Try-scorers: Scott Higginbotham and Will Genia both touched down
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Australia bounced back from their shock loss to Scotland with a morale-boosting 27-19 win over Wales at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday.
What a difference four days makes, as the hosts dug deep to prove their doubters wrong and take a 1-0 lead in the series against this year's Six Nations Grand Slam champions.
Wales, who at one stage trailed by fourteen points (20-6), managed to claw their way back into the match and cut the deficit to one (20-19) in an absorbing encounter.
But a try by centre Pat McCabe in the 67th minute proved to be the killer blow as the Welsh slumped to their fifth straight defeat to Australia.
The Wallabies' win takes the heat off under-pressure coach Robbie Deans, whose side rebounded impressively from Tuesday's Scottish disaster with an enterprising ball-in-hand game plan at their Brisbane fortress.
Wales - desperate to end a 43-year drought Down Under - were forced to play catch-up rugby throughout, and it all started when Berrick Barnes opened the scoring with a straightforward penalty kick in the ninth minute.
Australia looked to have created a certain try when Rob Horne darted to the left, but Alex Cuthbert - outstanding for the visitors - prevented the scoring pass with a crucial tackle.
However, just moments later the Wallabies crossed following a series of drives from their forwards that ended with number eight Scott Higginbotham crashing over for his first Test try.
Barnes added the extras and Australia led 10-0 after 16 minutes.
Wales finally got themselves on the scoreboard courtesy of a Leigh Halfpenny, but the men in red were struggling to find any momentum against a Wallabies outfit playing with their tails up.
The tourists then suffered a major blow on the half-hour mark when destructive winger George North was replaced with a quad injury to put him in doubt for next week's second Test in Melbourne.
Trailing 10-3 at half-time, any thoughts of a second-half respite by Australia was extinguished immediately by Will Genia who needed less than a minute after the break to grab his team's second try.
The Wallaby scrum-half exploited space expertly and then effected an outrageous side-step to negotiate the last line of defence. The finish was a moment of individual brilliance and highlighted Genia's running threat as he dived over for the converted try to extend Australia's lead even further (17-3).
Another Halfpenny penalty was then cancelled out by a Barnes drop-goal, but Halfpenny again nudged Wales closer with a third penalty (20-9).
As the game went on, it was evident that the hosts began to tire in the second half and were not as effective at controlling the ball at close quarters. And as the game grew looser, Wales came into their own.
Ashley Beck replaced centre Scott Williams and with his first touch of the ball, put Cuthbert over for his fourth Test try. Halfpenny converted and added an excellent penalty from out wide to cut the deficit to 20-19 on 63 minutes.
Wales were eying a remarkable turnaround, but Australia showed their clinical edge when they needed it most. Genia was again the creator, picking his pass to McCabe who crashed over with thirteen minutes remaining.
Barnes converted and Australia were once again eight points ahead.
Twice Cuthbert threatened to break clear for a second try that Wales desperately needed, but was denied as Australia recovered to hold out for victory.
Man of the match: Alex Cuthbert was Wales' standout player,, while David Pocock, Scott Higginbotham, Berrick Barnes and Adam Ashley-Cooper all made significant contributions for Australia. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who gets our vote - Will Genia take a bow. Apart from his try, Genia looked every bit the general in the number nine position.
Moment of the match: Genia's try... pure magic.
Villain of the match: No malice to report!
The scorers:
For Australia:
Tries: Higginbotham, Genia, McCabe
Cons: Barnes 3
Pens: Barnes
Drop: Barnes
For Wales:
Try: Cuthbert
Con: Halfpenny
Pen: Halfpenny 4
Australia: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Cooper Vuna, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Berrick Barnes, 9 Will Genia, 8 Wycliff Palu , 7 David Pocock (c), 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Rob Simmons , 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Ben Alexander, Dave Dennis, 18 Michael Hooper, 19 Nic White, 20 Anthony Fainga'a, 21 Mike Harris.
Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Scott Williams, 11 George North, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Toby Faletau, 7 Sam Warburton (c), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Luke Charteris, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Gethin Jenkins.
Replacements: 16 Matthew Rees, 17 Paul James, 18 Alun Wyn Jones, 19 Ryan Jones, 20 Lloyd Williams, 21 James Hook, 22 Ashley Beck.
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Comments
ThinkingGame says...
To lose by 8 points away from home when Australia are in that mood on that bloody enormous pitch having hardly touched the ball in the first 40 is about par, and a good enough result in the first game of a three game series. There were a few occasions where I felt Joubert could have been harsher with the more cynical attempts to disrupt Welsh possession, but you don't go into a game like this expecting the referee to be kind to you, and make up for binning two great chances to score out wide, dropping the ball in the 22 more than any professional team should and against the speed of cover in defense that the Wallabies generated.
