What Saturday is it?
It all started with a cup of ‘Extreme’ coffee at 3.50am, the Wallaroos lost 31-24, there were a few quiet moments later at the Skiff Club, the Wallabies performed better than expected, but it was still a defeat.
It all ended with the Sea Eagles being demolished by the Roosters, and it wasn’t one of the best Saturdays in my memory, at least.
But unsurprisingly, the sun rose again on Sunday morning, adding a little more sparkle to the day as Argentina beat South Africa.
We’re hoping for a better result this Saturday. Back-to-back games: the Wallabies at 5.05pm AEST, then the Wallaroos at 8.30pm. You might also want to keep a close eye on the Swans earlier that day.
So, we’re back in the Wallaroos world again. It’s been a tough season so far.
The Wallaroos game was (once again) self-inflicted. We were our own worst enemies, and all the other similar clichés.
If you’re thinking about looking at match stats on rugby.com.au, don’t. The Wallaroos’ stats look great, but they lost.
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They often looked good, but mistakes, lack of discipline and missed opportunities plagued them.
But to be fair, Wales played to their strengths, defended well, kicked better and exploited Wallaroos’ weakness – fierce defending.
Everyone in world rugby knows that Australia can’t defend a lineout maul.
Wallerus started well, had a lot of the ball, had a lot of physicality and got an early goal over the advantage line. At 4.10am things were looking very rosy.
Australia has shot itself in the foot several times since then.
At the 12th and 15th minutes, they attempted an attacking lineout close to the line, but missed the lineout and missed the opportunity.
In the first 20 minutes of the game, they had three chances to score, but missed the target.
Wales, not entirely one-eyed, were missing the ball, lacking passes and missing simple scoring opportunities.
Wallace looked pretty good in the first half, but Wales were pushed by the wind and went into the half leading 7-7.
Commentators noted that Wales spent twice as much time in their own 22 as Wallaroos, so while Australia may have looked OK, they actually weren’t that bad.
Speaking of commentators, this is a bit off topic, but the fact that there are no women on the team playing rugby sevens is never mentioned on the Australian broadcast of the Wallaroos.
Over the past two weeks, Irish and Welsh commentators have specifically mentioned that the Wallaroos do not have a single Rugby Sevens star. Australia is the real anomaly. (Note: Rugby Sevens Women have started their pre-season).
Back to the game. The second half was all Wales for 20 minutes.
Things didn’t change until Arabella MacKenzie came along to steady the ship and provide experience and direction.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Game
They had a couple of lineout errors, which were big losses, but they were much better than last week. They lost only two of their eight lineouts, and once again won every scrum. 11 out of 11.
White continues to look good with the ball in his hands. The forwards have crossed the advantage line and the ruck speed has increased significantly as a result.
The Wallerus defence were relatively good, missing just 12 tackles compared to Wales’ 30.
Discipline was poor and ugly. Wallaroos conceded 15 penalties, seven of them in their own half.
Wales were able to attack the lineout and gain control of the territory by taking a corner.
At international level, small mistakes have consequences. Wales were leading 12-10 in the 58th minute.
Wallerus defended very well for almost 10 minutes. They were awarded a penalty to relieve pressure but missed the kick for touch. Three or four steps later, Wales scored. The scoreline was 19-10.
Arabella McKenzie kicks the ball past Kate Williams. (Photo: Ryan Heathcote/Getty Images)
Wallaroos went ahead 24-24 with tries from Kaitlyn Hals and Tabua Tuinakaubadra, but it wasn’t enough.
After the match, Wales scored the winning goal.
Player’s Shout
A big round of applause for 21-year-old No. 8 Tabua Tuinakaubadra. It was her best game in green and gold. With Piper Duck out, she provided a much-needed boost.
Full-back Caitlin Hall looked very comfortable at 18. She scored a very good try, provided some size in the backline and contributed her body in defence.
Ash Masters of the back row has shown what he can contribute to the team – brisk running, solid defense and great work with the ball.
Lane Morgan needs no introduction as he played the full 80 minutes.
Arabella McKenzie, when she came on in the 60th minute there was a noticeable improvement in tempo and direction. It was no coincidence that Wallaroos scored two tries after she came on.
Also, more than an honourable mention goes to Bridie O’Gorman. With Brianna Hoy out, O’Gorman has gone 40-times better. She plays on either side of the scrum and played the full 80 minutes on Saturday.
To finish on a positive note, there has been plenty of evidence to suggest that Wallaroos can pull off a comeback win against Wales this weekend.
Saturday marks the start of the WXV2 tournament, with the Wallaroos playing Wales, South Africa and Scotland.
