Australia player ratings: Brilliant back-row grind out result over Portugal

Dylan Coetzee
Add as a preferred source on Google
Wallabies number eight Rob Valetini on the charge.

Wallabies number eight Rob Valetini on the charge.

Following the Wallabies’ 34-14 win over Portugal in the Rugby World Cup, here are our player ratings for Australia.

Mixed backs

15 Andrew Kellaway: The full-back impressively won two turnovers whilst patrolling the backfield decently, including a stunning cover tackle. He did not make too many errors with his kicking game and tried to inject some pace into the attack where he could. 7

14 Mark Nawaqanitawase: Always looking to do something when he had the ball and did so with a sumptuous offload to Fraser McReight for his try. Perhaps would have hoped to be given more space but he excelled with what a very good Portugal side offered. 7

13 Izaia Perese: Showed great energy in his first game of the tournament, typified by a lung-busting break off a set-piece that resulted in a try after a few phases. The centre made a whopping 124 metres with ball in hand in what was a solid outing. 7

12 Lalakai Foketi: Paired really nicely at times with his centre partner whilst also showing his turn of pace down the right-hand touchline during the first period. Did not make many telling errors before being replaced before the hour mark. 6

11 Marika Koroibete: Got a try later on in the second period as a reward for his hard work throughout. The robust wing put in a proper shift loaded with big hits. However, he also did have some uncharacteristic moments including a hair-raising moment when he tripped over his own dead-ball line whilst in possession. 7

10 Ben Donaldson: The pivot looked comfortable throughout making most of his kicks from the tee and avoiding error for the most part with his tactical kicking game. It certainly was not a flashy performance but one that was solid by a player whose importance for the Wallaby cause has sky-rocketed at the tournament. 7

9 Tate McDermott: Decent for the most part from the scrum-half who was possibly guilty of missing the mark with his box kicks. He was busy otherwise and had influenced the game positively with cleverly picked runners near the Portuguese line. 6

Crucial back-row

8 Robert Valetini: The player of the match in Saint-Etienne and well deserved. The number eight is so crucial to go forward for the Wallabies and it showed again. Valetini even managed a brilliant offload to play Richie Arnold in. 11 carries and nine tackles paint a clear picture of the level of performance. 9

7 Fraser McReight: Showed his class with a very busy outing that saw him cross for a try in the second period. Managed 10 tackles and a turnover in a successful evening. 8

6 Tom Hooper: An absolute beast on defence as he has been for Australia, the flank made a ridiculous 21 tackles whilst only missing two. Eddie Jones will be absolutely delighted with the back-row. 8

5 Richie Arnold: The lock has done a great job of settling in and got a try for his efforts in this one thanks to a Valetini bust. Some of the line-outs were shaky but Arnold made up for it with an impressive 13 tackles in the game. 8

4 Nick Frost: Not nearly as busy as his second-row partner as he seemed to try to play through a niggle. Was relatively uninvolved otherwise. 6

3 James Slipper: Officially the most capped Wallaby in World Cups and he put in a good shift, making five tackles and holding up in the scrum, especially on his less familiar side. 7

2 Dave Porecki: One or two line-out concerns bring his rating down but his leadership and calming influence cancel that out. He also managed to get over for a try in a busy shift. 8

1 Angus Bell: A real contestant for player of the game after his rampant runs with ball in hand, big hits on the other side of the ball and powerful scrummaging. Bell is truly world-class and is a player who will be critical for Australia going forward. 9

Replacements: Some of the substitutes brought some great energy but Samu Kerevi and Matt Faessler were both sin-binned which put the result at potential risk. 6

READ MORE: Wallabies keep slim hopes alive with hard-fought win over impressive Portugal

Australia