If they show some discipline and put the Brumbies away, focus on the positives and reassess the kicking game, Wales have proved to themselves they create enough to beat Australia. If they approach the next game believing that and cut out the errors, they'll be in good shape for a win.
If they keep messing about with the ball in their own 22m, before banging a pressurised kick straight down the middle and too long for an effective chase, the Aussies will make themselves look like the best team in the world. If they keep putting up and unders 10 yards further than the pack can make up in the defensive line they'll concede more soft tries, and if they keep kicking for territory and missing the touchline by 15m they'll always be playing catch up rugby.
Posted 12:54 11th June 2012
Wallaroo says...
Congrats to the Wallabies, this was a much more clinical display of the solid rugby we have come to expect from our team.
I was fairly disappointed with Barnes in the Scotland match and expected a lot more of him which I'm pleased to say happened against Wales.
The Wallabies took their opportunities when they were given to them and showed why they are ranked 2 in the world
All this whinging about Joubert is utter rubbish, he missed a few from both sides but nothing deliberate, and or farcical, and or game changing.
Go Australia, looking forward to a 3-0 win against the NH champs.
Posted 10:29 11th June 2012
Ramage says...
@bazilldon you are a hypocrite becauese your first comment to me was on of abuse and I quote " @Ramage what a sad pathetic person you are. Grow a set." That was your first comment to me so I ask you where is the coherent and lucid argument in your first attack on me? That is why you stand condemned as a hypocrite for the holier than thou attitude towards me. I can accept you do not like what I said but where is that so called coherent and logical argument to make me see the error of my ways. Sorry it is not there just a mouthful of abuse and a really stupid suggestion of what I should do about the so called missing parts of my anatomy. Something that is physically impossible to do so before you come on here preaching your virtues perhaps you should go away and think before you burst int print. Until such time as you can put forward a coherent and logical answer there is no further use in replying to your posts. Ka kite ano. Good luck next Saturday I hope the Welsh can tidy up their attacking and defensive lapses because if they can then they have a chance. Hang on there is another SH referee doing the game a Kiwi by the name of Pollock a good up and coming referee but some one less experienced than that fine referee Craig Joubert.
Posted 10:19 11th June 2012
anotherfarce says...
@trader2
I stand corrected Haden did confess:- took him a long time!!
The nonsense about the other incident was only given later after the Quittendon had seen footage, it wasnt his fault he just sees haden diving out the corner of his eye.
That performance was worthy of the "Golden Snorkle" for diving.
Just a bit more to show how far the ab's wen't to win a game they new they little chance of by playing "rugby"
Posted 09:53 11th June 2012
tha_mai says...
blametheref - don't buy the 'fatigue' excuse.
Wales coach Howley says on another PR thread: "Some of our guys haven't played for a while" - what? not enough game time?
I don't think the NH schedule has been any tougher than that faced by the SH players since January 2011 when that year's pre-season Super rugby games began; Super, club, provincial, tri-nations, RWC, (and Oz went to Wales in Dec) back to pre-season games in January 2012. Squad depth and player management in the professional era.
As far as travel goes, no NH comp involves anywhere near the distances and multiple time zones faced by the Super and Tri-nations teams week after week flying NZ/Oz/SA.
Posted 09:34 11th June 2012
KiwiLad says...
Anotherfarce, your facts, old boy, are way off, Yes Hayden dived, but that was not what the penalty was for, Photo evidence clearly shows one of your fowards (Geoff Wheel)
pushing himself upwards of the sholder of Frank Oliver, pushing him out of the lineout as well. Sorry to burst your bubble.
The referee of the day, a pom by the name of R C Quitteenton has said as much.
But hey, we still go on about the Deans try of 1905, so I guess we are all flawed. lol
Posted 09:29 11th June 2012
anotherfarce says...
@Trader2
You are indeed a nob mate, where did I say I was at the game?????
I said I seen the game (which I did), I did not say that I was at the game, more misleading dribble from a wowser.
As to my statement in the 78' test (diving out of the lineout) that was not incorrect, Hayden cheated & everyone but you knows it, revisit the footage. Whether I got the kicker confused with the player involved doesn't change the fact that in a tight game where NZ were certain to lose "They Cheated".
If anyone else checks that footage you will look a bit silly pal, or should I say plonker!!!
PS: there has been no confession from Hayden to date???
