Adam Ashley-Cooper was unable to celebrate his 100th test for the Wallabies with a win
Photo: karenwatson.com.au

by Paul Cook –

One point. That’s all it came down to in the end as a Wallaby side riddled with internal strife put the emotional baggage of the last few weeks to one side and produced a performance unfailingly worthy of the jersey, pushing the All Blacks all the way before going down 29-28 at Suncorp Stadium.

As a response to the last few weeks of media scrutiny, off-field drama and the fallout from the surprise loss to Argentina, this was as good a response from the Wallabies that even their most fervent detractors could have hoped for. All that was missing was the result.

Playing with pace, intent, belief and passion, they built on a narrow 17-12 half-time advantage to lead 25-15 with only quarter of an hour remaining off the back of a second-half try from test centurion Adam Ashley-Cooper. But a performance that deserved to herald victory was relegated to one of gallant defeat as the best side in the world simply refused to accept a second successive loss, pegging their way back into contention before stealing the win after the siren with a try from Malakai Fekitoa, converted by Colin Slade.

Embattled head coach Ewen McKenzie was justifiably proud of his beleaguered side’s efforts but will be left ruing those closing moments and what might have been. “It was the last 10 minutes really. We’d done what we needed to do and we just needed to basically kick it down the other end and make them play in their own quarter so it’s disappointing,” he reflected.

“We challenged them and found a way to put pressure on them but they’re a good side and we’ve seen it plenty of times before, you’ve got to play 80, not 78 or 79, you’ve got to play 80,” he continued. “You’re going to be judged on the wins and losses but we showed character against the Springboks in Cape Town and we showed character again tonight, we just need to nail the little moments.”

His counterpart, Steve Hansen, paid tribute to both his hosts’ efforts and to the doggedness of his own side in adversity. “[It was] definitely not a great performance but once again, they’ve shown a lot of fortitude, a lot of character and mental toughness to hang in against a side that was playing particularly well and put us under a lot of pressure,” he said.

“Australia owed themselves, the public and the game of rugby a really big performance and they gave one so they couldn’t be any prouder of what they did either and they probably deserved to win the game to be fair.”

The level of intent, if not quite the execution, was immediately apparent from the Wallabies as they flooded the breakdown in the early exchanges, repeatedly attacked the short side and setting a blistering pace, driven by halfback Nick Phipps. But it was the All Blacks who forged the first genuine opportunity, a line break from Beauden Barrett eventually finding Conrad Smith but as the veteran centre looked to step inside he was smashed in a ball and all tackle from Tevita Kuridrani, much to the delight of his team mates and the baying Brisbane crowd.

Kieran Read: Industrious as ever – Photo: karenwatsonphotography.com.au

Warning served, the Wallabies responded in kind, Christian Lealiifano darting inside a drifting Fekitoa to find Israel Folau and the fullback’s pace and leg drive in the tackle got them within range. Patient phase play saw them recycle coast to coast and when Phipps found himself a metre out at the back of the ruck ball, he didn’t need a second invitation to dummy and go himself to find the line.

Bernard Foley added the extras but the Wallabies’ fire was doused immediately from the restart. Barrett’s kick was fielded by Brodie Retallick but there will be some conjecture as to the validity of his knockdown to the waiting Conrad Smith. The All Blacks ploughed forward en masse and went wide off the next ruck and through the hands for Kieran Read to put Cory Jane over in the corner for his 17th test try.

Despite the scoreboard’s return to parity, the home side weren’t fazed and set about sustaining their game plan of hard, fast and positive rugby. As a result, the All Blacks were forced onto the backfoot for much of the opening half hour, pinned inside their own half and restricted to relying on their potent counter attack for opportunities.

But where lesser sides may have wilted, the world champions showed their mettle with a sterling defensive effort to thwart the swarm of green and gold in their midst.

Scott Fardy went close in the 27th minute, driven to within a metre before a wall of black repelled any further advance. Buoyed by their efforts, captain Michael Hooper turned down a potential 3pts to kick for touch just before the half hour, a move that ended with the visitors disrupting a rolling maul off the lineout.

When afforded the same option two minutes later, after Richie McCaw was penalised at the breakdown, Hooper didn’t hesitate to throw the ball to the reliable Foley and the flyhalf vindicated his skipper’s decision to open up a 3pt lead at 10-7.

