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Rugby World Cup 2019 | Legends share concerns after Wallabies 45-10 win over Uruguay

It may have been a comfortable win for the Wallabies at the World Cup but legends and commentators are concerned by a troubling trend.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
5 min read
October 5, 2019 - 6:54PM
Tevita Kuridrani scored two tries for the Wallabies.
Tevita Kuridrani scored two tries for the Wallabies.

The Wallabies’ World Cup campaign is back on track after a resounding 45-10 win over Uruguay in their penultimate pool match.

Australia, donning a special indigenous jersey, ran away with a seven try performance before Uruguay scored a late one of their own, their first against the Wallabies.

Here is the reaction and talking points from the match.

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WALLABIES EXPOSED BY WORLD CUP ‘MAYHEM’

As expected, the Wallabies claimed the 45-10 win over Uruguay with a huge performance but the scoreline only tells half the story.

Australia, who came in one of the favourites of the tournament suffered a setback against Wales and are now still on a collision course with England in the quarterfinals and New Zealand. Wales are set to take out the top spot in the group if they can defeat Fiji next week.

But rugby commentators have slammed the Wallabies for their first half performance.

Despite leading 19-3 at the break, it was a sloppy performance with two Wallabies sin binned in the first half.

Adam Coleman was sent to the bin for a “seat belt” tackle over the shoulder of a Uruguayan player first and he returned to the field just in time to see Lukhan Salakaia-Loto binned for a similar high shot.

Coleman’s tackle slipped up to the neck, but replays showed the initial contact was over the shoulder.

Adam Coleman couldn’t believe he copped a yellow card.
Adam Coleman couldn’t believe he copped a yellow card.

The TMO was at the centre of the controversy, reporting Coleman hit him in the shoulder first but the referee gave the Wallaby his marching orders.

Rugby commentator Gordon Bray suggested on Channel 10 it may have been a deliberate tactic to draw penalties against Australia.

“Again, a tackle above the shoulders,” Bray said. “The player was ducking. It’s almost as though they’re deliberately going down on contact, the Uruguayans.”

Uruguay were then cost a try in the shadow of halftime as the TMO ruled one of their players was off-side in the lead up to the try, even though everyone seemed relatively content with the result.

Bray said: “TMOs are having too much say — full stop.”

But the Wallabies were their own worst enemies.

Former Wallabies star Justin Harrison said the tackles weren’t a sign of poor technique but showed where the Wallabies heads were at in the first half.

Wallabies legend Phil Kearns agreed and said it probably came down to how Uruguay played that put the Wallabies off.

“It was mayhem at the breakdown, mayhem just in the way they defended and mayhem in the way they attack and it’s very hard as a nation to study them and analyse and see the patterns in what they do because there’s very often not a pattern and that makes it difficult to plan your game against them,” he said. “Skill execution for the Wallabies was a bit average in lots of areas and that will be the disappointing thing for them.”

The Wallabies were still happy to get the win.
The Wallabies were still happy to get the win.

Former English rugby star Stu Barnes told Fox Sports Australia were awful and Uruguay would take it as a “moral victory”.

“The fact it was 65-3 the last time they met in the 2015 World Cup, this time it’s 45-10 and it’s something of a moral victory for Uruguay,” he said. “It was a chaotic game and Australia were never comfortable in chaos whereas New Zealand would have been comfortable and would have found a way to beat a team like Uruguay.”

Social media were also fairly critical of the Wallabies’ performance.

WALLABIES NEW LOOK GETS TICK OF APPROVAL

While the second string Wallabies were given their chance to shine in a match that was always pencilled in as a win for Australia, the side had a very different look than normal.

With Uruguay wearing their white strips, the Wallabies traded their regular gold jersey for a predominantly green jersey with indigenous designs.

It’s the third time the Wallabies have used an indigenous jersey and it means a lot to the players.

The Wallabies were proudly donning the new strip.
The Wallabies were proudly donning the new strip.

Recalled Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale was buzzing about the jersey when talking to Channel 10 before the game.

“This is a very special moment for myself, being a proud indigenous man of Australia,” Beale said. “To be able to wear and Australian indigenous Wallabies jersey is going to be an amazing experience and one that hopefully can inspire us as a nation and that we can all get behind and support going forward.”

Despite copping some criticism that the green made it look like a Springboks strip, the jersey has received rave reviews on social media.

Designed by indigenous artist Dennis Goulding, the jersey has a gold indigenous design on the sleeves and a wallaby and waterhole across the abdomen and back.

Wallabies fly half Matt To’omua said the jersey means more than ever because of the changing face of Australian society and a sea change in rugby.

“The make-up of the Wallabies team in itself is a lot different culturally than it was, say, 10 years ago,” To’omua, who’s father is of Samoan heritage, said. “To see an indigenous jersey filled with a team full of brown guys is kind of cool and kind of different. That’s just where society is at the moment. To be at the forefront of that as a Wallaby is quite a proud moment personally.”

— with AAP

PETAIA THE WALLABIES’ ‘SHINING LIGHT’

Jordan Petaia must think this Test rugby thing is a breeze.
Jordan Petaia must think this Test rugby thing is a breeze.

The Wallabies have a new star in 19-year-old Jordan Petaia.

The teenager became the youngest Wallabies player and second youngest in history to score at the World Cup when, with his second touch in Test Rugby, he crossed the line off a perfectly timed pass from fullback Kurtley Beale.

Despite limited opportunities, Petaia was an instant crowd favourite, setting up an assist for Tevita Kuridrani in which he slid past three defenders and threw a memorable assist.

Australia’s youngest player at the World Cup, Petaia made way at halftime in a pre-planned substitution.

But former Wallaby Rod Kafer said he was living up to the expectations.

“He was the shining light in what was a pretty insipid performance from the Wallabies in that first half. They were poor across the field,” he said at the break.

But social media are already backing the younger for more time on the paddock.

SLIPPER BREAKS INSANE DUCK BREAKER

Try time for James Slipper.
Try time for James Slipper.

In 94 Test matches, there aren’t too many things a player wouldn’t have achieved in the game but for Aussie prop James Slipper, he found a first.

Crossing the line in the 60th minute, his teammates erupted and celebrated like it was the match winning try with Taniela Tupou unable to stop himself from planting a smooch on the big man.

The affectionate response came to celebrate Slipper’s first try in Test rugby.

Taking 94 matches, Slipper was behind only All Blacks Owen Franks, who went scoreless for his entire 108 Test career.

Originally published as Rugby World Cup 2019 | Legends share concerns after Wallabies 45-10 win over Uruguay

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/rugby/rugby-world-cup-2019/rugby-world-cup-2019-legends-share-concerns-after-wallabies-4510-win-over-uruguay/news-story/61d539a9ee59d4c42e1692f81be8c12f