Wallabies v Wales: Winners and losers from series including ‘outstanding’ Joe Schmidt and ‘worried’ Warren Gatland
Split with Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt and Wales coach Warren Gatland.
The Wallabies emerged victorious against Wales as they won both matches in the two-Test series on Australian soil.
With the dust settled we look at the winners and losers from the past fortnight.
Winners
Joe Schmidt
100% is what the great rugby mind’s record reads at the helm of the Wallabies, making him very firmly atop the winners pile. Schmidt came into a side that looked like a crime scene and without making any fuss or unnecessary noise he got them back to the right side of the scoreboard. He started with the fundamentals and simply looked to begin with that. Rassie Erasmus once said that everything good in sport comes from winning and Schmidt has ticked those boxes. From here he can build. Outstanding effort!
Lukhan Salakai-Loto
There were shades of Will Skelton in some of his performances this series and he looks well placed to be that hulking lock for the Wallabies who runs hard at the gainline, batters the opponent in the tackle and does his part in the line-out. He seems like one of the ideal players to build this forward pack around.
Wallabies back-row
Now there were two different back-rows used but we preferred the second one with Rob Valetini emptying the tank from blindside, Fraser McReight relentless in the loose from openside and Charlie Cale using his athleticism to gain metres whether in open play or from the back of the scrum. There just seemed to be a great balance and Cale has a perfect opportunity to learn from the more experienced guys.
Wallabies half-backs
The jury may still be out slightly regarding Noah Lolesio but the fly-half did step up nicely after some time away from Test rugby. He has all the skills but just needs a bit of polishing and the way Jake Gordon partnered him from the inside was brilliant. Gordon’s kicking game is very important to how Schmidt wants to play. All in all, it was a great start from the duo.
Hunter Paisami
Really grown into a warrior of a Test 12 and one feels it is only the beginning for him. His performance in the series was encouraging and Schmidt will likely build his backline knowing Paisami is at the heart of it.
Wallabies back-three
Tom Wright stood up again as he underlined his attacking prowess but mistakes are still too common. Around him, Andrew Kellaway and especially Filipo Daugunu were brilliant against Wales. As a unit, it’s an excellent start but certainly not perfect but one would expect the Wallabies to stick to the trio.
Dewi Lake
Unfortunately for Wales, there is a lot that didn’t go their way but they can take heart from their sensational captain Lake who produced at every time of asking. You can see how the players rally around him and he is in good form which gives him that authority. Wales have some work to do but with Lake as one of the leaders, it is a great start.
Wales second-row pair
A cornerstone Warren Gatland does have is the youthful duo of Christ Tshiunza and Dafydd Jenkins, who both look set to earn a boatload of caps in their career. It makes perfect sense to build around the pair who have a real chance at being world-class Test players.
Rio Dyer
The rapid wing has long been a stand-out performer in Welsh red. While speed is his main attribute it is not his only one as Dyer is a clever player in general, often making crucial defensive interventions and solid contributions in the backfield. He will only get better with time.
Liam Williams
A very important head in the dressing room and the second Test when he was on the wing showed he is still well capable of influencing a game at that level. He will need to be kept in the squad to guide the youthful players.
Losers
Warren Gatland
The veteran coach has certainly built massive respect and credit in the Welsh set-up over a long period of time but nine losses in a row is never a good look. Ultimately it reaches a point where heads need to roll. Now when that happens for Gatland and the Welsh Rugby Union, it remains to be seen especially considering the size of the task they gave him. All we know for sure is that he needs to find a win and fast. Surely he must be worried about the state of his role.
Sam Costelow and Kieran Hardy
For Gatland to move Ben Thomas from his natural centre role to fly-half would have been a massive blow for Costelow, leaving so many questions around where he stands in the squad. It may have been an open experiment from Gatland but it is concerning. Copy/paste for Hardy who did not start a game at nine.
Ben Donaldson
The only hero of the Wallabies World Cup campaign did not even get a sniff. He is a quality player with all-around ability but Schmidt opted for Lolesio instead. Of course, there is always a chance he will return but one would have thought the easiest route would be to let him pick up where he left off.
Liam Wright
Sport is brutal at times and it is a space where memories are short. One week he runs out as the 89th captain only to fall to injury and the next week the replacement back-row works splendidly. It is hard to say where it stands now because if something works Schmidt couldn’t be blamed for sticking with it.
