Wallabies count cost with Michael Hooper and Adam Coleman injured

The Wallabies were yesterday counting the physical cost of the epic battle.

Wallabies captain Michael Hooper sits on the bench after coming off with a hamstring injury on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

After the emotional devastation of losing the June series to Ireland, the Wallabies were yesterday counting the physical cost of the epic battle in the deciding Test at Allianz Stadium — and it wasn’t pretty.

On top of the broken arm suffered by Melbourne Rebels inspiration leader Will Genia in the Test last week at AAMI Park, the opposing Waratahs and Rebels captains, Michael Hooper and Adam Coleman were both ruled out of Friday’s crucial clash of the Australian conference leaders at AAMI Park after being injured in Saturday’s thriller in Sydney.

Hooper, the Wallabies skipper, lasted only 16 minutes before being forced out of the game by a hamstring injury, while Coleman damaged his adductor in the lead-up to Ireland’s try in the 44th minute. In a way, his injury contributed to it. The Wallabies, realising how seriously Coleman was injured, were attempting to bring on Rob Simmons to replace him but before they were able to make the substitution, Ireland pressed home their advantage by smartly taking a lineout throw close to the Australian line.

In a move eerily reminiscent of how they had scored on Marika Koroibete’s wing within a minute of the Wallabies flyer being sent to the sin bin in the Melbourne Test, Ireland directly targeted the lame duck, Coleman, at the back of the lineout. In a flash, they pulled the ball down, transferred it to CJ Stander and the next moment the former South African under-20 captain was driven over the line.

There was little separating the two sides during the course of the three Tests but certainly the Irish continually outsmarted the Wallabies and this try was further evidence of it. In the 10 minutes that Irish winger Jacob Stockdale was in the sin bin for elbowing Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps in the throat, Ireland actually went from 3-6 down to level at 6-6. And when Israel Folau went to the naughty chair in the 30th minute, they cleared out to a 12-9 lead.

While Wallabies coach Michael Cheika rejected the idea of using the Irish series to prepare for the two meeting in August with the All Blacks, there is no question that the Lansdowne Cup campaign sorted out a few of Australia’s key selections.

Certainly Lukhan Tui cemented his place as a blindside flanker with a powerhouse game, with Cheika giving him a ringing endorsement: “He took his destiny into his own hands.”

And Tolu Latu has done more than enough off the bench to earn himself the starting hooker’s role for the opening Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney on August 18.

Brandon Paenga-Amosa got better as the starting hooker as the series unfolded but he lacked the impact of Latu who replaced him in Sydney for the entire second half. One of the poorer refereeing decisions — and there were, it has to be said, no shortage of them — was made when Latu was penalised for not releasing the tackled player in the 78th minute, the penalty that allowed Johnny Sexton to push Ireland out from 17-16 to 20-16. Had Latu actually been the tackler, the decision might have been valid. But he wasn’t. David Pocock made the tackle.

Latu was second man in and was able to dig for the ball right from the moment he entered the ruck. It was a ruling Pascal Gauzere seemed to regret the moment it was replayed on the big screen.

Latu admitted it had been a season “filled with ups and downs” as he has languished on the fringes of the Waratahs side but he insisted that playing with club players at Sydney University and seeing the passion they derived from the game reignited his own enthusiasm. But after making the turnaround, it will come as no surprise if he returns to the NSW starting side any time soon.

“To be honest, we’ll see what happens from here. I’ll be positive and do what I can for the team,” said Latu.