‘I knew’: Daugunu reveals the hard work behind ‘lucky’ tap-in try

Canny game sense, the backing of his coach and an inner-belief he would make it back to the Test arena after a stint in the Wallabies wilderness. Or as Filipo Daugunu modestly calls it: ‘luck’.

“I was lucky to get those two tries,” the Wallabies winger said on Saturday night after his brace helped Australia get out of jail against Wales in Melbourne.

Coming after a try from Daugunu in Sydney’s win, the trio of five-pointers not only helped Australia secure a series win over Wales but put the flying Fijian winger back in the Test spotlight after a stop-start career. He debuted in 2020 and played five Tests, but then played a single Test in both 2021 and 2022, and none in 2023.

Daugunu has been one of the Wallabies’ best under Schmidt, but ‘luck’ hasn’t had much to do with it. His two opportunistic tries at AAMI Park came after the 29-year-old put himself in the right place at the right time.

Daugunu’s match-turning second try, after he pounced on a botched sideline tap-in from Wales winger Liam Williams, was a shock to most. It looked like a lucky reward for a lost-cause chase but the Wallabies winger said he had hustled so hard because he done enough study to sense Williams would attempt a tap-in.

Filipo Daugunu of the Wallabies scores his second try.Credit: Getty Images

The laws changed in 2018 to allow a player to jump from outside the field of play and keep the ball in.

“Because you know the rules now, you can jump from outside to catch it in,” Daugunu said. “So it was a good kick for Noah, and it allowed me to get there, and I was lucky for him to tap it back in.

“I knew he was going to tap it in. It was a good bounce from the ball, it was a bit wet.”

Liam Williams (circled) taps the ball back in, with a chasing Filipo Daugunu approaching.Credit: Stan

Daugunu also put his first try down to luck. That was when he took the final pass in a 98-metre move that saw Andrew Kellaway escape goal-line pressure, chip-and-chase and tap down to a supporting Fraser McReight.

Daugunu, a left winger, was on the right edge at the time, after an earlier play where he cleaned up a kick and found himself in the midfield. Cannily, outside centre Josh Flook moved to his left wing and Daugunu shifted seamlessly to defend at centre on the right for the next phases.

In Sydney, Daugunu also scored on the right edge after chiming in from the blind.

“It was a main focus for this game, and even last game, to be like a spark. Whatever we do, to get ready,” Daugunu said.

“What Joe says is you have a licence to do everything you want to do, so to make the try from the chip-and-chase from Kells, it was pretty good. I was lucky to be there. Lucky Fraser passed it to me.”

Filipo Daugunu smiles with fans after the Wallabies’ win.Credit: Getty Images

After a season where he missed two games for the Rebels due to the stress of the club’s implosion and unpaid monies, it was hard to miss Daugunu’s broad smile at AAMI Park.

Schmidt’s backing has played a big part in Daugunu’s rennaissance. He might have initially been considered a placeholder for Marika Koroibete, who will be available for the Rugby Championship, but Daugunu’s form has given Schmidt a nice headache.

The Wallabies next meet Georgia in Sydney on Saturday, as part of the 2017 San Francisco agreement, where tier one countries committed to hosting a tier 2 nation in the year after a Rugby World Cup. World Rugby underwrite the fixtures.

Rugby Australia looked at playing the match in Newcastle and Gosford but both were booked, so the game will be an afternoon kickoff at Allianz Stadium.

Ben Donaldson scoring against Georgia at the Rugby World Cup.Credit: Getty

Georgia will move to 12th in the world this week and are a dangerous opponent. The Wallabies struggled to put them away at the Rugby World Cup, and they pushed Fiji and beat Eddie Jones’ Japan in the last two weeks.

Asked if Georgia’s win in Japan had him worried - and changed his selection plans this week - Schmidt said: “I am always worried.”

“Worried makes you work hard and make sure that you try to be thorough in the selections you do make,” he said.

“There probably will be a couple of changes. You’re trying to build cohesion. It’s a little bit of a difficult equilibrium … between that continuation of confidence and continuity and then offering opportunity.”

Len Ikitau, Liam Wright, Harry Wilson and Tom Lynagh are all expected to be fit.

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