Bledisloe Cup 2020: Tom Wright describes try with first touch against All Blacks
Tom Wright has described the moment he scored a try with his first touch in the green and gold, as the future looks bright for the Wallabies.
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Wallabies rookie Tom Wright still can’t believe it – a try with his first touch of the ball in Test rugby and a win on debut over the mighty All Blacks.
The Brumbies winger staked a claim for a long-term spot in Australia’s backline with an impressive display in the Wallabies’ 24-22 win over New Zealand at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
“It’s unbelievable – that’s pretty much what dreams are made of,” said Wright, who scored less than three minutes into the game after being the recipient of a slick flick pass from fullback Tom Banks.
“It goes through your head at stages how you’re going to get involved, or what your first touch might look like.
“When it gets put on a platter for you like that, it doesn’t get much better.”
Perhaps what is better is victory over the All Blacks, particularly after they crushed the Wallabies 43-5 a week earlier to retain the Bledisloe Cup.
“This is the pinnacle of sport,” said Wright, who switched codes in 2018 after playing in the NRL for Manly.
“Representing your country’s extremely special for me.”
As it is for veteran prop James Slipper, who despite suffering a dislocated elbow in his 100th Test, was thrilled with the win, having been too often on the wrong end of Australia-New Zealand results.
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“It would have been nice to play more minutes, but at the end of the day we got the win and that’s probably what we really needed especially off a disappointing weekend last weekend,” said Slipper, who was replaced by another debutant in Angus Bell in the dying stages of the first half.
“When you set out in your career … you never think about playing 100 Tests.”
Particularly in Slipper’s case, who was banned in 2018 for two months after testing positive to cocaine.
“I obviously had the extra twists and turns, and I’m very surprised that I actually made it here, but at the end of the day, I really want to win rugby games,” he said.
“One hundred games is good but winning’s better. We need to do more of that.
“We’ve just got to be more consistent. We can’t leave it until the last game, a dead rubber, to win.”
Slipper, 31, said the emergence of the likes of Wright and Bell showed the future was bright for the Wallabies.
“There have been over 10 debutants this year already, so as far as direction wise for Australian rugby, I’m really excited to see those Australian blokes come through,” Slipper said.
Wright was thrilled his Test debut was on the same night his Brumbies teammate Slipper celebrated 100 appearances for the Wallabies.
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“On a night when one of the greats in my opinion, and one of my good mates now that I’ve got to know him the last couple of years, getting to celebrate such a momentous night … there were a number of reasons for us to get up this week considering last week’s poor performance,” said Wright, whose action-packed night included being on the receiving end of a high shot from Ofa Tu’ungafasi that resulted in the All Blacks prop being sent off.
Wallabies debutant Lachie Swinton was also red-carded for a similarly high hit on New Zealand’s Sam Whitelock.
“It was nothing personal,” Wright said.
“That’s football and it happened a couple of times in the game. We just had to get on with it after that.”
Originally published as Bledisloe Cup 2020: Tom Wright describes try with first touch against All Blacks