Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt cut a relieved figure as he reflected on a tough 19-15 win over Japan in Tokyo.
The Australians were drawn into a dogfight with the Brave Blossoms in the pouring conditions, with the hosts desperate in their attempts to secure their maiden win over the Wallabies.
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But the visitiors did just enough to secure the four-point win with a host of stars sitting tensely on the sidelines, having to do it the hard way amid several denied five-pointers for Carlo Tizzano.
“We probably had a couple of tries we didn’t get reward for but sometimes that's the way it goes. You've got to just work your way back and go again, and they kept working their way back,” Schmidt said.
“It was wet tonight, very difficult conditions. You would have seen a pretty high error rate from both teams just because the ball was slippery, and losing both their locks in the first 20 minutes also made it difficult.”
Schmidt made 13 changes to the team that last turned out in Perth, which was further ravaged with Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (rib), Josh Canham and Tom Robertson (head knocks) coming off the field.
“It was a risk, but one calculated around the quality of a young man that's putting his hand up and trying to work his way into the mix for the big games coming up,” the coach said.
“It was great to get those changes out there and to get guys a bit of game time and to build a bit of confidence at the same time. I really admire the grit.
“We had to really roll our sleeves up and keep fighting for that one. In those conditions, it's just about what we managed to do."
Scrum-half Jake Gordon was pivotal in the victory thanks to his box kicking and tough defence late to force the mistake.
Gordon’s accurate kicking proved the difference as the wet conditions forced the Wallabies into a narrow game style.
“It was great for us in the way that Jake managed the game. Some of his line kicking from the base of the ruck was outstanding, giving us 30 metres off those platforms, and also the contestables,” Schmidt added.
“I thought the players worked hard to get up and into the contest for those but in slippery conditions, it was a real lottery.”
