Wallabies out-muscle Wales

[Burgs]

Wallabies out-muscle Wales

Story by Sportal for the ARU
Sunday, September 16, 2007 - 01:21 AM (AEST)

Australia has taken a huge step towards topping their pool at the Rugby World Cup with a 32-20 victory over Wales at Millennium Stadium on Saturday night.

Australia's pre-match preparation was thrown into disarray when flyhalf Stephen Larkham was a late withdrawal after injuring his right knee at training on the eve of the game.

But Berrick Barnes, who stepped at the last minute at pivot, starred in the crucial win, setting up the first try, slotting a drop goal and showing great composure to direct the attack given the enormity of the clash.

The second-round win now puts Australia in the box seat for a prime quarter-finals berth while Wales will need to beat Fiji and Japan to secure a spot in the next stage of the tournament.

Wales Number 10 Stephen Jones scored the first points with a penalty kick to give the home side a 3-0 lead early, much to the delight of the sold-out Cardiff crowd.

But the Wallabies responded in the best way possible when Barnes cracked open the Red Dragons defence in the middle of the park before setting up Matt Giteau to dive over under the posts for the first try of the match.

A penalty goal from Stirling Mortlock and a cool drop goal from Barnes pushed the Wallabies out to a 13-3 lead before the skipper vaulted Australia further in front after an opportune try in the 35th minute.

The Welsh spilled the ball inside their 22 and veteran scrumhalf George Gregan was quick to pounce, grabbing possession and weighting a deft grubber kick for Mortlock to dive over for a try.

The Wallabies extended their lead on the stroke of half-time when a Wycliff Palu run from the base of a ruck put the Aussies on the attack. Barnes spread it wide to left flank where Drew Mitchell turned the ball back inside for Chris Latham to muscle his way over in the corner. Mortlock steered the conversion through from out wide to make it 25-3 at half-time.

But that was the last action the Wallabies skipper played in the match after an injury forced his from returning for the second half, with Scott Staniforth running out in the centres after break.

Wales started the second half with more gusto and were rewarded when number eight Johnathan Thomas wrangled his way over for a try just five minutes the after the resumption following a series of rucks on the Wallabies line. James Hook, who replaced Jones, added the extras to bring Wales within 15 points at 25-10.

Hook kicked a penalty eight minutes later after Matt Dunning was pinged for coming into the side of a ruck, and the home side had all the momentum.

But Australia wrestled back control of the match when Hook turned villain just moments later after he misjudged a high kick 30 out from his own line. The ball bounced straight into the arms of flying Chris Latham, who steamed away for his second try of the night. Giteau converted to give Australia a convincing 32-13 lead.

Australia was reduced to 13 men when Drew Mitchell went off injured and Nathan Sharpe was sin-binned in the 75th minute when he failed to roll away from a ruck. Just a minute later Wales played the numerical advantage for Shane Williams to dive over in the corner. Hook threaded his conversion from the sideline to make it 32-20.

But that was as close as the home side got as Mitchell returned to the field to help Australia repel the Wales attack and register an important bonus-point victory.

Australia 32
Tries: Latham 2, Giteau, Mortlock
Conversions: Mortlock 2, Giteau 1
Penalties: Mortlock 2

Wales 20
Tries: J Thomas, Williams
Conversions: Hook 2
Penalties: Jones, Hook

MOM: Chris Latham

[travelling_gerry]

been looking at the various reports....from the commentary on fox you would think it was another game...

[JediKnight]

I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining match and the Wallabies were never threatened. Their defence was solid, even when down to 14 & 13 men (bloody Kiwi ref trying to even things up!). Star performances all round.

The Welsh hooker should be embarrassed about giving up in a tackle like that versus 's own winger, Drew Mitchell!!! Is that why he got substituted straight afterwards......the Welsh management team needed to tell him to HTFU!!!!

[Burgs]

I only got Tens' drivel Gerry, how do you mean?