Posted 07:30 11th June 2012
GoWalesGo says...
blametheref
That's a bloody terrible excuse, especially considering Australia have half of their team out injured.
Posted 06:29 11th June 2012
anotherfarce says...
I stand by exactly what I stated, Joubert was TOTALLY inconsistent on his calls having played most of my life & reffed at club level for 8 years. I think I just might have a little understanding of what is going on.
Australia offside all evening pinged once.
Pocock off his feet at the breakdown with hands never out of the ruck.
Including the welsh scrum going in on the call of engage by Joubert only to be pinged for going to early???????
They were murdered by his whistle in the 1st half particularly!!
Now once you have finished your dribbling of uneducated rant & personalised attacks on people LEARN & UNDERSTAND the rules of the game, better still watch the game again see if these statements are untrue, while your at it gauge the reaction of the players after some of the calls.
I like others here do not think you have an understanding of the game, only the colour of the jerseys & the scoreboard. Refs do get it wrong now & again, but so long as they are consistent & it is not 1 way traffic it is acceptable. Wales have a stronger forward pack does it make sense to you they will infringe on their own possession, wake up & view with 2 eyes.
This does not mean he is a bad ref because he was one of the better ones in the RWC, this is why saturdays game made his decisionns look really dodgy.
So either wake up or grow up, but it sounds like a young mans rant to me as you have little or no experience in this matter by the content of your comments.
Enough Said.
Posted 06:08 11th June 2012
Trader2 says...
Heh @Ramage I wouldn't worry about @anotherfarce he is a plonker. He dredges up some history bemoaning a loss to the AB's in 1978 then can't even get the facts right that he dredges up, and he claims he was actually at the game. Give me a break. If he want's history lets go back to 1905 when Bob Deans was denied a try. Quote from from The History of Wales v New Zealand "Deans maintained until the day he died that he had scored on the day and the Welsh try scorer Teddy Morgan years later agreed." Without that Wales would have only beaten the AB's twice in the last 105 years.
Posted 01:34 11th June 2012
bazilldon says...
@ramage. Maybe you're not getting my point. My reaction was based on your reaction to someone else having a valid point to the state of the reffing. You showed very little argument in your response just lots of CAPITAL letters IN your RESPONSE ( did I do that correctly? ).
If you'd read Sexton_on_fire you would have seen that his initial response was a rather child like a crude spoke at the state of Wales's performance whilst making a classic error of trying to make out that Ireland were better (and lets be honest, any rugby fan with two eyes could see that that's not correct based on recent results). So I stand by my words that S.O.F. is a bit of a plank and that you are just here for riding other fans without making any sound argument what so ever (why not respond to someones opinion with reason or logic and not just a barrage of vitriolic nonsense??) . And please don't call me hypocritical or holier than thou....You just come off as some sort of crayon dweller yourself (seeing as you're pretty much fitting that bill).
Posted 21:59 10th June 2012
jontheref says...
Wow!
been away on hols, so only just saw the game.
So many angry people from practically every country!
Yes, S15 is played at a higher pace.
Ues, genia was great.
Yes patchy refereeing, favouring the attacking team is wrong, allowing up to 3 offences to go unpunished.
Joubert, inconsistent?
IMO yes, prime example, 5 mins to go, Wales attacking, speaks to 7 Gold!, as he had on numerous times, Aus get ball, kick chase, (which was better than Priestland's!), same situation in Wales 22 gains Aus a PK.
Numerous other examples, just look without the blinkers.
Wales carried over their own line, obvious on first sight, does not go to te TMO, but then, do we expect any different?
Knock off halfpenny's head, when he though it was a Aus knock on, then Wales, the guy is obviously too caught up in himself to do it.
Yes Aus took their chances, and Wales did not, but Joubert was a huge factor.
I wait the key board warriors assaults!
especially those hwo cannot see how poor Joubert is.
Posted 20:49 10th June 2012
makemehappy says...
A very badly refereed game. Can't say that Australia didn't deserve to win, but anyone could have spotted some very unfair refereeing against Wales. Pocock does a lot well, but constantly cheated. The first penalty against Jones was just rubbish. Wales have to accept that Hook is utterly useless and cannot tackle. Most adults would have tackled Genia, but not that wimp!
Posted 19:52 10th June 2012
blametheref says...
I think some are forgetting that the NH sides haven't had a proper break from rugby in over a year, that is a proper 6-8 weeks holiday away from all things rugby. The NH teams are running on reserve and are actually fatigued with too much rugby, they are far from at-peak, more the opposite. They have now been on 2 extended stays in the SH in less than a year; done pre WC matches, the World Cup, their domestic leagues, Heineken Cup, 6 Nations then more domestic league and Heineken Cup, then pre tour warm ups and now these tours themselves....That's one hell of a lot of travelling, aclimatizing and more to the point RUGBY for one calender year, a World Cup calender year...Fatigue is definitely a factor!
