Wallabies player ratings: ‘Turnover machine’ prevents embarrassment as Australia’s bench ‘overwhelmed’
Wallabies flanker Fraser McReight and an inset of head coach Joe Schmidt.
Following a 25-7 defeat to England in the international clash at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, here are the player ratings for the Wallabies.
15 Andrew Kellaway: Saw very little of the ball in the first period as England created the best chances, and he was also quiet after the break. 5
14 Max Jorgensen: Similar to Kellaway, as all the action came down the other wing for the Wallabies, with the youngster not getting too many opportunities. A shame as Jorgensen has been in outstanding form this season. 5
13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii: Almost exactly a year on from his remarkable Test debut – which also happened to be Suaalii’s first-ever professional rugby union match – it was a contrasting day for the exceedingly talented back. Beaten in the air by Tom Roebuck for Ben Earl’s try, and was unable to make an impact with ball-in-hand. 5
12 Hunter Paisami: Physical and abrasive throughout, often giving Australia decent ball to work with. Despite not having Len Ikitau available, who is one of the best centres in the world, Paisami stood in well and was constantly involved. 7
Best game for Australia
11 Harry Potter: Probably his best game for the Wallabies as he almost single-handedly kept his side in the game in the first half. Somehow held Ben Earl up before he intercepted a pass on his own five-metre line and went the length to score. 8
10 Tane Edmed: Great under the high ball early on but is struggling to spark the backline at this level. Stood too deep at times and there were a few errors, including one on the stroke of half-time which almost led to an England try. 4
9 Jake Gordon: Marshalled the troops well from the base and brought his forwards into the game. Kept the patience but then kicked at the right time when they weren’t going anywhere. However, couldn’t stop England from taking control in the second period. 6
8 Harry Wilson (C): Has turned into an outstanding Test player. Despite the odd mistake, that was offset by some exceptional moments, such as his incredible kick down the line. Not at fault for the defeat. 7
England v Wallabies: Result, match details, stats, line-ups
Turnover machine
7 Fraser McReight: Was quiet in the first half but came up trumps when they needed him in the second half. We counted four superb breakdown turnovers when the Wallabies were under pressure and in many ways it spared their blushes after some of his team-mates were overwhelmed. 8
6 Rob Valetini: Gave Australia exactly what they needed and that was physicality at close quarters. Very rarely loses a one-on-one battle and when you combine that with his industriousness, Valetini was once again impressive. 7
5 Jeremy Williams: Showed his athleticism to beat Roebuck to the ball and prevent an England score, while he was busy in both the loose and lineout. 6
4 Nick Frost: Very good in the lineout with his ability to win easy ball for his team, while he is always a threat for the opposition, despite the hosts doing a reasonable job by keeping him at bay. 6
Bench lets starters down
3 Taniela Tupou: Had one of his best games in recent times with some good work in the carry and solid scrummaging. Had the edge on Fin Baxter, but the set-piece wasn’t a huge factor in the contest. 7
2 Billy Pollard: Set-piece was solid and he managed to stretch his legs once in the loose in what was an otherwise decent shift at the coalface. 5
1 Angus Bell: Similar to Tupou in that he was pretty effective in most facets of his game, and they certainly lost some ballast when both starting props went off. 6
Replacements: They were under pressure for most of the game but the dam eventually burst when the bench came on. England’s power in the second period was telling, while the Wallabies simply could not alter the momentum. 3