Wallabies player ratings: ‘Masterful’ Fraser McReight and bench shine but it’s not enough to beat All Blacks
Wallabies forwards Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Fraser McReight.
After their 31-28 defeat in their Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks at Accor Stadium in Sydney, here’s how the Wallabies players performed on Saturday.
Australia player ratings v New Zealand
15 Tom Wright: As usual, the Brumbies star made some good attacking runs which gave his side momentum from the back and his efforts were rewarded with a well-taken try late on. Less prominent in other areas, most notably on defence where his lack of commitment in the tackle resulted in a Caleb Clarke try early on. 7
14 Andrew Kellaway: Had few attacking opportunities and when he did receive the ball he was kept in check by the All Blacks defence. Also exposed on defence on several occasions as he missed several tackles. 5
13 Len Ikitau: The 25-year-old looked dangerous on attack but those opportunities were few and far between. Despite that he made some fine line breaks, especially in the second half and also did his bit on defence and at the breakdowns where won one turnover. 6
12 Hunter Paisami: Threw a loose pass in build-up to Ardie Savea’s try but got better as the match progressed and eventually scored a try late on when Australia were chasing the game. Paisami also did his bit on defence with eight tackles made. 6
11 Marika Koroibete: The veteran flyer looked for work on attack but made little headway as he couldn’t break down the opposition’s defence. Did not shirk his defensive duties but missed a couple of tackles in that department. 5
10 Noah Lolesio: The jury is still out on the young playmaker as he failed to get the backline firing on attack and was one of the biggest culprits on defence as he missed some routine tackles which proved costly in the bigger scheme of things. 5
9 Nic White: The experienced scrum-half showed some deft touches on attack and provided a slick service to his outside backs but not as prominent in other areas. 6
8 Harry Wilson (c): The Wallabies skipper was a willing ball carrier, especially in the second half, but he did not prove a handful to New Zealand‘s defence. Also put in a huge defensive shift as he finished with a match-high 22 tackles made. 6
Excellent return to Test rugby for star flanker
7 Fraser McReight: Returned to Test rugby after missing the earlier Rugby Championship rounds through injury and his presence certainly improved the Wallabies. McReight gave a masterful attacking display and was rewarded with an early try for his efforts. Continued to shine in that department as the match progressed but also shone on defence and made a nuisance of himself at the breakdowns. 8
6 Rob Valetini: Combined brilliantly with McReight and showed why he is Australia’s current John Eales Medalist with a strong all-round performance. Valetini emptied the tank on both sides of the ball and competed ferociously at the breakdowns. 7
5 Jeremy Williams: The Western Force second-row did what was expected of him at the lineouts and put in a huge defensive shift as he finished with an impressive 17 tackles made. Made no impact with ball in hand though. 7
4 Nick Frost: Not his best day at the office as apart from being solid on defence and winning lineout possession, he was quiet in other facets of play. He was replaced early in the second half by Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who was one of the Wallabies’ best replacements on the day. 5
3 Taniela Tupou: The ‘Tongan Thor’ was solid in the scrums and won a crucial turnover when the Wallabies were under the cosh late in the first half. Less visible in other areas and only lasted four minutes of the second half before being replaced by Allan Alaalatoa. 5
2 Matt Faessler: Missed his jumpers at the lineouts on a couple of occasions early on but improved in that aspect as the match progressed and also caught the eye with a well-taken try late in the opening period. Faessler also did well on defence and finished with 18 tackles made. 7
1 Angus Bell: Like his front-row partner Tupou, Bell gave a good account of himself in the scrums but the 23-year-old also put his body on the line on defence where he made 12 tackles before being replaced by James Slipper. 6
Replacements: The Wallabies bench added much needed energy when they were introduced especially up front where the likes of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Brandon Paenga-Amosa caught the eye while Tate McDermott and Dylan Pietsch looked lively amongst the backs. The Wallabies launched a fine fightback in the second half and the replacements certainly contributed to that but in the end it wasn’t enough to secure the victory. 8