Again, the Wallabies were unable to build on their advantage, switching off in the 34th minute to concede a soft second try. There didn’t appear to be too much on when the ball was sent wide by Aaron Smith but quick hands from Barrett sucked in Foley and left Ashley-Cooper with two men to cover. Expecting hooker Dane Coles to release Julian Savea, the centre was helpless as Coles dummied and angled in behind him instead, showing an impressive turn of speed to wrong-foot Phipps and cross the chalk.

However, refusing to be cowed by their opponents, the home side went for the jugular from the restart and hit back two minutes before the break. Phipps, having a wonderful game, was the catalyst, probing and dictating the pace and point of attack and when his arrow-like long, flat pass found Scott Higginbotham, the no.8 put a rampaging Hooper within a metre before the instinctive Foley pounced to dive over in the corner.

Foley dusted himself off for the conversion but his attempt drifted wide to bring hostilities to a temporary cessation at the break with the Wallabies holding a narrow 3pt lead.

The second half started with a bang for Australia. Another poor restart put them straight on the backfoot but turnover ball saw a combination of Fardy, Folau and Kuridrani hit the ball up to take them 70 metres upfield. A barnstorming surge from James Slipper edged them closer as the All Blacks retreated and another dart from Folau followed by composed decision making from Phipps, gave Ashley-Cooper the chance to slide over and celebrate his milestone in style.

Foley made amends for his miss before the break with a superb sideline conversion and the Wallabies had some daylight at 22-12. They had 35 minutes left to finish the job.

Close Again: The Wallabies have added a 1pt loss to the draw they managed against the All Blacks in Sydney – Photo: karenwatson.com.au

The concession of that third try served as a significant wake-up call for the All Blacks, their aggression and ferocity at the breakdown visibly rising a few notches over the next 10 minutes as they looked to eke their way back into contention.

A penalty from Barrett on 53 minutes reduced arrears as both teams went to the bench for respite as the ferocious pace continued, Phipps replaced by Nic White after arguably his best effort in a gold jersey. A popular scrum penalty allowed Foley to restore the 12pt advantage and when All Blacks replacement lock, Patrick Tuipulotu, went to the bin for taking out his opposite number, Rob Simmons, fortune seemed to be favouring the Australians.

But you doubt this champion All Blacks side at your peril. Not only did they hold firm whilst a man down, they actually carried the game to their hosts and, energised by the injection of the incoming Sam Cane, they set about overwhelming a tiring Wallabies outfit. With 10 minutes left, they got the breakthrough, Aaron Smith reacting quicker than anyone else to take a quick-tap from a penalty and hotstep his way over for Barrett to add the extras.

25-22 and the All Blacks were coming – and fast. Coach Hansen was confident enough in the quality of halves at his disposal to remove Smith and Barrett and task TJ Perenara and Colin Slade with the challenge of bringing their team home and they didn’t disappoint.

The fightback was halted temporarily when Nic White stepped up to nail a 45 metre penalty and give them three minutes to hold out at 28-22. But leaving a side like the All Blacks with the carrot of a converted try to win the game was always going to prove to be a fragile existence and with the siren about to blow, they concocted their fourth try for a shot at victory.

Under pressure inside his own 22, a White clearance failed to gather the distance he was looking for, offering the All Blacks an ideal attacking platform. They belted the Wallaby line repeatedly in search of an opening, and when the ball was sent wide, Australia didn’t have the numbers to prevent Fekitoa from arcing a run outside his tackler and finding the line.

Up stepped Colin Slade, effectively New Zealand’s fourth choice flyhalf, for a chance to etch his name in the history books. It was never in doubt from the moment the ball left his boot.

Ultimately then, the Wallabies came up short, Adam Ashley-Cooper’s 100th test celebrations were somewhat muted as a result and Ewen McKenzie’s test record took another backward step but the Wallabies showed tonight that there is still plenty of ticker in this squad, plenty of fight, passion and desire and that they really aren’t as far away from the summit as some people would have you believe.

NEW ZEALAND 29 (Cory Jane, Dane Coles, Aaron Smith, Malakai Felitoa tries; Beauden Barrett 2 cons, pen, Colin Slade con) defeated AUSTRALIA 28 (Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Adam Ashley-Cooper tries; Bernard Foley 2 cons, 2 pens, Nic White pen) Crowd: 45,186