Australia player ratings: Wobbly Wallabies capitulate under Welsh onslaught

After their 40-6 Rugby World Cup defeat against Wales at OL Stadium in Lyon on Sunday, here’s how the Australia team performed.

15 Andrew Kellaway: Took the fight to Wales with some fine attacking runs from the back but most of his team-mates were not on the same wavelength as him. Finished with 66 metres gained from 10 runs with four defenders beaten. 7

14 Mark Nawaqanitawase: Looked lively during the early stages but wasn’t as involved as the match progressed. Eventually gained 51 metres from 10 runs including two clean breaks and one defender beaten. 6

13 Jordan Petaia: Another one who went quiet after a fine start and came off second best in his direct duel with George North. Battled to get going on attack and only made two tackles. 5

12 Samu Kerevi: The Wallabies‘ go-to-man with ball in hand but despite trying manfully he only gained 21 metres from 11 runs as he mostly ran down blind alleys. Also conceded two penalties. 5

11 Marika Koroibete: The 31-year-old was in the thick of the action throughout but made little headway on attack and restricted mostly to defensive duties. 6

Poor performance from the chief playmaker

10 Ben Donaldson: Not a match he will remember fondly as he failed to stamp his authority on this game. The Western Force-bound playmaker battled from the outset and apart from a couple of penalties, he did nothing noteworthy in other areas. Replaced by Carter Gordon after 53 minutes. 4

9 Tate McDermott: Was his usual busy self and tried to launch some attacks but his efforts reaped little reward. Eventually replaced by Nic White in the 68th minute. 5

8 Rob Valetini: One of the few Wallabies who can hold his head high as he put in a solid performance for the full 80 minutes. Finished with 27 metres gained from nine carries and eight tackles made. 7

7 Tom Hooper: The rookie back-row gave his all and was penalised on two occasions but can still be happy with his effort as he put in a huge defensive effort with a team-high 13 hits made. 6

6 Rob Leota: Came into the run-on side and was in the thick of the action from the outset. Made some good attacking runs, gaining 38 metres from five carries and made seven tackles but it wasn’t good enough against his opponents. Replaced by Fraser McReight in the 50th minute. 6

5 Richie Arnold: Toiled manfully at the coalface of Australia’s forward effort but made little impact. Came off second best to Adam Beard in the lineout battle and struggled in other facets of play. 4

Solid all-round performance

4 Nick Frost: Did his bit with a solid all-round performance as he was competitive in the lineouts, was a willing ball carrier and made eight tackles. 6

3 James Slipper: The veteran front-row was on the field for 40 minutes and stood up well in the scrums during that period but little interesting to report otherwise. 6

2 Dave Porecki (c): The Wallabies skipper struggled with the execution of his core duties with one inaccurate lineout throw-in close to Wales’ try-line caught by an opponent, who booted the ball upfield and the end result was a 50/22 kick for the Welsh. Porecki’s best contribution was on defence where he made seven hits. 5

1 Angus Bell: Put in a big shift as he impressed with his scrummaging during the opening half and put his body on the line with excellent defence as he finished with eight tackles made. 7

Replacements: The Wallabies’ bench did not make any meaningful impetus as, just like the players they replaced, the came off second best in most departments to their Welsh counterparts. McReight stood out with his work at the breakdowns and a high tackle count but none of the other reserves caught the eye. 5

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