The stadia lights have dimmed. The roar of the lion faded and an epic series 12 years in the making has perhaps left more questions than answers. But they’re debates for another time, for last night the power and the passion were the domain of those in gold and what a battle it was.
Over 80,000 fans were in attendance, and to the naked eye there appeared more red than gold. Expectations were high and so was the banter. A couple of Irish lads asked me on the way in what I predicted for the score and spat out their beer when I replied ‘Wallabies by 20’. Only time would tell. I write this review based on watching it live at the ground, before checking a tv replay, so I apologise for any lost nuance or missed commentary.
Legacy Lost?
The Wallabies came out with a point to prove and played with a controlled anger, or menace, from the opening whistle. There was some argy-bargy early doors with the usual suspects Messrs Skelton and White, and it worked. The Lions looked agitated, but also flat.
From the initial kick-off the Wallabies looked up for the contest and had a few variations in their play. Indeed, the first lineout went to Skelton at the tail and he popped it straight to Nic White. Sustained attacking pressure and a clever Tom Wright kick saw the Wallabies secure a 5m scrum and set up camp in the Lions 22. And after nearly seven minutes of probing and stretching from our boys and with penalty advantage, White unleashed a sweeping move to the Wallabies left. JAS attracted two defenders and also had a stealthy Tom Wright off his left shoulder before popping what must be said was a pretty ordinary pass, but Pietsch was up to the challenge, reeled it in to finish off in the corner. Tommy Lynagh slid it to the right of the posts: Wallabies 5:0 and Accor stadium is jumping.
Play ebbed and flowed somewhat, but the gold defence was next level. The commitment and resolution shown in defence was the best I’ve seen since the 2015 RWC where the Wallabies repelled a Welsh side, despite being down to 13 at one stage. No matter the number on the jersey, the hits stuck, there were multiple turnovers won and growing frustrations for those players in red and their fans. Tempers flared in the 22nd minute when serial pest Nic White was involved in a minor scuffle before the Skletonator got involved and let those in red know they were in a contest. Some handbags at 10 paces ensued. The ref threatened the naughty chair and it was play on.
The Lions copped a big loss in minute 27 with skipper Itoje going off for a HIA, not to return.
It wasn’t until minute 33 the Wallabies scored more points, again with sustained pressure in the Lions 22 and forcing a penalty advantage, Lynagh slotted a handy 3. Well taken, as the rain hammered down at times and points were extremely valuable. Wallabies 8-0 and that would remain so until halftime. But not without some controversy. How in the hell the worst TMO in the galaxy, Marius Jonker, missed a tucked arm, shoulder to head contact, from the side, on Tom Lynagh, by Lions rake Dan Sheehan is beyond comprehension. Especially so as I write this, Sheehan has been cited by the Foul Play match review committee.
What lightning?
The second half kicked off with a sickening head knock to James Ryan. Poor head placement on an attempted tackle on Skelton saw the big Oirish lock out cold. Strangely there was also more push and shove around this incident, which looked to be a terrible rugby incident, no more, no less. Indeed there was perhaps a full 10 minutes lost while Ryan received the care he needed. But what came next caught all in the crowd off guard. The reserves benches cleared and the players left the field. I turned to the Lions fans next to me and asked if the Lions had forfeited the match. Some 90 seconds later the big screens flashed the message that Armageddon was imminent, play was suspended and those in rows 1-19 should seek immediate shelter under the roof to stay safe. Needless to say there was no hail or rain during this period. There were, however, a number of pitch invaders, all cheered on enthusiastically by a bored crowd. After 30 minutes the Wallabies were back warming up, the Lions were playing bridge and appeared 5 minutes later. Play resumed in the 43rd minute with a penalty to gold (from an infringement surrounding the James Ryan push and shove). It was game back on.
Then came moments of agony. 44th minute, soft hands from Skelton puts Tupou into a hole on the Lions 22, big enough for a 145kg flying prop to scythe through. The big unit charges upfield, has one to beat and a looming JAS on his left shoulder until he drops the pill cold! In what looks like a swapping of the ball from right to left hands (perhaps to pop to JAS?), TT stone cold drops it. Lions scrum, bullet dodged and 7 points lost by the Wallabies.
Then the ecstasy. 55th minute, Lions trying to go wide from 60m out and being harassed by Wallaby defenders, Lenny Ikitau in particular, with help from a looming JAS. The ball goes to ground before 20yo Max Jorgensen scoops it up one handed in the wet and on the fly, bolts 60 metres to score. The crowd erupts. Donno converts. Gold 15-Lions 0.
