Wallabies player ratings: ‘Impressive’ Tom Wright stands out but bench ‘fail’ in defeat
The Wallabies slipped to a 30-12 defeat to the Springboks
Following their 30-12 defeat to the Springboks, here is how we rated the Wallabies players after a strange game in Perth.
Wallabies player ratings v South Africa
15 Tom Wright: Impressive in most areas despite the defeat. Produced two crucial try-saving tackles to deny Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe in the early stages, which kept the Wallabies in the contest. 8
14 Andrew Kellaway: Had his blushes spared by Wright after Mapimpi’s break, but was again caught out by the Springboks winger in the build-up to Faasi’s try. Improved as the game went on though. 5
13 Len Ikitau: Just couldn’t get himself into the match. Wasn’t afforded any meaningful possession in midfield, mainly due to the weather, but when Ikitau did get on the ball he was met with strong tackles. 5
12 Hunter Paisami: Conditions unfortunately meant he wasn’t used to his full capacity, and was withdrawn through injury. 5
11 Marika Koroibete: Utilised in a really clever way from the kick-off, which contributed to some decent Wallabies field position. Came up with a couple of nice touches too, but was starved of genuine possession. 6
10 Noah Lolesio: Produced some nice flourishes in attack in tough conditions in the first-half, but could have potentially used the wide channels more effectively. Again, conditions were tough; but when they looked to play a bit wider they did get some decent change from it, particularly on the cross-field kicks, and this will surely feature more throughout the Rugby Championship. Kicked his goals well too, hitting four from five. 6
9 Nic White: Mixed fortunes with the boot for the Wallabies scrum-half. His kick-offs were really clever, getting Koroibete to challenge in the air and make it a nightmare for the Springboks, but this was marred with some pretty poor box kicks. Connected well with Lolesio for the most part, but it was slightly slower than he would have liked, you would imagine. 5
Back-row
8 Harry Wilson: Another strong showing from the back-rower. Put in some strong carries in attack and matched that in defence with some big hits too. Looks like the number eight shirt is his for the foreseeable future. 7
7 Carlo Tizzano: Just a really busy shift from the fresh-faced Wallaby. Produced some decent defensive efforts, and importantly didn’t look out of place at this level. Will be hoping for more minutes as a result. 6
6 Rob Valetini: Didn’t quite live up to his usual brilliance, but a decent shift nonetheless. Just put his head down and worked hard on both sides of the ball, as you would expect, but you can’t help but think his team needed more from him. 6
Tight five
5 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto: A good showing from the lock. Made himself a nuisance in lineout defence, and also contributed to his own side’s early successes in this area too. Put his frame to good use around the park too. 7
4 Angus Blyth: Got stuck into most facets of the game. Was heavily involved in the battle up front and added some punch to proceedings. Added a good option in the lineout too, which functioned much better whilst he was on the pitch. 6
3 Allan Alaalatoa: Much improved at the scrum after his torrid time last week, and made some good calls as captain during his time on the pitch. Will feel much happier with his own shift. 7
2 Josh Nasser: The set-piece has been a strong point under Joe Schmidt, and Nasser was again at the heart of it during his stint. Gave a good platform from the lineout and helped sure up the scrum after their tough time last weekend. 6
1 Angus Bell: A really decent return to the fold, but unfortunately picked up an injury. Helped fix the Wallabies’ major scrum issues, which in turn allowed them to stay in the tussle. 6
Replacements: Really tricky one to follow given the confusion with players coming off and coming back on during the period of uncontested scrums, but they simply failed to match the added intensity of their Springboks counterparts. The Bomb Squad added some serious firepower up front, particularly in the maul, and the Wallabies couldn’t keep them at bay in the closing stages. Things were also made worse as Seru Uru copped a yellow card late on, which helped the Boks deliver the killer blow. 19-year-old debutant Max Jorgensen was a bright spark though, as he gave it a good fist in the back-line despite playing in an unfamiliar position. 3
