For Michael Cheika the only painful thing about coaching at international level may be bruises to his back, so hard was he pushed on stage after the sudden exit of his predecessor, Ewen McKenzie. Since taking over, life has been most agreeable, with his Australia winning two entertaining romps, the first against the Barbarians at Twickenham and now against Wales on the splendid new semi-artificial surface of the Millennium Stadium.
It was said at the time of the exit of the coach before McKenzie, Robbie Deans – the past two years have not been without commotion in the rugby union of Oz – that you could tell a lot about the loyalty of a team in the last quarter of the game, when pain and fatigue undermine professional responsibility. Nobody would ever play deliberately badly, but if the team were not devoted to their coach, they would not reach into the depths of their reserves. Deans’ team collapsed in the final minutes of the last Test against the Lions in 2013.
So far for Cheika, the Wallabies have defended ferociously at the death to win once, and here they responded to going behind with 15 minutes to go with a ruthlessness that suggests the coach has already won over any doubters. The Australia forwards, who had just been reduced sufficiently at the scrum for the referee, Craig Joubert, to award a penalty try against them, rallied in the loose and advanced into the position where the admirable Bernard Foley completed a sumptuous day with the boot – he played pretty well out of hand, too – by dropping a goal.
Ten minutes later the fly-half ate up most of the remaining seconds with the preparations for, and execution of, the last of his three penalties. He also converted all three of his team’s tries. The Wallaby win, by way of rounding up the figures, also made it 10 wins in the past 10 games against Wales, which might suggest a transfer of crisis from Australia to the land never averse to falling headlong and adoringly into off-field melodrama. Wales had the game for the taking and they blew it. Heads must roll.
Not really. There were mistakes galore, but they were scattered throughout the match, not condensed into that last-quarter test of love. Alex Cuthbert, who atoned with a try, dropped, for example, the kick-off. Tackles were missed – somehow Cuthbert and Alun Wyn Jones bounced off each other as they tried to nail Tevita Kuridrani on his way to the line – and two passes by Rhys Webb were intercepted.
The second, by Foley, led to nothing more damaging for Wales than a loss of pressure and position, just when they were attacking hard. The first, from a similarly promising position, was picked off by Israel Folau, who ran the length to score. He had already crossed for an earlier try, knocking Dan Biggar over in the process. Wales never seemed to understand that wherever Folau went, it was probably prudent to avoid him. Besides passing the ball to him, they kicked to the full-back too frequently.
And yet, there was more encouragement than mournfulness for Wales to extract from the defeat. They scored four tries, the first by Webb with a dummy and dash, and the second by Cuthbert after a quite brilliant set-up by Leigh Halfpenny, Biggar and George North. The first half ended with a more collective effort from the forwards, driving together before Wyn Jones reached out.
Finally, there was the penalty try, a reward for more concerted work up front. Samson Lee was outstanding as the new Adam Jones, Jake Ball buried himself in heavy duties and Dan Lydiate lasted longer than might have been expected for one who has played so little for his French club, Racing Métro.
They lost because, as usual, they failed from then on to control any area. As Lions they can; as Wales they can’t – the same old story of coming unstuck against a side who kept their thought processes lucid and their actions efficient in the period of pain. The 11th meeting between Wales and Australia will be at the World Cup. That truly will be a test of devotion and careers.
Wales Halfpenny (Allen, 36); Cuthbert, North, Roberts, L Williams; Biggar (Priestland, 47), Webb (Phillips, 53); James (Jenkins, 56), Hibbard (Baldwin, 70), Lee (R Jones, 74), Ball (B Davies, 68), AW Jones, Lydiate, Warburton (capt), Faletau.
Tries: Webb, Cuthbert, AW Jones, penalty try. Cons: Halfpenny 2, Biggar, Preistland.
Australia Folau; Ashley-Cooper, Kuridrani, Leali’ifano ((Horne, 75), Tomane; Foley, Phipps (Genia, 68); Slipper (Alexander, 63), Fainga’a (Hanson, 70), Kepu (Faulkner, 74), Carter (Skelton, 50), Simmons (Horwill, 64), McMahon (Hodgson, 74), Hooper (capt), McCalman.
Tries: Folau 2, Kuridrani. Cons: Foley 2. Pens: Foley 3. Drop: Foley.
Referee: C Joubert (SA). Att 55,004.