[frontrow]

I thought the ref was particularily one-sided and was over the top in his game, but even so, we still managed to win with 13 men, took a lot of guts....
I dont often criticise the refs but in the second half in particular he seemed to have been "slipped a few quid"...What was the penalty count i wonder? The last Welsh try was a definite knock on but was awarded anyway, and sending Sharpie off was stunning to say the least....

[The EnForcer]

Barnes deserves to keep his place. The movement of the ball was great. What was the score with Sharpie's sin binning? Was it due to repeated infringements? If it was I never saw any warning being given out. Oh and if Latham gets cited for the so called late tackle then they all need to HTFU!

It looks like the refs are using the citation avenue as an excuse to not take responsibility during the game. I'm sure that is not how it is supposed to work but it appears it may be going that way....not good!

Overall a very good result and I'm not sure the frontrow deserved as much critisism from the commentory team as they got. The Welsh frontrow is not a shabby unit and can be put up against the best in the world! Bring on the big boys!

[shasta]

I've had an eye on Berrick Barnes for about 4 years now. I used to watch him play for Towoomba Clydesdales in the Queensland Cup. He's the real deal. The ARU should persist with him.

Taken from http://thewholeforce.com/showthread....=sign+thurston

............another thread about the futility of signing Mungos.

You gotta admit this one might just be OK.

[chook]

WA Rugby will need further investigation after the dirty tactics of Mitchell and Sharpe endangered the result for the Wallabies. Pie Growden will get to the bottom of this i'm sure.


That article above is a little harsh on Hook for dropping the high bomb, cos I could have sworn it was Stephen Jones who muffed the catch for Lathams 2nd try. And he also copped it sweet in the after match interview.

Ch10 commentary was slightly better. Tuney made some amusing observations and Darwin wasn't so bad as usual. Rupert is a deadset Spanish Mackerel.

Williams definitley knocked on right in front of Mark Lawrence, the dirty cheatin' saffa touchie and several obvious forward passes were missed by the officials. I mean, one can be missed in a game I spose but 3 or more? Sheesh!

[shasta]

I only got Tens' drivel Gerry, how do you mean?

Seeing Gerry hasn't answered, I'll give my 2 cents. The commentators were a bit pro-Welsh. But compared to some of ours not too bad and compared to Murray Mexted they were positively pro Wallaby.

They did harp on about our front row "short comings" a bit though. I didn't think they were that bad, given the disgraceful state of the surface. I thought the ref was harsh on them. This type of "guilty till proven innocent" stuff with the Wallaby scrum is getting entrenched and I think Paddy O'Brien needs to set the record straight - call only what you see, not what you guess.

[travelling_gerry]

yeah...I dont think those match officials will score big marks in their assessment...

[travelling_gerry]

yes...thanks Shasta....exactly what I meant.....still catching up on threads...

I reckon that last penalty against the Aus front row was fair dinkum milked by the Welsh prop....he just bent in half at the engage and Shepherdson went down..they got the penalty...kicked...and voila...

[chook]

Isn't that sort of stuff the Art Of Being A Frontrower? I mean, its not like they get to do anything else on the pitch.

[tragic]

I was thinking similar things about the citations, TEF. I'd rather see the offenders sin-binned during the match, let the other team have the advantage of numbers, and then get on with it. With the knowledge in the back of the refs' minds, do they not worry about offences so much, knowing that the cameras and IRB will pick it up later? (Don't get me wrong, happy for Burger to get cited, for instance, but making players sweat on decisions, then sweat on appeals, having their campaigns uncertain ... it seems a bit unfair).

I thought some of the penalties against the Wallabies were awfully soft. And I'm not sure how Sharpie could roll away with someone stamping on top of him, but there you go.

And the Fox commentary about the Wallaby "front row woes" got a bit tiresome, as did the constant confusion of Larkham with Latham, the talk of someone called "Ting-giri", and various other oddities. Although, at no time did I feel the uncontrollable urge to strangle a mariachi trumpet player. Cardiff was a welcome relief from inappropriate brass band music.

[travelling_gerry]

and what about George "Greygun"

[tragic]

Don't get me started.