62nd minute: The Lions finally get on the board with ref whisperer Jac Morgan again getting a sweetheart call from the MOs as NO ONE else at the ground actually saw the ball grounded. We saw Aussie arms underneath it, but not one single piece of evidence that the ball touched grass. It’s uber impressive the MOs could see that but not Dan Sheehan’s red card offence in open play. That aside, it’s Wallabies 15-Lions 7 and a nervous quiet fell over the crowd. It couldn’t happen again, could it?
68th minute: sustained Wallaby pressure sees them camped in the Lions 22. More pressure from our forwards creates space for Tate to Donno, to pass to Jorgensen. He attracts two defenders before popping a pass to an unmarked Pietsch with 4 metres to score and…………….he drops it stone motherless dead. Another 7 points gone.
69th minute: But wait, repeated Lions infringements results in a yellow card to replacement hooker Ronan Kelleher. He probably took a bullet for guess who made shoulder contact to the head of Ikitau in the lead up to the try? Bet you never will, his last name is Farrell and he’s not the coach.
70th minute: Skipper Dirty Harry calls centre field scrum, 5m out and with a one player advantage. The forwards bash away, grinding the Lions into the dirt and then the zip-zip man Tate McDermott spots half a gap, maybe less, like a jackrabbit after a mate, he’s off, low, quick, extends the right arm: TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well deserved team try. Donno kicks it: Wallabies 22-Lions 7. Surely this is it right?
78th minute: The ‘Greatest Lions team of all time’ launches one last attack to put some dignity into the scoreboard. Beirne makes a break, JAS comes from the left, snots him, ball comes loose. Replays show a tackle across the shoulder, the EXACT SAME ONE OWEN FARRELL DID WITH NO ACTION, yet it’s penalty to the Lions, but not for JAS’s tackle, but for a tackle off the ball by Donno during the same play.
80th minute: the Lions batter the Australian try line. Time and time again they are repelled by this golden wall. The Wallaby players don’t want to yield ground, their fans likewise, me especially as it would give the Wallabies a better for & against across the series. Alas, Will Stuart scores, the dropkick conversion misses and its all over: Wallabies 22-Lions 12.
Observations.
In no particular order:
- Defence-defence-defence! Apparently wins matches right? So it proved. Choke tackles on Lions runners, repeated turnovers won when under the pump, players getting back to their feet and in the D line faster than I have ever witnessed before. You want to see attitude, look no further than the golden wall last night.
- Our forwards and our set piece owned the Lions. Skelton, Hooper and Frost were magnificent and we lost no momentum when the reserves came on. All the pigs played as one large, functioning pack, on the same page and relentless. Especially in D. No doubt the extended lightning break helped get more minutes out of TT and Skelton, and that helped. I note Tom Hooper was MotM, and I have no issue with that, but I could’ve lived with either Frost or Ikitau being the recipient.
- Pollard was outstanding, we’ve found our #2 for the next 5 years. That kid’s got game, and he’s a fair lump of a man, too.
- Ikitau was herculean. He was both a ninth forward and our defensive general. The sheer amount of work he did, on both sides of the ball, was beyond measure. He took so many hit ups into the teeth of the Lions that I lost count, yet he marshalled the backs in D and was everywhere on the field. For mine, that was his best game in the jersey
- Nic White was superb. His kicking, tackling, passing and niggling paid off in spades. It was a fitting moment that he got a standing and sustained ovation when he left the field.
- Max Jorgensen is a superstar. His skills, turn of speed, reading of the game. Let’s all watch his career and rejoice, he’s something special.
- Tom Wright showed the poise and maturity that can sometimes go missing. His run/kick/mark mix was stellar. We got big metres from his boot and real momentum and confidence from his choices. Excellent game. We needed a back field general and he delivered.
- We left points out there, two bombed tries. Yes, it’s a bit nit-picking, but 14 points is 14 points.
- Over three tests the points differential was +1 to the greatest Lions side of all time. We won 4 halves of the 6 halves available. We were never behind in a test with Will Skelton on the field. Just saying.
- TMO Marius Jonker is the biggest tool in world rugby. Sack him. Sack him now. He can’t spot Sheehan’s red card offence but he stops the game to alert the ref to look at Nic White’s actions on Finn Russell. Even the ref essentially told him to sod off.
- Master and Padwan? Schmidt and Farrell. St Joe had no right to get his troops mentally up for this one, let alone with the late changes, but get them up he did. He even had a pre-arranged plan for the storm interruption. While the Aussies stretched and plotted, the Lions checked their phones and sat around on bespoke bean bags.
- Skelton must play in TRC. The Giteau rule needs be abandoned and the best players picked from wherever and whenever we need them.
It wasn’t just a win. It’s a win that could be a building block to something rather special. Well done Wallabies. Well done.
