Pride restored: The Wallabies' magnificent win proves they're back

The Age

4 days ago

The fact that this proved to be, without doubt, the driest and calmest 40 minutes of the entire night, made the decision appear absurd. Yes, storms with lightning can be serious, but surely this showpiece match being beamed around the world would only be stopped for that long when lightning had already taken out the three adjoining suburbs and was heading our way?
The NRL match between the Roosters and the Manly Sea-Eagles over Brookvale way didn't blink, despite being under the same weather pattern, so why was this match?
And it wasn't just that stoppage that caused frustration. Time and again in the second half there were so many injury stoppages and referee consultations with assistant referees and the bunker that – again – it was nothing less than absurd.
Sure, the officials have to make the right decision, we get that. But that need has to be balanced against the need to keep the match moving.
We'll live with the odd mistake — see the final decision of the second Test (don't get the fans started) — but rugby at this level cannot continue to have so many stoppages.
And another frustration, seeing as you ask – beyond the wonder of the superb tries by Dylan Pietch, Max Jorgensen and Tate McDermott – were the tries gone begging that were left out there. A cricket score to the goodies was possible, but just didn't happen.
Just after the resumption of play, after superb lead-up work by Nic White and Tom Hooper – who had a great game – Will Skelton slipped a singularly slick pass to the hugely talented but slightly erratic prop Taniela Tupou who hit the accelerator in a manner entirely unbecoming for a man who would give you little change from 140 kgs.
He was through the defence and going faster still! Oh how we roared in Row P on the southern end of the ground as Tupou roared towards us like 'Pavarotti on a skateboard', to borrow Denis Commeti's felicitous phrase. The line was wide open and a try for the ages was just 15 metres away. Quite what happened next was not clear – a pass gone awry, or a simple drop? But the ball slipped through his fingers and went to ground. Bugger!
Twenty minutes later, just after Len Ikitau nearly burrowed through the Lions' forward pack to go over, the ball came out to our superb fullback Tom Wright on the fly, who just spilled the pill with the line again wide-open and Jorgensen all but unmarked on the wing.
Just a couple of minutes later again, it was Jorgensen himself who raged towards the stripe with his fellow winger Dylan Pietsch just outside him. Jorgensen took the tackle and released the ball superbly, only for Pietsch to just bobble it.
Against such quibbles however, the Wallabies really were magnificent for their richly deserved 22-12 win and the lessons out of this match surely obvious to all.
First and foremost it was concrete confirmation of what your ever less humble correspondent wrote last week: two years out from a home World Cup, this side has the makings of magnificence in it. Ways must be found to keep them together.
The heart of the pack must be Will Skelton. He is way too important to Australian rugby to be plying his wares in club rugby for La Rochelle in the French Championnat. Instead of having him as a fly-in fly-out Wallaby lock for three or four Tests a year, get him back here for the full season. It is not just his heft in the pack and his ability to make metres with five men on his back. It is his presence, his terrifying insouciance no matter what the opposition are throwing at him – his ability to lift the team around him.
We now understand what we didn't when Eddie Jones unexpectedly named him Wallabies captain for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. How different that campaign, too, might have been had Skelton not been injured early to miss all but the first and last matches.
But Skelton is the man. We all saw it tonight. With him, Nick Frost was a revelation in the lineouts, constantly securing the ball for us, and pinching theirs. Taniela Tupou, as mentioned, is like no prop we've ever seen before and like Hooper and Skelton is about to head off to European club rugby.
Kiss' challenge will be to bring these crucial bits of the jigsaw puzzle back to Oz and turn them into the World Cup winning team they really could be, while Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight – and maybe even James Slipper for another year? – keep the home fires burning.
Meantime it must be time to move Tate McDermott from the reserves bench to make him starting half-back every time. Yes, Nic White had a great game, and the standing ovation he received when he went off with twenty minutes to go was both for his Wallaby career now concluded, and how well he had played on the night.
But McDermott is obviously the future, and it may as well start now.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii gets better with every match and – good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise – should be a mainstay of the Wallaby backline for years to come.
Max Jorgensen on the wing was dangerous every time he touched the ball as was Dylan Pietsch.
Tom Lynagh went off with concussion 33 minutes in, but there is now no more doubt about either his courage or his skill.
This match proves it. The Wallabies are back. We just need to back them, keep them together and watch them continue to grow.
For now, be proud. Tonight, they killed it.
A word for the Lions, though?
Yes. Congratulations. Led by your magnificent captain Maro Itoje, you were worthy winners and by and large played a great kind of rugby. Bravo. Your supporters were great, and displayed the spirit that makes rugby such a wonderful international game.