Posted 18:04 10th June 2012
kybone says...
jonesy2Don't get too carried away pal, its only 5 days since you lost at home to the six nations worst team for the second time in a row.
Posted 16:44 10th June 2012
pembs says...
We lost to a team that played better than us. Simple as that really. We still had opportunities to win. Oz took their chances better. Next week should be a better reflection of where both teams are at. I eagerly await all the predictable personal attacks for daring to have an opinion
Posted 16:05 10th June 2012
olepete says...
Ramage, are you implying that Queenslanders are less endowed mentally than other Australians? That's a racist comment - shame on you!
Posted 15:53 10th June 2012
Ramage says...
@bazilldon your holier than thou attitude is somewhat hypocritical. I responded to anotherfarce who bagged a fine referee and suggested he was favouring the Wallabies. This is the usual cry from disgruntled fans who have never refereed a game in their life and know the laws of the game far better than the referee given the game to ref.
No post from you was on this site when I wrote my response to anotherfarce and I ask you to look very carefully at your first response to my post. You will see a claim I am a sad and pathetic person and a suggestion that part of my anatomy is missing and I need to do something about it. No coherent or lucid argument. Could I just point out in a lucid and coherent way that if I am lacking in that part of my anatomy I don't believe that I can do what you suggest. If I can then indeed it would be a miracle. So much for your lucid and coherent argument. Seems you are a bit testy. I noted your response to Sextonisonfire. telling him to go to his corner with his non sharpened crayons and calling him an idiot. Ahem!
The postyou object to was not aimed at you as it clearly said @anotherfarce and was devoted to his unwarranted attack on Joubert and the suggestion that SH referees will not be fair and consistent. Some Samoans disagreed with Mr Owens at the RWC and some NZers did the same over Mr Barnes at the previous RWC. Referees are not always right I accept that but they do NOT go out to favour or to cheat. I resent this claim and will always challenge that. Read my original post it was directed at anotherfarce not you, so please give me the courtesy of making sure what you claim is correct. When you attack me with no lucid or coherent argument calling me sad, pathetic, lacking balls and an idiot expect a reply. Your suggestions in your own words about me and others on here are examples of your hypocricy.
Posted 15:23 10th June 2012
new_j4a says...
@damo, you are another farce. Do either of you eejits have a ref qualification? If Wales cannot even get the ball out wide when faced with an open try line then I think you have far bigger problems than the ref.....but please go on blaming the ref....ignore your problems and you'll just be easier and easier for the SH teams to roll. Now Scotland....that was a different game. They were precise and accurate....and they deserved to win.
@Trinats, If we had a SH side like the B&I Lions, I think Genia would make the starting 15 and Higgenbotham (and perhaps Poptop) would make the bench. From the Boks....Bismarck, Beast,Hougard, maybe Habana with only the Bismarck and the Beast with even a chance of starting.
Posted 14:33 10th June 2012
Ramage says...
@anotherfarce My post was aimed at your attack on Joubert saying he was favouring the Australians and then going on about the fact that there was a fat chance of getting a decent referee in the SH. Funny, I have heard others saying the same thing about NH referees. Plenty of bile thrown at Alain Rolland. It seems that that when a nation loses a game someone has to be blamed and it is always the referee. I can accept that referees doesn't always get it right but to suggest that they cheat or favour is just plain wrong. It is that which I take exception.
Now in your haste to justify your unwarranted attacks on Joubert and other SH referees you have changed the subject and the pettiness is creeping into your arguments. What has the fact that Wales u20 defeated NZ U20 have to do with you bad mouthing Joubert. I have already made a post on this site congratulating the the Welsh and agreeing with another person that NZ imploded and had no answer to the way the Welsh played. The one thing you don't mention is that it was the state of the field, not the fact it rained, which was the deciding factor. NZ plays a game that needs to be played on top of the field not wading through it and so their greatest asset was negated. That aside they were beaten and have to take it on the chin. There is the chance they could still be in the play offs but I would not be too hopeful as they were shown up in the forward play and obviously any team watching that game would be noting that. Wouldn't it be interesting if both Wales and NZ met in the final on a dry ground. No matter what is said savour the win, they don't come that often. I have no gripe with Wales but I do have with those that suggest referees are cheats.
Posted 14:16 10th June 2012