Wallabies come down from England high to face nervous Wales
Wallabies come down from England high to face nervous Wales
Wales’ Taine Plumtree and team-mates react after during the Autumn international match rugby match between Wales and Fiji at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Nov. 10, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Australia’s Rob Valetini, centre, is tackled by England’s George Martin, left, and his teammate George Martin during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and Australia, at Twickenham stadium, London Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt looks on during a team run at The Lensbury Resort, Teddington, England, Friday Nov. 8, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Wales’ Ellis Bevan scores his side’s second try during the Autumn international match rugby match between Wales and Fiji at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Nov. 10, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Wales’ Taine Plumtree and team-mates react after during the Autumn international match rugby match between Wales and Fiji at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Nov. 10, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Wales’ Taine Plumtree and team-mates react after during the Autumn international match rugby match between Wales and Fiji at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Nov. 10, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Australia’s Rob Valetini, centre, is tackled by England’s George Martin, left, and his teammate George Martin during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and Australia, at Twickenham stadium, London Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Australia’s Rob Valetini, centre, is tackled by England’s George Martin, left, and his teammate George Martin during the Autumn Nations series rugby union match between England and Australia, at Twickenham stadium, London Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt looks on during a team run at The Lensbury Resort, Teddington, England, Friday Nov. 8, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Australia head coach Joe Schmidt looks on during a team run at The Lensbury Resort, Teddington, England, Friday Nov. 8, 2024. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)
Wales’ Ellis Bevan scores his side’s second try during the Autumn international match rugby match between Wales and Fiji at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Nov. 10, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Wales’ Ellis Bevan scores his side’s second try during the Autumn international match rugby match between Wales and Fiji at Principality Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Sunday Nov. 10, 2024. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Kudos to the planner of Australia’s rugby tour of Britain and Ireland.
Wales in Cardiff on Sunday is a timely second match. Far better than Scotland and Ireland who follow.
Wales is vulnerable and its confidence fragile after tying its worst losing run last weekend — 10 straight tests — when it fell to Fiji 24-19 at home for the first time.
The fear of more unwanted history, an 11th straight loss and the prospect of going the whole year without a win for the first time in 87 years, weighs heavy on the team and staff.
Meanwhile, Australia has used the opportunity to take a breather after the high of upsetting England 42-37 at Twickenham last weekend.
Knowing what’s still ahead on tour, the Wallabies have undergone eight changes, two of them positional. They were more than coach Joe Schmidt intended but his hand was also forced by injuries that made winger Dylan Pietsch return home and sidelined captain Harry Wilson and prop Taniela Tupou from the Wales game.
Joseph Sua’ali’i, who made such a stunning debut against England, also was dropped to the reserves. Sua’ali’i will surely come off the bench, as Australia have few games left to get him up to speed in test rugby before the British and Irish Lions arrive in July.
“Anyone who plays all consecutive tests against the sort of countries that we’re up against here, I do think that’s a big challenge, and particularly playing the full 80 minutes,” Schmidt says. “So for him to just be able to take a breath and watch a bit of the game and then enter the game, I think he’s a great opportunity for us to change it up a bit, if required.”
Thirty-somethings Allan Alaalatoa, the stand-in captain, lock Will Skelton, scrumhalf Nic White and inside center Samu Kerevi are back in the starting lineup.
Kerevi and Rob Valetini, shifted to No. 8, will play their 50th tests.
Queensland flanker Seru Uru earns his first start in his second test and Max Jorgensen, who scored the winning try against England, starts in place of Pietsch.
“I’m concerned, and I’m hopefully confident in that I know the guys coming in will be fully committed to doing the job and connecting with the guys who did the job last week,” Schmidt says.
Losing Tomos Williams, the form scrumhalf in the English Premiership, to a shoulder injury from the Fiji defeat has left Wales with an even less experienced backline. Flyhalf Gareth Anscombe’s 38 caps are more than the rest of the backs combined. Ellis Bevan starts in 9 in his fifth test, with backup from Rhodri Williams, who last played for Wales 10 years ago.
Wales also turning over Fiji only five times made Gatland change his flankers to Jac Morgan, the World Cup captain, and James Botham.
Criticism of Gatland has come and thick and fast from his former players this week, but he is used to it and staying the course to rebuild Wales.
“I’ve been very clear that we’re comfortable with the decisions we’ve made,” Gatland says. “I didn’t think there’d be this much pain. We haven’t been able to get over the finishing line. We need to be able to do that. If a decision is made (about firing me), I’m more than comfortable with that. I’ll probably go to the beach and enjoy myself away from the pressure. But I’m really happy with these players. I had a good meeting with the leadership group this week.”
The Wallabies are responsible for loss Nos. 8 and 9 in the Wales streak — when Wales visited in July — and they won their last meeting in Cardiff only two years ago. Australia came from 21 points down with 23 minutes to go to win 39-34.
Both coaches were fired afterward: Wayne Pivac for winning five of 14 Wales tests that year, and Dave Rennie, a decision which Australian officials came to regret during the World Cup.
___
AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby