Wallabies v USA Eagles: Australia win Test match 47-10 at Soldier Field, Chicago
THE Wallabies have survived a scare from the USA to register a comfortable win in Chicago. Next stop the Rugby World Cup!
Rugby
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE Wallabies weren’t in Kansas anymore Toto, but they were close.
They were in Chicago, and things were a little strange.
The more-than-half empty 61,500-seat Soldier Field seemed like the Grand Canyon; a commentator did his best to explain the rules to the bemused crowd, and the American eagle mascot threw footballs into the stands with a spiral pass Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler would have been proud of.
In their last hitout before the World Cup, Michael Cheika’s men were hoping to iron out some kinks, work on some combinations, and press for spots in the top side.
What they weren’t expecting was to be given a big scare by a USA team that while lacking in finesse, and decidedly a little rough around the edges, pushed them all the way in a 47-10 win.
Even before the kick-off the hosts showed the Australians that they were in for an interesting night.
Local personality Jim Cornelison, whose lilting tones can be heard singing the national anthem before the start of Chicago Bulls games, belted out a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner that almost caused him to pass out and had the Eagles jumping out of their boots.
Not that the emotion counted for much early.
After Wallaby winger Joe Tomane had spilt the ball forward as the Aussies tried to run it from the kick-off, the USA scrum was all but pushed over the sideline.
A second scrum a minute later resulted in a tight-head to Australia.
With the mountain of possession going Australia’s way, and an obvious intent to spread the ball wide at every opportunity, the Americans were desperate not to give the opposition any room.
Their tight marking and aggressive tackling, especially from centres Seamus Kelly and Palamo Thretton, put the Wallabies under pressure and too often they tried to get the ball away in traffic.
The Australians’ inability to finish off their moves saw the Eagles grow in confidence but overeagerness saw them continually off-side.
The result was one penalty after another, and with first-time Wallaby captain James Slipper obviously under instructions not to kick for goal, the Eagles just kept on infringing.
Eventually, six minutes into the match South African referee Jaco Peyper had enough and after four straight penalties, sent USA lock Greg Peterson to the bin.
It was immediately afterwards that the Wallabies finally cracked a tired defensive line.
From a good scrum, halfback Nick Phipps fed No 10 Bernard Foley who simply stepped inside his opposite number AJ MacGinty for a try under the posts that he converted.
The Wallaby forwards continued to mount pressure, with some good inroads made by hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and backrower Sean McMahon, but there was not enough continuity to dominate and score the mountain of points that most supporters would have expected.
The Wallabies’ second try came seven minutes after the first when Foley made a break in centre field and passed to Slipper who fed No 8 Wycliff Palu.
Phipps backed up to take the pass and score.
Again, the floodgates didn’t open.
It was the USA that scored next after Slipper entered a maul from the wrong side.
MacGinty kicked the goal for 14-3.
Then, almost on halftime the home crowd had something to cheer about.
The Wallabies lost possession 40 metres out, USA regathered and swung the ball wide, Kelly putting Zimbabwean-born speedster Takudzwa Ngwenya away down the sideline.
Tomane had two goes at it and pulled him down, but not before he passed inside to scrumhalf Mike Petri who scored out wide.
MacGinty converted to make it 14-10 at the break, not a scoreline that would have pleased Cheika — although he denied he “blew up” in the sheds.
“There was the odd loud word said,” he joked.
“There usually is in the dressing room. We have a bit of fun of halftime but I don’t think it was too bad. From a coaching point of view I think you get louder in the dressing room if you think the effort is not there but I thought the effort was there from our lads.
“I don’t think you can go into a game thinking, ‘well we should go in at halftime leading by so much.’ What type of respect is that for the opposition?
“Yeah, there were some things we wanted to do better but not around the scoreline. The scoreline mends itself when we perform with the right detail. In the first half we didn’t have the right detail in some of the areas we needed to, but then we sorted out our decision making and got back into the swing of it.”
In the second half Australia did manage to score the points to make it seem a convincing win, on the scoreboard at least.
Phipps, who seemed flustered at times, was replaced by Will Genia only five minutes into the half and it made a difference.
Four minutes later McMahon was rewarded for a strong match when he scored off a rolling maul from a lineout, then Genia put fellow replacement Dean Mumm over with a neat short pass.
An intercept to winger Chris Wyles looked like pulling some points back for USA, but he was grabbed by Tomane a metre from the line.
Australia regained possession and Beale scored down the other end.
Tries to replacements Quade Cooper and Taqele Naiyaravoro ended the rout as the Americans’ batteries wore down.
It wasn’t champagne rugby, more like semi-flat Coke, but Cheika did get the chance to give former Kiwi front-rower Toby Smith a run and there were no injuries.
Next stop England.
Australia 47 (Foley, Phipps, McMahon, Beale, Mumm, Cooper, Naiyaravoro tries, Foley six conversions) beat USA 10 (Petri try, MacGinty conversion, penalty) at Soldier Field, Chicago
Originally published as Wallabies v USA Eagles: Australia win Test match 47-10 at Soldier Field, Chicago
Suaalii’s new position revealed ahead of Super Rugby opener
After missing NSW’s final trial match against the Brumbies a fortnight ago, Super Rugby’s highest-profile recruit has been given a positional switch for his Waratahs debut.
Axed star opens up on controversial Wallabies snubbing
Langi Gleeson was invited to be part of the Wallabies training camp – as he pushed towards a call-up against the British and Irish Lions. And then it was brutally snatched away from him.