mens
nations-championship
Wallabies Player Ratings: Australia got inside Edinburgh sits third in Nations Championship Southern Hemisphere standings and badly needed a result to keep pace with the teams above them. Instead, Les Kiss’ side turned in one of their most frustrating displays of the year, going down 15-12 despite enjoying long periods of dominance and scrum possession.
The Wallabies rarely looked capable of translating that set superiority into a meaningful attack and, apart from Harry Potter’s superb first-half finish, struggled to get their dangerous outside backs into the game. The sudden revival in the last ten minutes was a case of too little, too late.
Here are our Wallabies player ratings:
15. Tom Wright – 6
A fairly safe outing at fullback without ever becoming a real threat in attack. He produced a smart tackle that helped Jorgensen gain territory early and had some decent moments under the high ball. Opportunities to get into the game were limited.
14. Max Jorgensen – 6.5
He produced a remarkable sequence of chasing, contesting and regrouping after 17 minutes to win Australia valuable field position. Unfortunately, it was one of the rare moments of note in a game where attacking chances were at the forefront. Hungry for space and barely received a sniff. I picked up a late consolation try for the Wallabies.
13. Joseph-August Sualii – 6
Weird. Barely involved in the first 25 minutes and it was fair to wonder if Australia couldn’t find him or if he had to find more work himself. A bad pass at the end of the first half didn’t help. Much better after the break though. He chipped Kyle Steyn sharply, pressured Huw Jones into making a mistake and finally got his hands on the ball with a useful clearance. Signs of life, but you still feel that his full talent has not yet been fully explored on this side.
12. Len Ikitau – 5
Scotland they deserve credit here. One of the Wallabies’ most reliable midfield operators was shut down extremely well and struggled to find any room. He helped set up Potter’s try by running into the distribution chain, but otherwise found himself mired in Scottish traffic all afternoon.
11. Harry Potter – 7.5
Australia’s brightest back. He finished his first half with real class after excellent handling by Gordon, Williams and Ikitau created the opportunity. He still had plenty of work to do and produced a world-class finish to beat the cover defence. He also attempted a shot after the break that went awry, but avoided a penalty.
10. Carter Gordon – 6.5
His first test since recovering from a fractured fibula. There was a lot to like. Well cleared, found a great touchfinder after a scrum penalty and produced some nice passes in the build-up to Potter’s score. Obviously a very good football player. Equally, there were expensive moments. He was isolated and brought over on six minutes after being tackled deep by Blair Kinghorn, flirted with back-cover disaster on more than one occasion and misfired a shot intended for Jorgensen. You can see the quality beneath the surface but he couldn’t unlock the Wallabies attack in Edinburgh.
9. Ryan Lonergan – 7
He provided a generally tidy service and had good distance when hitting the box. A bizarre goal kick in the first half barely left the ground and looked like a dead duck. He more than redeemed himself with a superb midfield tackle from Finn Russell after 63 minutes that broke up possession and denied a dangerous Scotland attack.
8. Harry Wilson – 5.5
A mixed afternoon from the captain. He was efficient on the line and managed proceedings well with both the referee and his teammates. There was plenty of grunt in his work, but perhaps not enough of the dominant bearing from the player Australia needed to turn the winning line. A loose dog late on after handing possession back to Scotland in a particularly painful moment.
7. Fraser McReight – 8.5
Outstanding. Australia’s best player. The specialist groundhog was a threat throughout and produced key turnover penalties in both halves. The first came after 22 minutes and the second just before the break halted Scotland’s momentum. Tireless, influential and one of the few Wallabies to consistently win collisions.
6. Rob Valitini – 5
One of those afternoons when nothing happened to him. Usually such a destructive carrier and defender, but Scotland clearly identified him as the primary threat and shut him down superbly. Well contained throughout.
5. Jeremy Williams – 7
He went through a lot of unprecedented work and his handling helped create Potter’s try. Worked hard in a close exchange and set-up. Not flashy, but one of Australia’s more reliable performers. He threw a nice pass in the lead to Jorgensen late in the five-pointer.
4. Josh Canham – 8
Excellent. The 6ft 8in, 119kg lock was a commanding presence. Combined with Valetini for a superb smothering loose ball and also put in a shot, although the effort was later ruled offside. His athleticism stands out every time he plays. He thought he helped create Billy Pollard’s attack, he tries only for the TMO to intervene.
3. Allan Alaalato – 6.5
He missed the match early, but otherwise was solid. The Wallabies generally enjoyed a better fight in the scrum and the experienced tighthead played his part in that. Confident without dominating.
2. Billy Pollard – 5.5
His pitching was excellent for most of the game and he looked to have earned a field goal try before the score was ruled out for a technical foul. Unfortunately, a yellow card for a high tackle on Kinghorn was the turning point and hurt Australia at a critical time.
1. Angus Bell – 7.5
Another tiring change. He didn’t have many headline moments, but he kept carrying and kept coming back for more work. The kind of performance that gets more impressive the longer you watch it. He also stepped up and slotted into the lineup during Pollard’s sin-bin period.
Substitutions – 7.5
A front-row replacement ensured Australia’s dominance in the scrum remained intact. Brandon Paenga-Amosa hit his first target in the lane and settled down quickly. Isaac Kailea and Taniela Tupou kept up the forward pressure, with Tupou producing a brilliant Jackal turn, using every part of his 148kg frame to become an immovable object over the ball. Tate McDermott and Ben Donaldson introduced the urgency of the proceedings. Lachlan Shaw, Tom Hooper and Filipo Daugunu came into the game where chances were limited, but none were able to provide the spark in attack that Australia desperately needed.