display with a nice tackle to stop Wales on the attack, quickly scrambling onto his feet to re-join the line.

The Wallabies found themselves short for numbers against the All Blacks but refuse to let it happen once again as they continue to hold strong and fan out.

This allows Lonergan to step up and make a dominant one-on-one tackle, winning the collision battle that provides the chance to secure the vital steal to secure the victory.

A win like that is crucial for any team, but the timing of it is near-perfect ahead of a huge 2023.

After a winless 2021 Spring Tour, the victory is vital for building momentum heading into the Rugby World Cup against the team that will arguably be Australia's biggest test in Pool D.

It also relieves the pressure on Rennie after a tough season, who will be praying they have better injury luck with the likes of Kerevi, Cooper, Bell, Rodda and Tupou set to return in time for September's hallmark event.

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